Alaska; The Launch!!!

24 May 2015--Launched from Round Rock, TX for our trip to Alaska on 17 May, and it's hard to believe it has been a week already.  Of course it takes a full 2 days just to get out of Texas, but everything gets pretty after that, so time flies!  Here we are pulling out of Round Rock, with Cathy driving and our lucky charms in place on the dash.



We had lots of cloud, some rain, and even heavy fog through some parts of Colorado and Wyoming, but unless it is totally fogged in there aren't too many places in the country that get prettier than this.



Wyoming seems to have a good sense of humor...The buffalo is placed at the top of a hill as you enter from Colorado, but the 3rd pic of a "jackalope" is of an animal that doesn't even exist.  Years ago they used to have signs on the road that warned of jackalope crossings, but I guess they took them down...haven't seen any on our trip.

 

Cheyenne, Wyoming...sight of the "what the heck was that" episode.  That metal piece broke off our left side rear air bag...it is something that affects our ride height...we were fortunate that it only set us back a day as the repair shop was able to fix it pretty easily.  Look at Cathy under there!!!

 

Into Montana we go.  I wonder who thought that "Moose Drool" would be a good slogan???  Seems to have worked...I guess?!



It is crazily beautiful out here...I remember that when we were stationed here from 1988-1991 it was the 1st place I ever traveled where I didn't feel like I had "narcolepsy of the car" syndrome.  It's just too pretty to nod off.  haha



The horses on the left are real, while the ones on the right are metal fabrications.  Why?  I don't know, but it catches your eye as you drive by for sure!  The cowboy is real...he even has spurs on his boots!  haha

  

Some of these pics look like paintings, don't they? Especially the ones with houses or barns in them. Or even like they are movie sets...not real!

    

We are now in Helena, MT...the state capital...on a National Guard base, for 2 days.  Deer on the base...look at the young one on the right, just growing his antlers.  He is in the pic right above him also...I got out of the car to get a better picture and he actually came forward to see what I was doing. I was a little nervous at first...ready to make a run for it had he jumped that fence at me!  haha

 

So this is our first post of "the trip"...we are heading to Great Falls for about a week before crossing the border, but I am more than sure that greater things will follow once we get to Canada and Alaska!!!