Seattle (and Alaska) or bust!

Post by **matthew1** » 28 Dec 2010, 12:02

Ed, great photos. Thanks for sharing. How's the highway fuel economy? Enjoy Seattle (for a day). I lived there for 8 years, great city.

Post by **billofdurham** » 28 Dec 2010, 12:07

Congratulations on the milestone, with a good, clear picture at 60????

The other pictures remind me of our visit to that area some years ago. We must try to get back before it is too late. Great area with very friendly people made our holiday one to remember.

Bill.

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 28 Dec 2010, 13:20

Yea, I was probably going about 60 or so. I kept my speed anywhere from 55 to 75 depending on speed limits and terrain. I was also trying to enjoy the scenery a bit, so no being a speed demon! I reset my computer when I left, average speed is 64 and MPG is 26.3 running 91 octane. Not bad I think, seems to be about normal.

Will post back with more pics when I get to a computer!

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 31 Dec 2010, 11:56

More pics from my adventure! Made it into Anchorage just fine, now I'm experiencing the Alaskan winter, much fun (and darkness!).

Here's one last one from Seattle... the Fremont Troll says Hi! Thankfully it appears to only feed on VW Bugs... our Volvos are safe.

Ice sculptures in downtown Anchorage:

Redneck moose from downtown Anchorage:

Doggy! I don't think it's Balto though...

A walk through Kinkaid Park:

Moose gnawings on a poor tree...

The culprit!

View from my friend's cabin near Sutton:

That's all for now, from the Last Frontier!

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 03 Jan 2011, 20:47

More!

Way to be different Alaska:

: wtf; 163432_10150110389060135_563720134_7412890_5687347_n.jpg (54.92 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Sunrise. At 10:30 AM:

: 33794_10150109013355135_563720134_7381791_3001512_n.jpg (45.89 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Ice Puffins at the Fire & Ice New Year's Festival in downtown Anchorage:

: Ice; 163928_10150109014720135_563720134_7381815_6689960_n.jpg (41.59 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Fire twirlers, same place:

: Fire; 163623_10150109014805135_563720134_7381818_3390662_n.jpg (73.71 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Dall Sheep along the highway:

: Sheep; 163091_10150109798875135_563720134_7400767_3267631_n.jpg (77.01 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Elk!

: Animal; 167354_10150109799385135_563720134_7400773_2649497_n.jpg (79.24 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Grizzly:

: Grizzly; 165256_10150109800325135_563720134_7400788_3039725_n.jpg (63.65 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

: 167568_10150109800585135_563720134_7400793_5455157_n.jpg (66.78 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Moose:

: Moose!; 165348_10150109800555135_563720134_7400791_6843741_n.jpg (89.81 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Alyeska Ski Resort:

: 163256_10150110391080135_563720134_7412959_2374708_n.jpg (43.51 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

Post by **jblackburn** » 08 Jan 2011, 09:30

Awesome pictures Ed! Looks like you're having a fun time

I'll have to go through my camera and upload some of my pictures of New York - I finally visited for the first time and had lots of fun

Post by **matthew1** » 08 Jan 2011, 13:37

Agreed, great photos!

88.5 and 90 max fuel? Really Alaska?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 08 Jan 2011, 22:46

The quality of digital photography is great. I had several years where I would spend 2 months a year in Alaska (the spring trip in May and June and the fall trip in August through the really dicey parts in September) with my job. I tired to take pictures with my 35mm Minolta camera but the pictures could never reflect the awesome beauty that I remember in my mind once they were developed and printed.

Ed has real stones to do the trip in December and my guess is that the Alyeska picture was taken at about 2:00 PM with the way sunrise and sunset works in Alaska in the winter.

One of my fonder memories was running a rented Renualt Le Car with a 5 speed stick up one of the mountain roads around Anchorage - rally style - in broad daylight - at around midnight. It was great fun until a rod broke out of the side of the crankcase about 3/4 of the way up the mountain.

I was able to get the car turned back around on a switchback and it rolled all the way down the mountain and about 3 miles into Anchorage before it hit a hill that I hadn't carried enough momentum to get back over. The good news was that it was summer solstice and everyone was having a party. I just knocked on the nearest party door, called a tow truck, and joined the party. Coming down the mountain through all of the switchbacks, without power steering or power brakes was a trick but it worked.

I'm sure that Alaska is just as magnificent as ever, thanks for the pictures and the memories Ed.

...Lee

Post by **matthew1** » 13 Jan 2011, 11:23

Ozark Lee wrote:One of my fonder memories was running a rented Renualt Le Car with a 5 speed stick up one of the mountain roads around Anchorage - rally style - in broad daylight - at around midnight. It was great fun until a rod broke out of the side of the crankcase about 3/4 of the way up the mountain.

I was able to get the car turned back around on a switchback and it rolled all the way down the mountain and about 3 miles into Anchorage before it hit a hill that I hadn't carried enough momentum to get back over. The good news was that it was summer solstice and everyone was having a party. I just knocked on the nearest party door, called a tow truck, and joined the party. Coming down the mountain through all of the switchbacks, without power steering or power brakes was a trick but it worked.The quality of digital photography is great. I had several years where I would spend 2 months a year in Alaska (the spring trip in May and June and the fall trip in August through the really dicey parts in September) with my job. I tired to take pictures with my 35mm Minolta camera but the pictures could never reflect the awesome beauty that I remember in my mind once they were developed and printed.

Ed has real stones to do the trip in December and my guess is that the Alyeska picture was taken at about 2:00 PM with the way sunrise and sunset works in Alaska in the winter.

Awesome story, Lee.