Living Loving Adventuring

Today was about meeting Brent Carroll from Livinglovingadventuring.com.

As I mentioned, we had made arrangements to do the Dalton Hwy up to Prudhoe Bay together. Partly to share costs by doubling up in rooms, and partly to have some security in case something goes wrong.

Dalton Highway

The Dalton Highway is purported to be one of the most dangerous highways in the world. Check out these articles among many others:

http://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/50-james-dalton-highway-usa.html
http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/alaska/james-dalton-highway-ak/
https://www.gapyear.com/articles/216021/the-22-most-deadly-highways-in-the-world
http://www.history.co.uk/shows/ice-road-truckers/articles/the-10-deadliest-roads-in-the-world

Starting the Day

In any case, we were meeting up this afternoon to stay at the Eielson Air Force Base. Brent is a US Navy Veteran and so he could get us into the Gold Rush Inn on the base for $30 US each.

First though it was laundry, packing up the motorcycle, and off to Starbucks. Starbucks should really pay me something for all the advertising I give them and for being such a loyal fan. So Starbucks, if you are listening 😉

After my morning coffee I went to the Air Force Base to meet Brent. After some paper work for a foreign national to enter the base, I was in. Off to the Gold Rush Inn.

It was actually pretty nice. A few beers, something to eat, and time to get to know each other.

Brent Carroll

Brent was in the Navy for 20 years, and then working as a civilian for the US Coast Guard for almost nine years years as an engineer, and finished his PhD. His Dad passed away when he was 51. That was enough motivation for him to realize life is too short.

Brent believes that the world is full of good, purposeful, and striving people, and that everything we hear distorts our world perspective in really negative ways. Riding a motorcycle is the purist form of therapy possible, and that you get to see the world while riding all the better. You get feelings, sensations, smells, and experiences riding a motorcycle you simply cannot get on a vacation or in a car.

Brent is on a 17-month motorcycle trip leaving from Virginia, to Newfoundland, cross Canada, up to Alaska, and then follow generally the Pan-American Highway in its entirety all the way south through Patagonia to the southern tip of South America. And then turn around and head back to Seattle.

As an engineer, Brent likes to attend to every detail. Now I use to be like this, but on this trip one of my themes in my adventure. is to plan not to have a plan ha ha ha. Huuuuuummmm potential problem? ha ha ha

Regardless, we are both authentic, and value adventure and people.

The Route for July 13, 2016 was Fairbanks to Eielson Air Force Base

fairbanks-eielson-map

Mission Sunglasses Completed

Despite being wet, I slept in until 8:30 am in Tok. The campers next to me were also motorcyclists from Vancouver. As motorcyclist do, we talked for awhile until it was time for us to go.

First it was to the campground office to let them know I had crashed the campground was there and to pay my bill.

Then it was on to Fast Freddies. Yup, they had my sunglasses! YAY!

At that point I just wanted to get to the point I planned on being at today. That was to be at Starbucks working on journals and a YouTube video. So I headed back to Fairbanks right away. I was beginning to hate that road ha ha ha.

It took longer than I thought. And it was hot. And I was tired. And I didn’t have a place to stay for the night.

Starbucks

I tried to find a Starbucks in Fairbanks, but they were all the ones inside Safeways. I hate those. Hey Starbucks, put a special designation on those so I know it is really a fake Starbucks with zero atmosphere. Finally, I asked a Safeway Starbucks Barista where a “real” Starbucks was at. She gave me directions to one inside Barnes and Noble. Ok, those generally aren’t too bad. By the time I got there I had had enough and decided to treat myself to a hotel to clean up.
Fairbanks Hotel.

Bridgewater Hotel

Hotels in Fairbanks are very expensive. I took the most inexpensive one on Expedia – The Bridgewater Hotel. I left for it right away. It turned out to be quite nice and located in downtown Fairbanks.
When I got my room I dumped everything out to dry out and clean.

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After a shower, I went to Big Daddys for some ribs and a beer. Wow …. Now life is good!

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My route for July 12, 2016

tok-fairbanks-map

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