Trees and Travels

Okay, Here's the Thing...      I am really  not trying to turn my blog into a review page for equipment. It comes down to this: sometimes I find that I really love an item that I use in my travels and feel the need to share it with others. While I'm at it, I throw in an Amazon Associates link though *wink*.      Anyhow, onto my latest find-- the  Ruigor RG6147  backpack. The RG6147 From my Amazon review of the product: "Upon opening the package, I immediately noticed two things that really got me pumped about this bag:      First, the straps and back support are wonderfully cushioned and ventilated. I plan on using this bag for a lot of travel and hiking, so the level of comfort on my shoulders and back are very important to me. The padding is far superior to that of the backpacks I've used previously. The other thing I noticed is the amount of support provided to the laptop compartment. Apart from helping me bring...

A Long Way From Home...      Since January, I had been eagerly waiting to leave for Healy, Alaska to work a summer job. The day finally came for me to leave-- June 2nd. The map above shows the route we took to Healy, except that we drove through Calgary, Banff, and Jasper (the map won't embed exactly as-is).  This is the link  to the exact route we took. Summing it up      This trip took a week. I will briefly summarize the road trip...      Day 1           We left Romeoville, IL at about 6:30am. Minot, North Dakota was where we slept the first night. It was about a 900 mile drive that day.       Day 2           On the second day, we left Minot and headed to Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. It took us about an hour to get past customs at the border, being first time visitors to Canada. This leg of the trip was ab...