On to Valdez

Continued from previous post: Missing Valdez

After leaving Keystone Canyon it's a short distance to Valdez. The oil pipeline terminal is located at the end of Dayville Road, before entering the town.  The road follows Valdez Harbor and is a great spot for fishing.  There's another waterfall and Solomon Gulch trail to climb if you aren't scared of the bears. Black bears and coastal brown bears love to fish, too.  The trees are usually filled with bald eagles and the air is pierced by their calls.

One of two dozen bald eagles
spotted at one time at Allison Point.

I am finally seeing wildlife recovery in this area after animals disappeared from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.  I was a small child when it happened, but I understood the gravity of the situation. Several years after the oil cleanup is when my family started spending time in Valdez. Compared to then, I see a lot more wildlife now. The water is full of steller sea lions and sea otters. Brown bears are starting to show up and bring their cubs.  When the fish are running, you can expect to see any or all of these animals together at once.

Solomon Gulch 

A hydroelectric dam is located along Allison Point. A bridge crosses Solomon Gulch, the freshwater destination for spawning salmon. There is a weir located here along with the Solomon Gulch Hatchery, where you can learn about the salmon and watch as they climb a fish ladder.  Fishing is prohibited near the hatchery and weir.  Posted signs and marked posts show where the fishing boundaries lie. You can buy fishing licenses in Valdez at bait shops or the grocery store. There are also services for fish packing and shipping. 

My husband's catch of pink
salmon for the day at Allison Point.

Valdez was originally in a slightly different location before the 1964 earthquake. When the 9.2 momentum magnitude quake hit 45 miles west of Valdez, tons of land slid into the harbor.  Thirty-one people died, most of them being children. Streets and docks were destroyed along with many buildings. The army corps of engineers decided it was necessary to relocate the town to more stable ground. Sixty-two buildings were moved and a new townsite was constructed. You can visit the restored gold rush cemetery that was used between 1898 and 1917. An informational sign can be found just off the Richardson Highway, along the gravel road leading to the cemetery. A visit to the downtown Valdez Museum can offer more information about the earthquake and I've heard it's well worth it. I plan on going as well, just as soon as I stop spending all of my time in Valdez fishing. There is also the Whitney Museum, which has an extensive collection of Native artifacts, located at the Prince William Sound Community College downtown. 

Prince William Sound Community College

The docks are fun to explore and there's usually a salmon and halibut derby running, so anglers crowd the fish cleaning and weigh-in stations for a chance to claim the winning catch.  There is a visitor center at the edge of town, with a nature trail and views of spawning salmon. I have seen black bears crossing the road and trail here on numerous occasions as they come down from the waterfall-streaked mountain and head for the beach. Always be bear-aware around Valdez. 

A costal brown bear subadult eats grass,
patiently awaiting a tide full of salmon.

Though the town is so small, it's big on character and charm. I never find enough time to do everything when I'm there, since I have to plan my schedule around the tides. You can also fish at the dock in town instead of Allison Point. I caught a lot of ling cod there in the past. I could put my 3-hook pixie in the water and seconds later had a fish on each hook.

Valdez Boat Harbor

Whether you go to Valdez for the fishing or the views, you'll have a great time. Make sure to take your time and explore. It's important to also know the history of many Alaskan towns to appreciate the hard work and sacrifice it took to settle in the Last Frontier.  While traveling the Richardson Highway, think about the Athabascan Natives who originally traversed this harsh land, creating the important trails we now use as roadways. Remember the many prospectors who rushed to Alaska seeking riches, only to leave downtrodden and broke, and hopefully with all their fingers and toes. Frostbite was a constant danger to these people crossing glaciers and rivers, but they pressed on like men possessed. The people who struck it rich were the ones who stayed in Valdez. It goes to show that Valdez residents have always recognized a good thing when they see it. After all, they live in what I consider one of the best places on earth.

Another fan of Allison Point, enjoying incoming pink salmon.

Missing Valdez

Every summer I take a trip to Valdez for fishing.  I usually fish for pink salmon in late June or July when they come streaming into Valdez Harbor by the thousands.  Most Alaskans have become picky with their choice of salmon and I've overheard a father telling his son that it wasn't worth casting a line for a pink, so they weren't going to fish.  His son just wanted to fish with his father, and his father was an inconsiderate salmon snob.  I admit that reds or kings are delicious, but if you don't like the taste of your pink salmon, it doesn't mean the fish is bad.  It means you can't cook.  Unfortunately, this year I did not acquire any fresh salmon.  I was at home, rebuilding an old camper.  That's for another blog post.  For now, I will reminisce about previous trips to this beautiful little town.

It's not just the town of Valdez and the fishing which makes this 260 mile trip (one way) worthwhile. The scenery along the way is always lovely.  There are numerous glaciers along the way and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities.  On clear or mild days, you may be lucky enough to see the Wrangell Mountains.  These mountains lie on the east side of the Richardson Highway and include 18,008' Mount St. Elias.  They are part of America's largest national park, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.  It is an immense 13.2 million acres, larger than Switzerland.  At Copper Center you can find the Wrangell- St. Elias Visitor Center, which offers exhibits, films, books and ranger programs.  Ahtna Athabascans used the Copper Center area as a winter village for over 5000 years.  The first lodge in the area was built in 1896 for the prospectors traveling the Valdez-Fairbanks trail during the gold rush.

Worthington Glacier seen from Richardson
Highway, looking south.

Another must-see stop is Worthington Glacier at Milepost 334 along the Richardson Highway. The glacier was named after a man who survived being swept down the glacial stream in 1899. He was part of a survey party mapping an ice-free corridor to the interior. There are usually high winds here, so I would suggest putting on those layers and dealing with it. It's only a short walk on a paved path, which is also handicap accessible, to the viewpoints.  

A picture of me, not dealing with the wind
very well at Worthington Glacier.

If you're feeling invigorated, there's a tougher, one-mile moraine trail to see the glacier up close and personal.  Just be careful about how up close and personal you get.  This is still a river of ice and is constantly shifting, even if it looks unmoving.

A tongue of the glacier sits on silt-covered ice and rock.
Waterfalls stream down the sides of the mountain,
where the glacier's upper basin sits at 5,500'. 

The road from this point begins climbing up Thompson Pass, the snowiest place in Alaska.  It winds through a gap in the Chugach Mountain Range and receives about 55 inches of snow a year.  In 1952, there was a record snowfall of 62 inches in one day.  Along this stretch of the Richardson Highway, you will see poles along the road.  These poles are markers to keep people on the roadway during white-out conditions.  

Road markers in Thompson Pass 

Thompson Pass offers a chance to play in snow most of the year.  It offers world-class snowboarding and skiing.  Blueberry Lake is a popular stop and there are plenty of blueberries when they are in season.  Trails can be found around every corner and this corridor was originally used by Native Athabascans.  Their trails were followed by surveyors and prospectors seeking Yukon gold. When the oil pipeline was constructed, this was one of the most challenging spots along the route.  Welding had to take place while hanging from cliffs and only the most experienced and daring welder accepted the Thompson Pass and Worthington Glacier job.

A view of the Lowe River Valley from a Thompson Pass trail.
Watch your Step!

Heading south from Thompson Pass brings you to the Lowe River Valley, which can be flooded during rainy fall weather. The mountains suddenly come together and become a dramatic canyon changing the Lowe River into narrow, rushing whitewater.  The road twists through some of the most beautiful scenery in Alaska.  

Looking north through Keystone Canyon

The Keystone Canyon also has an old gold rush trail to meander called the Goat Trail.  It starts near Bridal Veil Falls and climbs to the top of Horsetail Falls.  There's even an old hand-carved tunnel to explore.  It was abandoned when a competing railroad company arrived and a shoot-out followed. A railroad was never built and instead a "road" was put in its place. 

Bridal Veil Falls, a popular icefall climb in winter.

Horsetail Falls with what appears to be Western Meadowrue flowers,
protected by boulders in the middle of the falls.

The abandoned railroad tunnel,
hand-carved during the gold rush.

Continued on next blog post: On to Valdez

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

I would like to emphasize the importance of a travel and photo log in Alaska. For instance, had I kept a log during all of my road trips around the state, I would not be spending hours trying to label photographs from six years ago. Or even two years ago.  In an effort to help my husband with his flickr account, I've been uploading hundreds of pictures that have been sitting idle on a hard drive for years. Though I've taken some of the routes we've traveled numerous times, I am finding it difficult to recall which mountain is which in my husband's photos.  I've spent an hour on a hunch and thought for sure I had a glacier labeled correctly.  Then while researching another glacier, I discover I did not in fact label that previous glacier correctly.  I am currently in denial that I won't be able to identify every mountain or glacier in the pictures.

There are always particular mountains or landmarks for which we may stop for pictures on every single trip.  Some of these places are: Matanuska Glacier on the Glenn Highway, Denali viewpoints on the Parks Highway, Willow Lake on the Richardson for the Wrangells, Worthington Glacier and Keystone Canyon waterfalls near Valdez.  Different trips bring different weather and different light. However, there are a lot of other scenic viewpoints that may provide a striking photo op and we are compelled to pull over and snap away.  We may have ignored these viewpoints on all but one trip because the weather obscured the view.  This makes it easy to pass by a mountain fifty times and never see it.  So I can't be blamed for being unable to recall which glacier or mountain peak my husband photographed the one time we saw it unobscured.

Matanuska Glacier in the Fall

Matanuska Glacier in the Summer

I am still trying to figure out the best way to log photos as we take them.  One way that may work for me is to place a bookmark in a book called "The Milepost" and use the bookmark to write a note every time we take a photo. The Milepost is a wonderful resource for anyone driving Alaska.  Every scenic viewpoint and its milepost are listed for every highway, and special sections are included for towns. Most of the time you will know what you are taking a picture of if you are keeping track of your journey in the milepost and making a note when you take the picture.  I'm kicking myself now for not doing this sooner.  I had too much confidence in my knowledge of Alaska mountains and thought I was actually capable of remembering the one time we took a picture of Gulkana Glacier.

I'm also meticulous in my picture identification research and ignore most websites unless they are official.  I read a lot of reports available online from the USGS or NPS and also any leads a chamber of commerce website may provide.  At one point I read through twenty pages of a Wrangell-St. Elias glacier survey that included the surveys from the late 1800's to 2000 just so I could ID one glacier.  I use google earth to check routes and viewpoints but I don't use publicly posted photos.  These are usually mislabeled or misplaced. It's amazing how many people visit Alaska and think they got a picture of Denali.  Newsflash- you didn't. You didn't even see it, let alone get a picture. I've sat at Denali viewpoints on cloudy days and amused myself by eavesdropping on tourists. I watch them as they snap their pictures and say they think they got a shot of McKinley.  A little tip for people who think they are taking photos of Denali: If you "think" it's Denali, it isn't.  There is no comparison.  It's stunning, breathtaking and magnificent.  The only thing out of your mouth when you really truly see McKinley is a gasp of wonder.

Wrangell Mountain viewpoint at Willow Lake.  Only 12.011' Mt. Drum is visible.  Mt. Sanford and Mt. Wrangell have clouded themselves over.

Wrangell Mountain viewpoint at Willow Lake.  A large cloud grows upwards as 16,237' Mt. Sanford and 14,163' Mt. Wrangell obscure the entire mountain range with their own weather system on a clear day. 

Many people perhaps don't realize their photos of the state are being used for identification methods by others online.  It's important to be accurate for this reason when posting online.  We may be able to expand our knowledge of the state if photographers accurately document their pictures.  And for goodness' sake, please stop labeling "little" mountains as Denali.  Especially when the mountain in question is part of an entirely different mountain range.  I've had someone ask me if they are looking at Denali (Alaska Range) while standing directly in front of an informational sign that says "Wrangell Mountains."  The only mountain in this range which was visible at the time was 12,011' Mt. Drum.

Roads Less Traveled

One of my favorite jobs was working with tourists in Alaska.  They were almost always happy since they were on vacation and I got to spend all day telling people "where to go" and "where they could get off."  Win-win.  Though I was pretty young, I took my job seriously.  The people who came to me needed information to make their "once-in-a-lifetime" trip really memorable.  I listened carefully to all feedback and compiled a mental list of destinations which seemed to get the most accolades.  Though I am a fan of most of the state, there are areas which I am not as fond of as others.  I tried never to express my own opinions about areas and instead rely on the previous visitors' reviews.  Some places got reviews like, "nice town" or "cute place" while others got comments such as, "awe-inspiring", "breath-taking" and "jaw-dropping."  Hey, you know it's good when people start hyphenating words because one word doesn't cut it.  Knowing this, I generally pointed people in the direction of the "jaw-dropping"...ness.

Some of the places which received rave reviews were Seward, Prince William Sound, Denali and Katmai.  The most popular vacations included a wildlife cruise in Kenai Fjords and a railcar tour from Seward to Denali.  These tour companies offer many different packages, so most can find one in their budget.  People want the most bang for their buck, and I wasn't going to tell someone to spend their hard-earned money and vacation time on something less than spectacular.  After a brief interview with the customer, I made suggestions based on their time, travel expenses, car rentals and ability to drive long distances.  A lot of people don't realize how long it takes to drive from Anchorage to Denali.  It's about 5 or 6 hours, by the way, depending on how often you need to find a bush to use the bathroom.  

A rest area near Paxson on the Denali Highway.

Did I mention there are very few rest stops on most Alaska Highways? Please bring toilet paper, and please make it the RV kind that disintegrates if you're not going to take it with you.  I usually pass up the "rest stop" bathrooms for the bush.  Spoiler alert- It's an outhouse.  Some offer scenic views and interpretive signs and the bathrooms are maintained by a local business. Some, are not.  Stuff your pocket full of toilet paper and hike up your pant legs.  I've heard that the shortage of nice toilets is due to permafrost and no running water or electricity.  In any case, you've been warned.  

An old outhouse sits in the background at a private hunting and fishing camp on the Denali Highway.  The Alaska Range is lit by a pink sunset to the north. 

Now I will tell you what I like to do.  Drive to the middle of nowhere, set up camp and listen to the silence.  It doesn't mean I don't love the rail tour or wildlife cruises.  Those are awesome, but also full of people, which I dislike... intensely.  One of my favorite drives are the Edgerton Highway and McCarthy Road.  Edgerton is paved and is located south of  Glennallen off  the Richardson Highway.  The paved portion ends 55 miles later in Chitina, where you can dipnet for Copper River salmon.  The paved section is beautiful and I would recommend it to anyone going that way.  

One of the McCarthy Road views.

Most rental car agencies don't allow driving on gravel roads, so continuing past Chitina is a no-no.  If you aren't restricted by this, then drive to McCarthy.  Well, almost to McCarthy.  The rough McCarthy Road ends at a private bridge after 60 miles.  From here, it's a short walk or a short shuttle ride.  Lodges and other businesses offer a shuttle service once you have crossed the bridge on foot.  Kennicott Glacier and Mine are two of the main attractions.  This area goes through the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.  It's the largest, most glaciated park in the U.S.  Over 13 million acres and an active volcano make it one of the most unexplored places out there.  Road construction in 2012 apparently greatly improved road conditions and it's fine for passenger cars. 

Another great drive if you have the time or an RV is what I call "The Loop." Anchorage to Fairbanks via the Glenn and Parks Highways, then south on the Richardson to Valdez.  From Valdez, backtrack north to Glennallen and take the Glenn Highway back to Anchorage.   Variations or additions to this trip could include Seward, Kenai or Homer.  The last three locations are not what I consider to be "the road less traveled."  

A fantastic view outside of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway.

Fairbanks offers gold mines, hot springs and the North Pole is nearby.  This is the home of Santa Claus and many people decide to make the trip to Fairbanks just because they have a grandchild or child who will squeal with delight when they receive a personalized letter from Santa himself, postmarked at The Santa Claus House in North Pole.  There are even a few reindeer to feed.  If you aren't particularly interested in driving all the way to Fairbanks for these reasons, take the Denali Highway (gravel road) from Cantwell on the Parks Highway, east to Paxson on the Richardson Highway.

Santa Claus House in North Pole

  

If you want to skip a crowded bus trip but still want a picture of  20,320' Denali, take Petersville Road, south of Denali on the Parks Highway.  It offers beautiful views, though the broad expanses aren't as impressive as taking the ride into the park.  I don't consider Petersville Road to be a replacement for a ride into the park.  I genuinely love Denali National Park and the wildlife is amazing as well as the views.  Just remember that the mountain makes its own weather and your chances of seeing it from anywhere are fairly low.  You won't know until you get there, so plan accordingly.  The best viewing month is probably June.  If you just want to see wildlife, opt for the park bus ride.  The park road is called "Denali Road" or "Denali Park Road" and is not the same as Denali Highway. 

Denali from Petersville Road

A road I have yet to drive is the Dalton Highway, or "Haul Road."  This road is mainly frequented by truckers going to Prudhoe Bay.  I plan on doing this when I have the time and money, hopefully sometime in the next couple summers.  I've always wanted to spend summer solstice above the Arctic Circle.  This is a daunting trip with some rough roadway and close to 24 hours of driving if you are coming from Anchorage.  The most extreme trip I can think of would be driving all these routes.  It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.  I'll leave you to ponder the distances of some of these trips.

Anchorage to Fairbanks-  360 miles

Fairbanks to Valdez-  365 miles

Valdez to Glennallen-  120 miles

Glennallen to Anchorage-  180 miles.  

Anchorage to Seward-  128 miles

Anchorage to Deadhorse-  852 miles

Sightseeing in Alaska

While sightseeing in Alaska, it's a good idea to take it slow and keep an eye open for wildlife.  During long summers when the sun barely sets, a photographer can snap away well into the night and next day.  The best viewing hours begin at dusk and end at dawn, but in the far north those terms don't really apply.  I've found that 8 to 9pm are good times to start searching the roadsides for a moose or a dozen.  Many areas across the state are well-traveled by the largest ungulate.  They can also weigh 1800 pounds, so keep in mind the damage it will do to an unaware driver.  

Bears have pockets around the state where they can be seen more than others.  Black bears appear frequently in and around Anchorage in the spring.  I've found luck in seeing them in Hatcher Pass, near Palmer.  The Knik River and Glacier area are hot spots when the fish are running.  Valdez has been a great spot for coastal brown bears in recent years.  I had only seen black bears in Valdez until about 4 or 5 years ago when brown bears began showing up to share some pink salmon.  I don't know if this has anything to do with the rehabilitation of Prince William Sound after the oil spill.  I've also seen an increase in bald eagles at Allison Point, where the Alyeska pipeline ends.  Plenty of marine life as well.

Whatever animals you may see, it's important to obey the rules of wildlife photography and viewing etiquette.  Denali National Park strictly enforces wildlife viewing guidelines, and I think it's a good idea to adhere at least loosely to these same guidelines wherever you are.  While traveling through Hatcher Pass state park area, my husband saw a black bear off the road.  We carefully backed up and pulled off the road at a safe distance.  For bears, a safe distance should be far enough away that the bear doesn't acknowledge your presence.  Bears like this sow and cub were probably very hungry.  Hibernation had just ended and the sow was nursing her cub, which was out of sight.  A sound of a car pulling up in front of them made the mother jump up and the cub had to peek out for a look.  A tourist pulled right up to the bears and stopped (also blocking our camera view).  Then a man got out and walked towards them for photos.  The sow sent her cub up a cottonwood and she became defensive.  This ended the whole photo session for everyone not to mention feeding time for the cub.  

This all happened some years ago, but it still bothers me.  I see people do this all the time. A bear is literally starving when it comes out of hibernation and it's important not to disturb its chances at survival.  I recommend getting a camera with telephoto lenses for good wildlife shots.  The best wildlife photographs are taken when an animal isn't aware of us.  When spotting an animal off the road, it's also important to pull over in a safe area and walk back if necessary.  

Though the sun stays out for most of the day, it's also good to have your camera mounted on a tripod while searching for animals at night.  A high sun in the sky can also ruin your shot.  I like to keep a pair of oversized sunglasses on the dash and place them over the lens instead of having to change camera parts.  It's great for the sunsets up here, too.  Snow covered mountains are best when photographed in the morning or evening when shadows are present.  Swamps are a good place to find moose and they don't require as large a viewing distance as bears.  If you're interested in viewing more wildlife and Alaska scenes, you can view my photos here.

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

We are having another warm, long fall.  Unfortunately, when it's like this we can't enjoy it too much because it means rain.  Rain. RAIN.  Once the rain is finished and skies clear up, there's no fall foliage left to enjoy and snow is on its heels.  I've been watching the snow inching its way down the mountain behind my house and it's playing a game.  One day I wake up and the mountain is covered and so is my yard.  By the afternoon, no snow visible save but for a small amount on the mountain top.  Then again, it rains and clouds over.  Once the clouds clear, snow on the mountain down to about 1000'. The next day, gone again.  Temperatures are continuing to hover in the high 40's to 50 degrees and the ground is not freezing, so the snow is not sticking and the glaciers continue to melt instead of building up more ice.  I've been cheering myself up from the rain with a lovely little site called Explore.org which features Katmai bear cams.  Some lovely people chat with me and I even got a lot of info from Ranger and biologist chats on the site.  I've always wanted to visit Katmai, but it's not easy to get to even if I am in Alaska.  A plane from Anchorage would take me to the town of King Salmon (permanent pop. around 350) in Bristol Bay.  From there, an air taxi would take me to my destination choice in Katmai.  Brooks Camp is the most popular.  Brooks falls and the camp offer some fantastic and safe viewing platforms and boardwalks.  Katmai has over 2000 bears.  The park is over 3 million acres, so there are plenty of places to see.  One of the spots I want to hike is the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.  There's a volcano within a volcano there.
I'll finish this with a picture of Rainbow Mountain off the Richardson Highway near Delta Junction.  Nickel, copper and cobalt sulfide produce rainbows of color in the rock and the fall foliage gives it an even better coloring.  A trip north on the Richardson Highway in September is beautiful and one of my favorite for late season camping.

Bedroom Remodel

BEDROOM 

My husband was furiously working with me to get this bedroom done.  We wanted to move in, but I wouldn't sleep in the room before we had it remodeled.  My problem with the place was a combination of allergies and asperger's.  I have issues with living in used spaces, and drywall dust is a no-no.  All doors and trim were removed.  Doors got paint and trim got replaced.  This bedroom had the wood paneled walls and brown shag carpeting.  The closets are interesting.  One larger closet has 2 bi-fold doors and a smaller closet has a regular door.  I ended up using the smaller closet for laundry and household supplies.  The room is fairly small at 11x12' and my huge bed and matching dresser would prove to be too much for the space, so the dresser ended up inside the closet.  To fit the dresser in the closet, I had to move the clothes rod up.  It makes it difficult for me to reach, so I used one of those grabber poles you see on commercials.  The previous owner (a senior) owned it and I am still making use of it for hanging clothes.

The room got new carpet and pad, drywall, paint, trim and lights.  I used a richer brown in satin for the accent wall.  The other walls got the same brown, but I mixed white paint until I got a lighter shade I thought was nice.  A beautiful crystal ceiling light casts a diamond pattern across the walls and the shade of brown I chose seems to glow.  It's important to choose a brown paint in satin, and make sure you choose the right base colors for this.  Too much red or yellow as a base could give you a dark or dingy feel.  Brown satin paint gives off a glow and is very comforting for a bedroom.

Wall Sconces were added as night lights for either side of the bed.  They are easy to install and I put nightstands in front of the cords anyway, so they aren't visible.  I chose the dark brown as the accent wall behind the bed because my bed is a dark cherry with black leather.  Since the bed is so large, I didn't want it to seem so imposing and instead blend into the wall behind.  Choosing wall colors that match your furniture can really make a space seem larger.  Even the placement of my curtains was meticulous.  I made my husband hold the curtains up until I decided they were at the right height.  The right height, in this case, was just below the ceiling trim.  Putting the rod just above the window frame, it shrunk the wall by dividing it into sections.  It made the room seem shorter and was a definite no-go.

For more remodel pics, visit my flickr site.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/akartpics/10272214453/

The Bathroom Remodel

BEFORE

Here was the bathroom in the house before we remodeled.  The sink vanity had to be cut away from the pipes which ran up from the floor and not out of the wall behind.  The old dresser was nailed to the sink vanity.  A painted board was behind the sink as a backsplash.  The inset mirrored medicine cabinet was a keeper, but needed paint.


The shower was not a shower, but instead had a shower head attachment on a faucet that was probably 15 or 20 years old.  The pipe coming out of the wall where a shower head usually sits, is only nailed to the wall and holds the shower head.  New plumbing had to be run from the faucet for a new shower.  We did not replace the almond-colored tub or toilet.  We had a budget and we also did not want to put more money into the house than necessary.  The house is a mid-range and we weren't going to go high-end on things, since we know how much will be reasonable for an asking price in the end.  You don't put marble floors and chandeliers in a hunting cabin.  Though this isn't a hunting cabin, the same logic applies.  The tub surround is linoleum on drywall.  Yikes.

AFTER

Since I planned to keep the almond toilet and tub from the start, I was able to choose a color scheme fairly easily.  Grays and silvers compliment any color and look especially elegant paired with browns and taupes.  I chose plain 1x4's for the trim around the tub and window and ran another strip along the wall for chrome bath hooks.  The 1x4's were painted with mildew and mold resistant primer and gloss.  I gave them 2 coats of each.  An old stool fit perfectly between the toilet and tub and acts as decor as well as a guest towel holder.  A new chrome towel holder above the toilet replaced the old tension-loaded cabinet.  I chose chrome accessories to give the room a clean, fresh feel.  The tiles, though square, were placed in a 1/3 off pattern, giving them a more modern look than 1/2 set or aligned.  The same was done with the vinyl floor tiles, which were adhered directly to the old linoleum.  We tried to avoid removing any old linoleum, as it may have contained asbestos.

Because the bathroom had no closet, I chose a leaning shelf ladder which conveniently matched the vanity. Miscellaneous baskets, boxes and useful decorative containers easily held many items which would have been tucked away in a closet.  Beautiful clay teapots serve as Q-Tip holders and baskets hold neatly rolled towels.  Boxes hide away and organize everything quite conveniently  One box holds all cold medicines, another holds dental products.  

The recessed medicine cabinet was pulled out and sprayed with silver.  The hole in the wall for this cabinet was non-negotiable.  There were no available medicine cabinets that fit this spot, which made me refinish this mirror and I was glad I did.  It came out beautifully.  I even sprayed the floor registers in the same silver, which compliments the floor tiles.  A mirror propped behind the door adds depth to the room. 

Been awhile...

Good grief, I guess I got busy and forgot to blog, huh?  For 3 years...  My husband and I sold our house and are living in a home my parents bought as a fixer-upper.  Unfortunately, their own home is not yet complete after a winter windstorm blew their roof off and they had to re-design the top floor. Meaning, though they bought this new place as an investment, they really don't have the time or money to fix it up.  They asked us to move into their fixer-upper so they wouldn't have to pay the utility bills, so we did, and the house is no longer a fixer-upper.  My wonderful husband and I have completely remodeled the home into something super comfortable and cozy.  It was our thanks to my parents for many things they have done for us, and giving us a place to stay until we find the right property.

     This place was sort of a late 70's early 80's nightmare of brown shag carpet, yellowed linoleum that ran up the walls, wood paneling in the living room and 2 bedrooms and a bathroom I didn't even want to think about showering in.  Correction, you couldn't shower.  No shower plumbing was ever installed.  So we put up drywall, everywhere, ripped the drywall out from the tub and installed cement board and tiles and ran plumbing for a shower.  Previously the tub surround was drywall with linoleum glued to it.  There was never a bathroom exhaust fan, so we had to install one and a new timer switch for it.

     Let me say, the electrical in this place was crazy.  It was not an easy task to run any new lighting.  There are 3 lights in the bathroom.  Three switches for each.  Each switch is in a different room.  The vanity light's switch is above the sink, the central ceiling light's switch is in the living room and another small light's switch is in a bedroom.  This could not be corrected without some major wiring overhaul.  We decided we could live with it, since the living room is just outside the bathroom, as is the switch.  I also figured the bedroom's switch could act as a sort of night light to find our way in the dark.  So, we've gotten used to it.

     We didn't want to spend the money to buy all new kitchen cabinets, so we used the kit from a home improvement center to refinish the dark oak with a lovely shade of gray.  White beadboard went over the old linoleum that ran up the kitchen walls and of course everything given some nice paint.  The living room was given some custom cabinetry for a beautiful entertainment center.  We soundproofed the wall behind the entertainment center, as it is also the master bedroom wall.  My husband completely customized the entertainment center including hidden switches, new hidden wall sockets for the flat screen and game systems, fans and vents for electronics hidden behind cabinet doors as well as a complete temperature monitoring system that kicks the fans on when electronics get warm.  One of the 6' tall, 2' deep cabinets has slide-out drawers with lights for video game organization.  By the way, did I mention we're nerds?

     Anyway, that's enough for now.  I will post more about this remodel and my blogging absence soon.  I will also add pics.