Now that we're home, some statistics...

The ferry ride home was both relaxing and successful. All of us were eager for a day or two away from the car and the Alaska Marine Highway System is a pleasant way to spend a bit of time, so it was a win all the way around.

All along this excursion, we've been asked a whole lot of questions about our road trips; everything from how we maintain our sanity, to how much it costs, to how our kids handle the drive, you name it. Now that we're home, I thought this a perfect time to outline our excursion in a strictly statistical manner (in the spirit of a similar post). Hopefully, this will give everyone a better picture of how we do what we do.

• We left 57 days ago.
• We drove (round-trip) 8,064 miles.
• 365.4 gallons of gas were used.
• $1438.16 was spent on gas at an average rate of $3.94 per gallon. (Note: fuel is significantly more expensive in Canada)
• We averaged 22 miles per gallon in our 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, carrying the equivalent of 6 adult passengers (in weight) both directions.
• In order in maximize our gas mileage, traveling speed was maintained at 65mph or the posted speed limit, whichever was lower.
• An average day on the road was 8.5-9 hours of driving, which is 10-11 hours with stops included.
• The average distance traveled per day was 520 miles. (Note: this average does not include any in-town driving, once we arrived in Cleveland.)
• Car maintenance totaled $515.90. (Note: this total includes a replaced tail light, in addition to oil changes/tire rotations and general safety checks.)
• Tickets for 2 adults, 2 children, 1 pet, and 1 15-foot vehicle (round-trip) from Sitka to Prince Rupert, BC with a state room each way are $982. (Note: enormous gratitude goes out to Cindy for bearing the financial burden of this part of our trip.)
• Pet-friendly hotel rooms for 11 nights were rented at an average rate of $117 per night. (Note: Canadian hotels are significantly more expensive.)
• Coupons, AAA discounts, and hotel search aggregator websites were used to find the most reasonable rates available.
• Meals while en route averaged about $60 per day for 20 days.
• Most breakfasts were provided by hotels.
• Snacks were purchased in advance of departure to deter extra spending.
• Meals varied from fast food to ethnic restaurants, depending on availability and time.
• International transaction fees accrued for using a US credit card in Canada totaled $19.36.
• We had a total of 6 border crossings between the US and Canada.
• Nika failed to bark obnoxiously at the fifth crossing.
• Two veterinary visits were required for border crossing, totaling $245.74 (Note: pet travel papers are valid for only 30 days.)
• Cat-sitting services while we were away totaled $100.
• National Park fees totaled $56
• 2 US National Parks, 2 Canadian National Parks, and 1 Natural Wonder of the World were visited on this trip.

Note: none of these dollar totals include our time in Cleveland, except gas.

• The children amused themselves with books and toys about 20% of the time on the road, sight-seeing about 50% of the time, eating 10% of the time, sleeping 10% of the time, and asking about the next hotel 10% of the time.
• The alphabet game was played daily (sometimes more than once).
• There were no more than 5 sibling disputes in a single day.
• iTunes purchases, including audio books and music for traveling totaled $185.74.
• Raven Radio - KCAW, Sitka was missed at least 57 times on this trip.
• Porter began and completed potty training during this trip. (Note: earlier attempts were made and failed.)
• Nika made 0 messes on this trip.
• Unless you count hair. Ugh.

License Plate Game results:

• Every US state, except Hawaii
• Colville Indian Reservation (WA)
• US State Department
• Canadian Plates
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Ontario
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon Territory
• Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Overall, it was a good trip. We saw some cool stuff, spent time with family, met some new people, and had plenty of time on the road to hang out with each other and enjoy just being ourselves. Some of the best adventures aren't about the destination, so much as the people you travel with.

Then again, it's always nice to come home to your own bed.

Whale Park Adventures!

It was a beautiful day on Friday, so the four of us took Nika out to the Whale Park to picnic, take in the scenery, and do some creature-watching.

The gazebo where we ate is one of four at the park. The concrete whales are popular for climbing children.

A small squirrel came to watch us eat from a safe distance.

After lunch, it was down the steps to the shore.

There are a lot of steps to get down there.

Climbing on the rocks.

A tide pool with starfish of every color, lots of pretty green anemones, and seaweed. All the black in the foreground is a bed of mussels.

Starfish pile!

Seren touching a starfish.

The view across the bay.

Anemone and seaweed in a mussel bed.

We discovered that Nika's not a half-bad climber, but she was sure tired when we went home.

Soon it was time to climb back up the steps and head back to the car.

Porter wanted to ride the whale one last time before getting strapped into the car.

we're in!

Hi, everyone!

First, we're really glad to hear from so many of you and to see so many visits from all over during this past week. We keep hearing the same thing: "When will you be posting more pictures/stories?" Well, the answer to that is: soon!

We've had a very busy week getting settled in. On Sunday, we drove into Skagway and have been without a normal internet connection since then. We've both been checking our emails on our phones, so we've been in the loop with the absolute basics but not much else. We got into Sitka on Tuesday and everyone is doing well. The past few days have been a combination of running around getting ourselves set up in town (utilities, etc.), exploring the place we now live, and getting me set up at work. Today, we finally got our internet turned on, but it still took a few hours before we were able to get the computer plugged in.

Expect us to post more this weekend with pictures and reflections. There's a lot to say, and the adventure is just beginning!

sometimes it's good to just be around the people you care about

I wanted to come straight home and write this post tonight because I wanted whatever remnants of this day to find their way into what you are now reading. Today was a dreadfully long day for all four of us and, at the same time, it was one of the best days I've had in a very long time.

We started out this afternoon at my sister's house for my niece's birthday party. It was nothing fancy, just a backyard barbecue and a whole lot of family. I've never been hugely motivated to go to family functions, but I was definitely reminded today of how important it is to see everyone whenever you can.

Our next venue was all the way on the other side of the Valley, at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, AZ. This was where we held our farewell party for those who could be there to see us off. I have to recognize those who shared this day with us: Dad & Gail, Jimmy & Claire, Kristin & Dave, Jaime & Dave, Veronika & Viktor, Gordon, Glory & Jack, Doug, Julie & Todd, Heather & Tim, Roger & Becky, Amber, Don & Sarah, and ALL of their children who spent the evening making Seren feel special. I wish I had the words to express to you just how much tonight has meant to me, that my heart is somewhere between breaking from the loss I already feel from knowing that it will be some time before I see any of you again and bursting with the love and support I received from each and every one of you. My only regret is that we did not have more opportunity to see everyone more frequently before this enormous change came into our lives.

The most difficult part of today is knowing that we do not have any more opportunities to visit with any of you who did not make it out tonight. We wish there was more time, but we just can't manage another trip down to the Valley. The movers will arrive on Thursday and we will be on the road Friday morning.

But all is not sad. You will be able to follow our adventures here and continue talking to us by phone or Internet. We hope you will do these things and leave your comments on this blog so we can better share this Alaskan Adventure with you. This is not goodbye, only a heartfelt farewell until we see you next.