Missing Images

I changed hosting accounts, most of the images will not show up. Sorry, I'll get around it soon, in the meantime please enjoy the videos that do show up and the stories that follow.

A NEW Adventure!

The fun continues this year when I drive from California to Connecticut! Check out the NEW BLOG!

CA2CT-2013.BLOGSPOT.COM

Fixed Missing Images in Older Posts

Hey there followers, some of the photos on a few posts were not showing up for whatever reason. I've updated those posts and you can now view those images. Here are links to those specific posts, enjoy:

Grand Teton and Yellowstone

Colorado (sigh...)

Iowa

The Windy City

"Detroit Way!"


I've been asked a lot about what happened after Alaska. I created this blog to cover my trip from CT to AK only, because as you know I had uncertain plans as to what to do after I got to Alaska. But just to let you all know, I drove down to California and put my traveling on hold. Yes, the trip down the coast of Washington and Oregon was yet another incredible adventure worth blogging about, but like I said, it was not intended to be covered here. If you'd like to see pictures of that part of the trip follow me on Facebook.

Also, I do have some plans in the making for a one-month California-to-Connecticut road trip around June 2013....soooo.....definitely stay tuned! This will be a different adventure in that I plan to bring along three other voyagers or so in my Explorer! If you want to somehow join us during all or part of this trip contact me with any ideas.

So long!

The Lost Tapes - Short Film (Clean Edit)

Recently released footage of my CT2AK Road Trip. A few laughs.

Clips in order of appearance:

00:01 - Seward Highway, Alaska
01:00 - Arctic Circle chipmunk
01:30 - "What are you doing in Colorado?"
02:06 - Fog on the Alaska Highway
02:39 - MillerCoors Brewery, Golden CO
02:45 - Downtown Calgary, Alberta
03:10 - July 4th, Seattle WA
03:30 - Canada Day Fireworks, Whistler BC
04:26 - Nightclub, Whistler BC
04:35 - Oregon Coastline
05:00 - Chandelier Drive Thru Tree, Mendocino CA
05:12 - Sea Lion Caves, Oregon
06:16 - High tide, Newport OR
07:25 - Multnomah Falls, Oregon
08:35 - Mount Rainier, Washington
09:18 - Liard River overflow and whirlpool
09:40 - Exit Glacier, Alaska
11:11 - Yukon River Ferry, Dawson City, Yukon
11:25 - Yellowstone geysers, volcanoes, thermal pools
12:59 - Waterfall, Glacier National Park, Montana
13:18 - Kincaid Mudflats, Alaska
13:55 - Off-roadin', Idaho Springs CO
14:36 - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
15:19 - Muncho Lake, Northern Rockies BC
15:35 - Rock slide, Dempster Highway
15:53 - Camping alone, Wyoming
16:32 - LMAO
16:47 - Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon

Closing Statement + All Pictures!

I want to say thanks again to all the people that were somehow involved in this amazing adventure. Thanks to all of those who helped me along the way. I'm grateful for all the new friends I made on the road and wish safe travels to all.

This is just the beginning of my quest to deliberately walk this Earth.

God bless!

- Javier.

And now I present you all of the pictures from my road trip to Alaska. I've divided them into three galleries:

Part 1: PA, OH, MI, IN, IL, IA, NE, CO, WY, MT

Part 2: Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon

Part 3: ALASKA

Trip Stats

Figures:

* Distance driven: 8,290 miles or 13,341 km

* Number of days: 56

* Number of Time Zones traveled: 5

* Accidents: 1 - Accidentally sprayed myself with bear spray. It stung.
* Close calls: 1 - Almost hit a running Elk on the highway in Colorado.
* Flat tires: 0
* Oil changes: 2

Animals:

* Confirmed wild animal sightings:

• Coyote
• Black bear
• Brown bear
• Black bear cubs
• Grizzly bear
• Grizzly bear cubs
• Cougar
• Lynx
• Dall sheep
• Big horn sheep
• Arctic caribou
• Moose
• Bull moose
• Bison
• Elk
• Gray wolf

* Unconfirmed:

• Bald eagle
• Golden eagle
• Mountain lion

Food:

* Best paid breakfasts:

1. Mullets, Des Moines, IA:

Everybody in town seems to come here, with good reason. We went on a Sunday and waited 5 minutes for a table. I had the Breakfast Burrito, Ezequiel’s famous farmer’s market burrito with chorizo, bacon, egg, potato and cheese for only $4.95. It was so good I ate half of it and saved the other half for breakfast the morning after! Yumm.

2. Yolk, Chicago, IL:

Eggs Benedict - voted best in town! Two poached eggs and Canadian bacon atop English muffin halves. Topped with their homemade hollandaise sauce. Delicious! They also give you fresh fruit along with it, making it a super deal at $9.99

3. The Cookie Jar, Fairbanks, AK:

Oh my god, I ordered the Breakfast Bagel, a fat toasted bagel with a layer of scrambled eggs, sliced ham and cheddar cheese for only $5.95, I asked for turkey instead of ham and it was delish! Service is also excellent.


* Best Pizza:

Beau Jo's, Idaho Springs, CO:

Beau Jo's pizza is legendary among Colorado outdoor enthusiasts. First off you order your pie by the pound. Then you get your beer (from neighboring Tommy Knocker Brewery) in mason jars. They also have a famous "14 Pound Pizza Challenge" in which you get your pizza for free, if you eat 14 pounds of it. Gross lol.

* Best Burger:

Not in Nebraska, not in Montana, the best burger I had, in my opinion, was near the Arctic Circle in Livengood, Alaska. The place is called Yukon River Camp, it is on Mile 56 of the Dalton Highway and I savored every delicious bite of their bacon burger with homemade fries. Perfect after a long trip like this.

* Best Beer:

This one is hard to say, I tasted so many good beers along the way I can't really pinpoint the best one. But, some of the best selections were at bars in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa and Colorado.

* Best Coffee:

By far, Einstein Brother's all over Colorado. They have the best bagels and the best coffee, with consistent great service and good prices. Their White Chocolate Mocha is ten times better then Starbucks' and a few dollars cheaper. Unlike Starbucks, Einstein Bros serves delicious fresh toasted bagels with double whipped FLAVORED cream cheese shmear. Ahhhhh!! This place was so good that at one time I drove 6 miles off course just to stop at an Einstein Bros Bagel shop.

"The Great One"

The top of the continent, the highest peak in all of North America, Mt McKinley, located in Denali National Park in Alaska, rising 20,320 feet above sea level, was one of my most anticipated visits. It was not an easy endeavor. To get a closer view of the mountain, closer meaning about 70 miles still away from it, you have to take a 5 hour bus ride into the park, to a lake called Wonder Lake. Since it is such a long trip, people usually have to camp the night of their arrival and catch the bus the day after or whenever they choose to go back. This means you must bring all of your supplies, shelter, water, food and fuel with you, because you'll be going "Into the Wild."

My plan was to camp 2 to 3 nights in the wilderness around the mountain base -- Oh, did I mention you are required to watch an hour-long video on wild life safety, sit through another safety talk and obtain a backcountry permit, to then be able to board the bus?

I get to Wonder Lake and immediately notice everyone at the camp wearing their insect net over their heads. Lucky for me, I was prepared and had gotten a mosquito shield jacket that covered me waist up. These mosquitoes were no joke. To put it in simple terms, if you come to Denali during the summer, without a mosquito net, you will die. These blood-sucking creatures were so vicious they swarmed all around me and buzzed incessantly as I tried to cook and set up my tent. They follow you everywhere. Good luck going to the bathroom. Needless to say, I got the eff outta there early the morning after, and as I walked the road to try to catch the bus, I shot this video:

Was it worth it? Clouds and wicked storms that form up in the mountain make it difficult to see the peak most of the year. I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this magnificent mountain and its summits at intermittent times; so yes, it was very worth it. Of course, I was prepared for the mosquito infestation, otherwise it would've been the worst freaking nightmare out there.