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For 10 days we have been traveling south back from Alaska towards the lower 48 – Tok, Destruction Bay, Watson Lake, Iskut, Kitwanga, Prince George… each stop along the way bringing us closer and closer to being back. Labor Day weekend has brought us to Banff, AB which is a picture-postcard perfect mountain town in southern Alberta – part Vail, part Aspen with just a touch of Gatlinburg… mountain chalets, stunning views of the nearby peaks, and the cutest little downtown!

We knew it was a popular town, and I guess we didn’t realize that Canadians celebrate Labour Day… but wow, it is PACKED here! But it isn’t just the crowds that have taken us by surprise…

We really haven’t been in a “city” with this number of people for many months now… and I feel a bit like I did after returning from a month in Africa back in the 90’s – overwhelmed with the people, the noise, the choices (who needs 15 different kinds of milk anyway?).

It’s just… weird… to have all of these people around and I feel a bit out of sorts to be honest – I didn’t realize how used to being off-grid we had become. There is a certain level of stress in being way “out there”… you have to be prepared with gas, food, and stay on top of the things you need for the journey ahead.

When you live in the city everything is a cell phone call away and survival comes easily. Don’t get me wrong – we haven’t exactly been fighting through the wilds – but it takes some time to get used to being aware of having enough fuel, and knowing where the next fuel stop is or making sure we have enough food to get us through the next few days of travel. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for the original settlers of Canada and Alaska- what brave men and women they were!

But there is a relaxation that comes with being off the beaten path – no traffic, no noise, and plenty of time to think… breathing room.

Banff is beautiful – and I know we’ll have a great weekend here – and little by little we’ll get used to being “back”…

UPDATE:  Phase 1 adjustment complete… I think we are going to adjust just fine…

When the first dusting of snow appears high on the mountaintops in Alaska – what the locals call “termination dust” – it is the first sign that summer is winding down. And for us, the appearance of termination dust signals that it is time for us to stay ahead of the snow and head south.

Alaska truly became our home this summer, and to say that leaving is bittersweet would be an understatement. Our three months in Alaska this summer were incredible – despite the rainy, rainy, rainy (did I mention it rained… a LOT!) weather. Of course, the scenery is stunning, and the riding, fishing and hiking were everything you would expect and more.

But what we are going to miss the most are the people… the friendships strengthened and the new friendships made over the past three months are what made this summer so special. Collectively known as the “Fishhook Fatties” they are bound together by a love of adventure riding. And like most adventure riders, they are some of the most down-to-earth, “do anything for you” people we have ever met.

There is much, much more to recap from our awesome summer… but for now it is back to the lower 48 we go carrying a lifetime’s worth of great friendships and great memories along for the ride.

Like most young adults I used to do a LOT of road trips – and before the days of satellite radio I used to buy audio books on tape, or record local radio so I would have something to listen to on the more rural parts of the trip.

One of my favorite books on tape was Tom Bodette’s “End of the Road” series.  Even if you have never heard the name, you’ve heard the voice – he is the voice of Motel 6 (“we’ll leave the light on for you”).  There is nothing quite like having that familiar friendly voice to keep you company during a long road trip.

The “End of the Road” is Homer, Alaska – and ever since I listened to those books I have always dreamed of seeing the place I had heard so much about.  So Homer was a “must-see” destination during our stay in the 49th State.

It’s pretty amazing…

Located at the base of the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is arguably the fishing capital of Alaska.  It reminds me of fishing villages in Connecticut and Massachusetts – except for the mountains across the bay of course!

Fishing isn’t really our thing – but eating and drinking sure is!  And Homer is becoming quite the foodie town… we took full advantage.

We also took advantage of the opportunity to take a few strolls on the beach.  One thing that was particularly cool was the huge variety of rocks on the beach – every kind and color of granite and lava rock all smoothed by the pounding surf.

And I should also mention the tides… you may have heard that some of the tides in Alaska are extreme… and it is a pretty amazing thing to see so much water move so quickly!

All that, AND we stayed in the cutest tiny house!  (Driftwood Inn, Tiny Liberty House)

Homer, Alaska… check!

When the name “Valdez” comes up, most of us of a certain age immediately think about the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred in 1989.  Growing up, much of what I had heard about Alaska focused on that incident, the clean-up, and environmental issues surrounding the spill – so Valdez has always been one of those places I wanted to see for myself.

The drive to Valdez is simply stunning… there are lakes, forests, and waterfalls everywhere.  Oh, and the glaciers…

Approaching Valdez we made our way through Keystone Canyon…

Where there was a surprise around every corner…

Valdez is a stunner – creamy turquoise water surrounded by majestic peaks.

And a darling downtown which reminded me a lot of fishing villages in the Northeast US.

Of course, postcard-perfect weather didn’t hurt!  Sadly we only had one day to enjoy the city – but I suspect we’ll be back!