~Tuesday, September 20, 2022~
Day 828 (Travel Day)
Day 92 of Alaska Trip
I am tickled with joy as I FINALLY completed a stitching project I’ve been working on ever since we started this trip in 2020. What do you think all those late nights were for? But, I can’t do the big reveal for ya’ll until we’re back in California with access to my sewing machine to put the finishing touches on it. So stay tuned!
Taking advantage of the non-drive day and a refrigerator of great leftovers, I decided to make a big breakfast of omelets, homemade hashbrowns and toast. What a great way to use leftover sauteed mushrooms, onion, ground turkey and bell pepper. Delish! Much of our breakfast conversation included the “what’s next?” of our trip since Liard Hot Springs is as far as our reservations take us. Nice to have endless possibilities. So out came the maps, the headlamp, the calendar and the magnifying glass (yes, signs of getting older or bad lighting…not sure which). By the end, in total Latreille fashion, we had the next 3 weeks dialed in and packed with much to see, mostly in Washington state. We’ve been before, but not in a concentrated fashion. And we’re looking forward to sort of winging our lodging since campgrounds shouldn't be so packed this time of year.
Now time for a little hot spring action. Since there were bathrooms and changing rooms at the pools, I decided to keep my warm garb on until we arrived.
As we walked the boardwalk, we stopped to read a few of the interpretive signs along the way. Evidently this area is a haven for a variety of wildlife, especially in the winter due to the warmth of the springs and the rich plants and flowers that flourish here. There is one large pool where most visitors congregate.
Inside the large pool is a variety of hot and coolish waters where Jeff and I differ in our tolerance. I love the “hot” and Jeff prefers the “warm”. Ever since our conversation with the water heater guy in Watson Lake, I was prepared for only lukewarm temperatures. Far from it. It was plenty warm, and actually plenty hot in some sections. It was so nice soaking in such a natural setting with the vegetation coming right to the edge of the pool. The faint smell of sulfur was much more present than our experience in Ouray, CO. After about an hour we were plenty pruny and ready to head out. Before walking back to the campsite, we thought we’d walk up to the Hanging Gardens where there is a smaller pool, but the gate, with a metal bear sign on it, was locked. It’s probably just as well since I was a little nervous anyway after reading about the horrific bear incident that happened there 25 years ago.
By the time we got back to the campsite, it was crunch time working around the generator hours from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. First my hair washing, which unless I wanted to go to bed with wet hair, would require my 1800-watt blow dryer, followed by the use of a blender to make my creamy cauliflower soup. I finishedJust in the nick of time with a few minutes to spare. And I’m happy to report, the hair and the soup turned out great!