LOOKING BACK, AND FORWARD

I'm heading out again soon on another road trip.

Last year's 2-3-month trip through the western US was essentially a dry run for the upcoming trip to Canada and Alaska. It was wonderful, but I learned a lot:
- I was driving too much
- I was frustrated that I didn't have enough time to fully explore some of the areas that I was going through.
- There is ALWAYS something to see, even in places where you think there isn't.

So for this year's trip to Canada and Alaska, I am making NO reservations. And while I'd like to make it to Denali, if I spend three months in Canada (the maximum amount of time allowed), that's okay. I have a feeling this won't be the last trip north.

Life on the road: my traveling "office"
 

For those of you who are interested in gear, I was VERY pleased with most* of the items that I brought last year.
- The kayak didn't fly off the roof of the car.
- Nobody stole the bicycle.
- The YETI ice-chest was awesome, keeping a block of ice for almost a week even in desert heat, and doubled as my standup desk and nightstand. And solid stepstool to get to the bike off the roof rack. And bench to sit on. Best purchase ever.
- The REI cot is extraordinarily comfortable -- while I had thought I'd camp outside more often, that ended up not to be the case; it was easier, safer and more comfortable to just sleep on it in the car and not have to worry about packing up all the other gear in the morning (including a wet tent). And I could stop anywhere.
- The Travoy bike trailer made transporting the kayak down to water much easier, as long as the shore wasn't too rocky.
- The MSR Firefly stove worked well, but I ended up traveling too much to really use a lot.
- The Cobb BBQ/oven was actually pretty efficient and it was nice to be able to BBQ. The downside is that it does get dirty and is hard to clean on the road.

I'm getting a few items for this year, but more about that in another post!

*The sole exception to this was the kayak cover, which didn't fit as tightly as hoped, and blew off somewhere on the way west. In St Louis, I replaced it with a neoprene cover, plus two straps to keep it secure. This was an imperative purchase, as rains were filling the kayak with water and making it dangerously heavy. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to replace the cover again -- even though it has stayed on, it's sun-damaged, and I'm not sure how long it will last.