Lake Clark (Alaska), Yellowstone (Montana), Grand Tetons (Wyoming), Redwood Forest (California), The Oregon Coast (Oregon), and Olympia (Washington).
One trip, 30 days, 25,618 air miles, (41,228 KM), 4,039 road miles (6,500KM) not including charter aircraft. And I'm not even tired! (right!)

Well it started off well and ended up great. Emirates Air (UAE) is a great airlines. Pretty stewardesses, always smiling, more leg room, plus a menu  at breakfast and dinner. It is a far cry from DELTA the greyhound of the sky.

We started out driving 6 hours to Jo'berg, then flying to Dubai, then onward to Seattle Washington, switching to Air Alaska to Anchorage then chartering in to Lake Clark. We stayed at ALASKA HOMESTEAD LODGE. www.alaskahomesteadlodge.com or www.alaskawildlife.com

I have to rate this place 5 stars. I made the comment that staying at AHL is like going to grandma's house to watch bears. It really is. It isn't your common commercial type operation. It is like a home away from home. The owners ask you when "you" would like to eat. Imagine!! It wasn't like that in my own home when I was growing up. It didn't take long to find the bears. Some were in the front yard. If you would like to view any photo full size just click on the photo.

This bear was just meters away from the front deck.

This bear was taking a rest on the beach with the lodge in the background. The nice thing about this lodge is it has a private lake just a short walk through the forest behind the lodge. There are several moose that hang around there. If you are lucky you can spot them feeding on water plants in the lake.

This little bear we called SCRUFFY. We got close enough for some good photos.

Here he is eating his veggies.

Here he's feeding on roots. We thought we were being very cleaver sneaking up on him for these close ups. The reality was he was following us. Every time we turned around, there he was. He would walk by us within just a few feet looking the other way, pretending he never saw us. The fact is this was his first season on his own. Young bears feel safer being near something. I have had the same experience with black bear cubs in Montana. It takes them awhile before they get used to being on their own.

Here he is feeding on a Halibut that he found washed up on the beach.

When he finished it, he buried it again to save it for later. He may be small but he isn't stupid.

You can find Grizzlies everywhere. They will eat almost anything and it isn't unusual to find them eating grass, or goose sedge. They will graze like cattle until the tide is right to go fishing.

They are constantly sampling the breeze. With a nose more sensitive than a bloodhound it is easy to see how they can survive. Nothing gets by them. They can smell food for miles.

This guy is digging clams. Another favorite food for coastal Grizzles.

When the tide is right the fishing begins.

First pick out a good vantage point. Wait and listen for the salmon to start their way up the river.

Second, stalk the fish. Never take your eye off of him.

Third. Attack!!!!

Fourth. Dive on him!

Fifth. Enjoy the sweet smell of success.

That's it. That is how they do it. Getting a good photo is another thing. You have to get into a good position and wait for the action.

Don't get nervous!

Watch out!

Try and not get your camera wet.

Don't get involved in territorial disputes!

Don't let your hands shake when the right shot presents itself.

And that's all there is to it. The scenery is beautiful. It is difficult not to get distracted by it. Check these scenes out!!

Here are a few bear photos I thought were interesting.

What's on his mind?

Just a yawn after a little nap.

What are you looking at bro?????

The early morning light made this photo.

Check out this light.

Here are a few sunset shots I thought you might enjoy.

I had to laugh at this scene. A photographer thought he would get a close up of a bear fishing. The bear thought he chose just the right spot. The photographer ran, leaving his gear behind. The bear just sat there waiting for his next meal. It was very funny to watch the guy pacing up and down the river bank waiting to get his gear back.

These swans flew in on their way south and gave me an opportunity to get a photo on the wing. I thought the reflection made the photo interesting.

You don't need to be a super sleuth to know what this is!

Well it was finally time to leave. It was a sad moment but I will be back. Next stop YELLOWSTONE!!

This is Yellowstone! Each view is prettier than the last.

The thermal hot springs make this place very special. It is easy to see why the Native Americans thought this place was the resting place of their ancestors. It really is a piece of heaven.

The Bison is as much a part of the landscape here as are the trees.

Their fur is so insulated that the frost thaws from the sun but not from the Bison's body warmth.

We were looking for bull Elk. This time of the year you can hear them bugling for a mate. It is an eerie sound that makes you wonder where the big foot legend may have originated.

We could here the elk but we couldn't see them. We decided to hike up a mountain side and sit down and wait. It was day break and this bull heard us. He walked up to us! Seeing we weren't there for love he took off running. I managed to get this photo before he was gone.

This was just a lucky encounter. Pronghorns do not usually let you get this close.

This coyote posed for this photo. I couldn't resist.

We climbed a lookout point. We just expected to see a beautiful view of the mountains. Instead we walked up on a black bear foraging for insects along the trail.

He let us walk along with him for quite a while. We got some good pictures and enjoyed his company. That's the nice thing about wildlife photography. Expect the unexpected!!

A pack of wolves walked by our vehicle. I didn't have my camera ready so all I got was this quick pic as the collared wolf walked off.

This young Black Tail Buck was very comfortable with us standing there. He was just going about his business following a couple of females as he was browsing on leaves and twigs.

This is the Grand Tetons. We were looking for Elk and Moose. We did get lucky with the moose.

This female and her calf were busy fattening up for the long winter. They allowed us to stand within meters of them.

The scenery here is spectacular. This bull moose looked like a post card standing against the fall colors. We managed some close ups of him.

 

This is the last thing you want to walk into in North America by accident during the rut. You never know what mood he will be in.

Next stop--- Redwood Forest California.

Famous for it Redwoods, the largest trees on the Planet.

How big are these trees. Well this one was 15 feet around. The biggest is 52 feet around.

We were looking for Roosevelt Elk. This is the largest Elk species in North America. I saw these impressive set on antlers in the high grass near a river bank. We took our time and managed to get within photographic range of this guy. It was a memorable moment.

We moved on up the coast on Hwy 101. The Oregon coast is awesome. Here is what we saw.

Unbelievable beauty!! The outcroppings were home to colonies of Fur Sea Lions!

What a fantastic sight. The noise was deafening!

The water fowl were everywhere. The migration was on.

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Olympia, Washington is actually a rain forest. The trees are ancient. The moss growing all over them gives it a "Harry Potter" look.  It has been a month now and it is time to get back to Africa. I loved every minute of the trip but I still got homesick.

We are already planning our next trip. We will keep you posted. If you have any suggestions on how I can improve this blog please let me know. Just leave your ideas in the comment section. Take care and I hope you enjoy the blog. Don't forget to click on any photo you want to see in a larger format. So long until next time.