Hi everyone, we are in Indiana at a campground on our last night before heading home. Needless to say we are ready to get there after hard driving for a few days. The drive was pleasant and our we enjoyed the beautiful sights along the way. After the cool weather in Canada and Alaska, we also enjoyed the warmer temperatures heading East.
We will always remember this trip as an experience that was both exhilarating and meditative. It moved us in a way that has changed us and broadened our world. The state of Alaska has so much wilderness that it is difficult to grasp it's immensity. Southeast Alaska has deep blue fjords surrounded by steep mountains and glaciers. The interior's tree covered hills march into the distance bathed by the light of the midnight sun. The wildlife was incredible! One of our favorite experiences was our stay at Ninilchik on the beach. Also our cruise to the glaciers was unbeatable as well as our fishing trip. But most of all we enjoyed our many drives seeing the wild life and the raw wilderness that is Alaska. We will cherish these memories forever. Thank you for experiencing our trip with us. Love, the Klineswesternadventure.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Hello United States
Hi everyone. After a delightful visit to Hyder, we are on our way home. We thought we could take our time, stopping to see some things we haven't seen before, but life has a way of sometimes changing plans. George's Mom isn't doing well so we are kind of hurrying home. So far it has been a good transition into the states. We crossed the border with no hassles except they came into the motorhome and looked through my refrigerator and proceeded to take my fresh peppers. Oh well, it could have been worse. We have been driving into beautiful country. The part of Washington we are driving through is all desert. What a contrast to the rainforest we just visited in British Columbia and the Artic rainforest in Hyder, AK. Warm too. 90's yesterday and 80's today in Oregon. More desert in Oregon but the Columbia River breaks it up and the mountains too. We climbed some pretty high mountains and the climb was very nerve wracking for me since I was behind the wheel. We are starting out this morning into Idaho. See you soon. Love to you all.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Hyder AK
Stewart B.C. and Hyder, AK.,July 29
What a surprise we had when we got into Stewart. First of all, everything is happening in Hyder, Ak. We camped in Stewart, B.C. Then just down the road is the border for Hyder, AK. We have to pass customs every time we left Hyder to go into Stewart. Last night in Hyder we went to the bear viewing area. After 5 minutes we saw a beautiful huge grizzly bear scoping out the salmon. We were able to observe him for a long time. You will see the picture. So cool! Then we were told to go to the "Bus". A couple bought an old school bus and made a restaurant out of it. The husband catches the fish and the wife cooks it. They have a little patio in front with 2 picnic tables. They added a room in the back of the bus with a heater. It was so neat! Robin Williams and Hilary Swank ate there when they were filming a movie in Stewart. Neat, huh? The food was delicious.
Today we took the 30 mile historic dirt road to Salmon Glacier which is the 5th largest glacier in the world. It was cloudy and foggy when we left but once we drove through the clouds it cleared up a little. We passed some old deserted mines and saw a working mine. Hyder's population is only 100 but they are happy people. Hyder was settled by many of the same miners that came through the Stewart area. It was originally known as Portland city but the U.S. post office rejected the name because there were already too many Portlands in the U.S. The name was then changed to Hyder named after Frederick Hyder, a Canadian engineer working for the Juneau Gastineau Mining Co. We are a little sad to leave beautiful Alaska. But we are sure to see more beauty in Canada on our way home. Love you all.
What a surprise we had when we got into Stewart. First of all, everything is happening in Hyder, Ak. We camped in Stewart, B.C. Then just down the road is the border for Hyder, AK. We have to pass customs every time we left Hyder to go into Stewart. Last night in Hyder we went to the bear viewing area. After 5 minutes we saw a beautiful huge grizzly bear scoping out the salmon. We were able to observe him for a long time. You will see the picture. So cool! Then we were told to go to the "Bus". A couple bought an old school bus and made a restaurant out of it. The husband catches the fish and the wife cooks it. They have a little patio in front with 2 picnic tables. They added a room in the back of the bus with a heater. It was so neat! Robin Williams and Hilary Swank ate there when they were filming a movie in Stewart. Neat, huh? The food was delicious.
Today we took the 30 mile historic dirt road to Salmon Glacier which is the 5th largest glacier in the world. It was cloudy and foggy when we left but once we drove through the clouds it cleared up a little. We passed some old deserted mines and saw a working mine. Hyder's population is only 100 but they are happy people. Hyder was settled by many of the same miners that came through the Stewart area. It was originally known as Portland city but the U.S. post office rejected the name because there were already too many Portlands in the U.S. The name was then changed to Hyder named after Frederick Hyder, a Canadian engineer working for the Juneau Gastineau Mining Co. We are a little sad to leave beautiful Alaska. But we are sure to see more beauty in Canada on our way home. Love you all.
Cassier Hwy
Cassiar Highway, British Columbia, July 26-28
Hi everybody! It has been quite a trip. Oh my goodness! As I am writing we saw a bear on the side of the road and we slowed down and took some pictures of him and he walked right up to the motorhome and checked us out. I think we could have bonded with him if a semi wasn't in back of us. That was absolutely the best bear sighting we have had on this trip! Thank God for this gift! Back to our trip. We left Skagway and started the Cassiar highway. We had read that it was much improved over the Alaskan highway but they lied. It was porpoisy and gravelly on much of it and didn't get much better until we were halfway through. But we did see a couple of neat attractions. We didn't make our turn when we were supposed to and came upon the Carcross desert. What a surprise! It is an area of sand dunes. It is composed of sandy lake-bottom material left behind by a large glacial lake. I am so glad we missed our turn. You never know what you'll find in the mountains. And it is a rainforest. I never heard of a desert in the rainforest. We turned around and made our turn and came upon Jade City. It earned it's name as a commercial outlet for jade mined from the nearby mountains. The store was just packed with beautiful pieces of different specimens of jade. These Cassiar mountains provides 92% of the worlds jade market. This was a neat place with free coffee, Wi-fi and overnight camping. This was definitely a jewel.
We stayed 2 nights at turnouts in the road when we got tired of driving. At our lunch breaks we ate and then took a power nap to re-energize us. The nights were, to say the least, cool. We woke up to 40 degree temps. We used the oven for dinner and turned on our generator in the mornings. We don't mind. We are tried and true campers. Even George hasn't complained about the cold. After all, it is Alaska and Canada. We have about 150 miles to Stewart, B.C. Where we will stay for a couple of days to recharge. See you there.
Hi everybody! It has been quite a trip. Oh my goodness! As I am writing we saw a bear on the side of the road and we slowed down and took some pictures of him and he walked right up to the motorhome and checked us out. I think we could have bonded with him if a semi wasn't in back of us. That was absolutely the best bear sighting we have had on this trip! Thank God for this gift! Back to our trip. We left Skagway and started the Cassiar highway. We had read that it was much improved over the Alaskan highway but they lied. It was porpoisy and gravelly on much of it and didn't get much better until we were halfway through. But we did see a couple of neat attractions. We didn't make our turn when we were supposed to and came upon the Carcross desert. What a surprise! It is an area of sand dunes. It is composed of sandy lake-bottom material left behind by a large glacial lake. I am so glad we missed our turn. You never know what you'll find in the mountains. And it is a rainforest. I never heard of a desert in the rainforest. We turned around and made our turn and came upon Jade City. It earned it's name as a commercial outlet for jade mined from the nearby mountains. The store was just packed with beautiful pieces of different specimens of jade. These Cassiar mountains provides 92% of the worlds jade market. This was a neat place with free coffee, Wi-fi and overnight camping. This was definitely a jewel.
We stayed 2 nights at turnouts in the road when we got tired of driving. At our lunch breaks we ate and then took a power nap to re-energize us. The nights were, to say the least, cool. We woke up to 40 degree temps. We used the oven for dinner and turned on our generator in the mornings. We don't mind. We are tried and true campers. Even George hasn't complained about the cold. After all, it is Alaska and Canada. We have about 150 miles to Stewart, B.C. Where we will stay for a couple of days to recharge. See you there.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Skagway Ak. June 25
Hi folks, We arrived in Skagway from the ferry early this afternoon. What a quaint little town! The population is only 862, but there were hundreds more visiting from cruise ships. It is located at the northernmost point on the Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska, 100 air miles north of Juneau and 112 road miles south of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. This where the Great Klondike Gold Rush took place in 1898. Here, the stampeders piled off steamships eager to make their fortunes. This town held many temptations for these lonely men. Their were saloons, brothels and gambling. A famous thief, Soapy Smith lived here with his ruthless gang. He stole from everyone he met and ended up being shot to death here.
There is so much to do. There is gold panning, The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway to ride, and a quaint frontier town to shop and eat in. We ate in a saloon/brothel that was fun. I found some jewels on my walk in the evening. I am fond of natural food stores and I found that, along with a garden store, gift shop and glass blowing demonstrations. The third jewel was unexpected. I walked right over a beautiful bridge over Skagway River. Amazing what you can find on foot! We are getting close to finishing up our trip in Alaska. But we have lots more to see and do since we are going home on the Cassier Highway. See you soon!
There is so much to do. There is gold panning, The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway to ride, and a quaint frontier town to shop and eat in. We ate in a saloon/brothel that was fun. I found some jewels on my walk in the evening. I am fond of natural food stores and I found that, along with a garden store, gift shop and glass blowing demonstrations. The third jewel was unexpected. I walked right over a beautiful bridge over Skagway River. Amazing what you can find on foot! We are getting close to finishing up our trip in Alaska. But we have lots more to see and do since we are going home on the Cassier Highway. See you soon!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Haines, Ak., July 22-24
Hi everyone. What a wonderful stay we had in Valdez, but you already heard that. We started out for Haines Friday morning and drove the Richardson Highway. We passed a lot of the sights we saw on the way down and enjoyed them just as much. We stopped at a neat roadside spot around 5:30. We get pretty tired after travelling all day. We started out early Sat. morning on the Alaskan highway and went through customs into Canada again. We have to do that in order to go to Haines. If you look at a map you would see why. We went through a little bit of the Yukon Territories and then British Columbia. Then through customs again to Haines, Ak. The road to Haines was gravel for 25 miles. We now have a total of 5 windshield cracks on the motorhome and 5 on our Jeep and counting. We are a long way from home. It was beautiful driving to Haines with a mountain range that is breathtaking! A different landscape altogether. Beautiful Chilkat River was running all the way to Haines. We stopped at an Eagle Preserve which is known as the Valley of Eagles. Since time immemorial, bald eagles have gathered along the Chilkat River by the thousands. Historically, the gathering of eagles, concentrated mostly within the Council Grounds, is at its peak in mid-November when up to 3,500 or more bald eagles have been counted. We only saw a couple but I think they were all at the beach in Ninilchek when we camped on the beach. That was awesome! Haines is a quaint little fishing town. We found a camp right on the beach. It was lovely! The weather was less than desirable so we took the car and did most of our sightseeing that way. We heard about a bear sighting on the river and drove there twice but no luck. We have seen plenty of bears in Valdez. We had a nice stay in Haines, the heart of the Chilkat Valley, the historic capital of Tlingit Indian culture, the site of a frontier Gold Rush and home of Alaska's first prominent Army base. Tomorrow we headed for Skagway on the ferry. Good night loved ones.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Wrangell-St. Elias National park, June 20
What a surprise! We left our campground this morning and drove a few miles and saw the park sign and we are so happy we stopped. Incredible! Number and scale loom large here, magnified by splendid location. The largest U.S. National park, it equals 6 Yellowstones, with peaks upon peaks, glaciers upon glaciers. At over 9.6 million acres, the parks designated wilderness represents nearly 10% of the entire National Wilderness Preservation System. Mt. Sanford and several other peaks can be seen from the highway. Vegetation is scarce, but the park is home to wildlife such as moose, bears, Dali sheep and other critters. Many species of birds as well as swan nest here. Many rivers, streams and rivers make it an ideal spawning ground for salmon. We couldn't possibly see it all but we visited the museum and talked to a Ranger that taught us a lot about the park.
After leaving the park we headed to Valdez. It was a beautiful drive! It seems that at every turn we saw another amazing spectacular vision. We saw more glaciers and beautiful waterfalls. We could not believe it! Our senses were absolutely overflowing! No pictures, no words can describe the beauty we witnessed. I am sure there is a lot more to come. When we got settled at camp, we explored the town of Valdez. It is the activity center for Prince William Sound. The growth and settlement of Valdez can be attributed to fur trading, salmon canning and gold and copper mining. Valdez's Prince William Sound is a premier fishing destination, offering all species of salmon and halibut. Valdez is home to the oldest fish derbies in Alaska, awarding thousands of dollars in prize money each year. There is so much here. More tomorrow.
Valdez, June 21
Where do I start? First of all, we weren't sure whether we wanted to take a cruise to the glaciers but we said what the heck! We want to experience everything so we booked a full day cruise. It was absolutely the best time of our trip, and maybe our travels to date. Does that sound crazy? Since everything we do is the highlight of our trip. Excitement is a mild word to describe. I would say more like ecstatic. Or more like orgasmic. But high fun it definitely was! We met our bus and while standing in line we met the neatest couple. Terry and Carol. We buddied with them all day. We cruised Prince William Sound and saw many beautiful mountains and glaciers. On the way we saw dozens of Sea Otters swimming and sunning themselves. Then we saw an Orca Whale and her cub feeding or was that a Humpback? We saw both in all of their glory. That was so exciting! There is nothing like witnessing whales and other sea life in their own natural habitat. Then the best part came with Meares Glacier. This was like nothing we have ever seen. It is a huge wall of ice bordering the Chugach Mountains. While we were there it calved several times. Each time it sounded like a thunder storm when the ice fell into the water. Then the waves it made! You can only imagine! We have seen glaciers on our trip, but this was a GLACIER! We got up so close we could see the crevices, holes and every little curve. It was beautiful. This was another breathtaking moment. We stayed there for at least an hour. Wow!!!!!! We left this miraculous natural phenomenon and cruised upon sea lions. Hundreds of them!!! They were next to our boat diving in the water, playing and showing off for us. Darling little sweethearts! We saw more Otters, Puffins, Seals and other amazing birds. Since Valdez is the end of the Alaskan Pipeline, the ship's captain talked about that. Well, what do you think of our day so far? It is not over yet! When we got home we stopped for a sandwich and we drove over to the Fish Hatchery because someone told us that if you go in the evening you may see bears. So we drove out there around 8:30 and just as we drove up to the hatchery we saw a group of people huddled together watching something. I ran out of the car with camera in hand and meandering across the street was a young bear with a salmon in his mouth. Oh my dear God! Was I ever excited! I got his picture with his fish and was he ever sweet! Then we observed the salmon swimming to their spawning area. That was cool! This was quite a day! A day we will never forget! Thank you God!
What a surprise! We left our campground this morning and drove a few miles and saw the park sign and we are so happy we stopped. Incredible! Number and scale loom large here, magnified by splendid location. The largest U.S. National park, it equals 6 Yellowstones, with peaks upon peaks, glaciers upon glaciers. At over 9.6 million acres, the parks designated wilderness represents nearly 10% of the entire National Wilderness Preservation System. Mt. Sanford and several other peaks can be seen from the highway. Vegetation is scarce, but the park is home to wildlife such as moose, bears, Dali sheep and other critters. Many species of birds as well as swan nest here. Many rivers, streams and rivers make it an ideal spawning ground for salmon. We couldn't possibly see it all but we visited the museum and talked to a Ranger that taught us a lot about the park.
After leaving the park we headed to Valdez. It was a beautiful drive! It seems that at every turn we saw another amazing spectacular vision. We saw more glaciers and beautiful waterfalls. We could not believe it! Our senses were absolutely overflowing! No pictures, no words can describe the beauty we witnessed. I am sure there is a lot more to come. When we got settled at camp, we explored the town of Valdez. It is the activity center for Prince William Sound. The growth and settlement of Valdez can be attributed to fur trading, salmon canning and gold and copper mining. Valdez's Prince William Sound is a premier fishing destination, offering all species of salmon and halibut. Valdez is home to the oldest fish derbies in Alaska, awarding thousands of dollars in prize money each year. There is so much here. More tomorrow.
Valdez, June 21
Where do I start? First of all, we weren't sure whether we wanted to take a cruise to the glaciers but we said what the heck! We want to experience everything so we booked a full day cruise. It was absolutely the best time of our trip, and maybe our travels to date. Does that sound crazy? Since everything we do is the highlight of our trip. Excitement is a mild word to describe. I would say more like ecstatic. Or more like orgasmic. But high fun it definitely was! We met our bus and while standing in line we met the neatest couple. Terry and Carol. We buddied with them all day. We cruised Prince William Sound and saw many beautiful mountains and glaciers. On the way we saw dozens of Sea Otters swimming and sunning themselves. Then we saw an Orca Whale and her cub feeding or was that a Humpback? We saw both in all of their glory. That was so exciting! There is nothing like witnessing whales and other sea life in their own natural habitat. Then the best part came with Meares Glacier. This was like nothing we have ever seen. It is a huge wall of ice bordering the Chugach Mountains. While we were there it calved several times. Each time it sounded like a thunder storm when the ice fell into the water. Then the waves it made! You can only imagine! We have seen glaciers on our trip, but this was a GLACIER! We got up so close we could see the crevices, holes and every little curve. It was beautiful. This was another breathtaking moment. We stayed there for at least an hour. Wow!!!!!! We left this miraculous natural phenomenon and cruised upon sea lions. Hundreds of them!!! They were next to our boat diving in the water, playing and showing off for us. Darling little sweethearts! We saw more Otters, Puffins, Seals and other amazing birds. Since Valdez is the end of the Alaskan Pipeline, the ship's captain talked about that. Well, what do you think of our day so far? It is not over yet! When we got home we stopped for a sandwich and we drove over to the Fish Hatchery because someone told us that if you go in the evening you may see bears. So we drove out there around 8:30 and just as we drove up to the hatchery we saw a group of people huddled together watching something. I ran out of the car with camera in hand and meandering across the street was a young bear with a salmon in his mouth. Oh my dear God! Was I ever excited! I got his picture with his fish and was he ever sweet! Then we observed the salmon swimming to their spawning area. That was cool! This was quite a day! A day we will never forget! Thank you God!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Glenallen,AK
Matanuska Glacier, Glenn highway, July 19
Hi folks. After leaving Seward, we drove the Glenn highway on our way to Valdez. We never know what to expect. It is just like Christmas every morning. The highway was narrow and winding but beautiful scenery. We drove upon Matanuska Glacier which is in the Chugach Mountains and trends northwest 27 miles. Some 18,000 years ago the glacier reached all the way to the Palmer area. The glacier's average width is 2 miles; at its terminus it is 4 miles wide. The glacier has remained stable for 400 years. At the glacier terminus meltwater drains into a steam which flows into the Matanuska River. How these glaciers form is so interesting! Years and years of snowfall. It is awesome!
Last night I went out on foot and explored the little town we stayed in. Very quaint and scenic. See you in Valdez.
Hi folks. After leaving Seward, we drove the Glenn highway on our way to Valdez. We never know what to expect. It is just like Christmas every morning. The highway was narrow and winding but beautiful scenery. We drove upon Matanuska Glacier which is in the Chugach Mountains and trends northwest 27 miles. Some 18,000 years ago the glacier reached all the way to the Palmer area. The glacier's average width is 2 miles; at its terminus it is 4 miles wide. The glacier has remained stable for 400 years. At the glacier terminus meltwater drains into a steam which flows into the Matanuska River. How these glaciers form is so interesting! Years and years of snowfall. It is awesome!
Last night I went out on foot and explored the little town we stayed in. Very quaint and scenic. See you in Valdez.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Seward, Ak. June 18
Hello everyone! We miss the beautiful beach that we were lucky to find with our friend Debbie's help, but we have to move on. We drove to Seward and set up camp. After lunch, we visited the visitor's center and drove through town which is lovely. We found the Sealife Museum which was very informative and enjoyable. Then we drove to our second Nat'l park in Alaska. Kenai Fjords Nat'l is a park like we have never seen. Ice stretches as far as the eye can see, interrupted by an occasional jagged peak. This is the Harding's Ice Field. It covers over half of 669,983 acre park and conceals a mountain range under ice several thousand ft. thick. Named for Pesident Warren G. Harding, who visited Seward in 1923, the icefield is a relic from the last ice age. It gives us a glimpse of when ice covered much of N America. As the ice recedes, it uncovers glacially carved valleys that fill with sea water, creating the stunning fjords. House-sized ice masses crash from tidewater glaciers into the sea, stirring up plankton that attract hundreds of hungry seabirds. Long the coast, Earth's crustal plates collide head-on: the denser Pacific Plate slips unter the N. American Plate. This drags the Kenai Mountains into the sea and deepens the Fjords. It causes several earthquakes, too. In 1964 the Good Friday Earthquake dropped the shoreline six ft. in 3.5 minutes. Throughout the year storms drop hundreds of inches of snow on higher elevations. Snowflakes compact into dense glacial ice and feed nearly 40 glaciers that flow from the icefield. Rivers of ice, they creep downhill like giant bulldozers, carving out bowl shaped cirques and broad u-shaped valleys. We visited Exit glacier, the only part of the park reached by road. We got close enough to almost touch it. We didn't see this, but large blocks of ice frequently calve from its face without warning. We enjoyed reading about the history and walking the trail to the glacier. Fantastic!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Halibut fishing in homer, July 15-16 We are winding down our stay here, but what a way to end our stay! Yesterday we drove into Homer and explored some pretty fantastic sights. We drove into old town which is a historic little area that is pretty and quaint along the Kachamack bay. Then we drove up skyline drive. We haven't been here that long but we haven't seen a more beautiful sight! The ice fields and the mountain range along with a view of Homer spit and all of it's loveliness took our breath away. Remember, life is not measured by how many breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away. Our fishing trip was great! But we never worked so hard in our life! Fishing for halibut is similar to fishing for grouper in the Keys. The fish hang out at the bottom and to hook them you have a 4 lb weight on. So many times you bring up your rod thinking you have a fish on. George caught eleven fish and I caught five. The limit is two a piece so when you pull up a fish you decide then if you want to keep it. The boat caught their limit so that was good. The water was rough but with Bonine it wasn't a problem. A good day was had by all! We will head to Seward tomorrow. See you there, loved ones.
Halibut fishing in homer, July 15-16
We are winding down our stay here, but what a way to end our stay! Yesterday we drove into Homer and explored some pretty fantastic sights. We drove into old town which is a historic little area that is pretty and quaint along the Kachamack bay. Then we drove up skyline drive. We haven't been here that long but we haven't seen a more beautiful sight! The ice fields and the mountain range along with a view of Homer spit and all of it's loveliness took our breath away. Remember, life is not measured by how many breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away.
Our fishing trip was great! But we never worked so hard in our life! Fishing for halibut is similar to fishing for grouper in the Keys. The fish hang out at the bottom and to hook them you have a 4 lb weight on. So many times you bring up your rod thinking you have a fish on. George caught eleven fish and I caught five. The limit is two a piece so when you pull up a fish you decide then if you want to keep it. The boat caught their limit so that was good. The water was rough but with Bonine it wasn't a problem. A good day was had by all!
We will head to Seward tomorrow. See you there, loved ones.
We are winding down our stay here, but what a way to end our stay! Yesterday we drove into Homer and explored some pretty fantastic sights. We drove into old town which is a historic little area that is pretty and quaint along the Kachamack bay. Then we drove up skyline drive. We haven't been here that long but we haven't seen a more beautiful sight! The ice fields and the mountain range along with a view of Homer spit and all of it's loveliness took our breath away. Remember, life is not measured by how many breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away.
Our fishing trip was great! But we never worked so hard in our life! Fishing for halibut is similar to fishing for grouper in the Keys. The fish hang out at the bottom and to hook them you have a 4 lb weight on. So many times you bring up your rod thinking you have a fish on. George caught eleven fish and I caught five. The limit is two a piece so when you pull up a fish you decide then if you want to keep it. The boat caught their limit so that was good. The water was rough but with Bonine it wasn't a problem. A good day was had by all!
We will head to Seward tomorrow. See you there, loved ones.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Homer AK
Homer AK., July 14
Hi everyone, I forgot to tell you that we stayed up last night until 12:30 and saw the most beautiful sunset and full moon. I cannot describe in words the beauty that was all around us with the pink sky and the bright colorful hues of the ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking!
This morning we took our Jeep out to the beach and observed the Eagles sitting watching the clammers. That was quite a sight! That was fun. Then we drove into Homer which is called the Halibut fishing capital of the world. Not only that, but it is the largest seabird refuge in the world. Homer is as far as you can go on this peninsula. So nautical with all the charter boats and huge marina. Fishing is one of the largest industries in the state and vital to the economy of Homer. We had lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the marina. The area is known as Homer spit. We booked our charter there for Saturday.
We visited the Visitor center and then the Pratt museum. We learned so much about the area's birds, sea life and the first homesteaders. It is so neat to learn about the area we are visiting. See you tomorrow!
Hi everyone, I forgot to tell you that we stayed up last night until 12:30 and saw the most beautiful sunset and full moon. I cannot describe in words the beauty that was all around us with the pink sky and the bright colorful hues of the ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking!
This morning we took our Jeep out to the beach and observed the Eagles sitting watching the clammers. That was quite a sight! That was fun. Then we drove into Homer which is called the Halibut fishing capital of the world. Not only that, but it is the largest seabird refuge in the world. Homer is as far as you can go on this peninsula. So nautical with all the charter boats and huge marina. Fishing is one of the largest industries in the state and vital to the economy of Homer. We had lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the marina. The area is known as Homer spit. We booked our charter there for Saturday.
We visited the Visitor center and then the Pratt museum. We learned so much about the area's birds, sea life and the first homesteaders. It is so neat to learn about the area we are visiting. See you tomorrow!
Ninilchik AK
Ninilchik, AK., July 13
Hello friends and family! We arrived at our destination around lunch time. What a place we found! Our friend Debbie told us about a camp right on the ocean. And what a place! At high tide our motorhome is inches away from the water. When the tide goes out, there is a hundred yards between our motorhome and the ocean. The tides here are 30 ft. compared to 18 inches in the Keys. Isn't that wild? It is now the full moon and that means the tides will be bigger. That phenomena brings all the clammers out in full force. And with the clammers comes the Bald Eagles looking for food. We love it here. Long walks on the beach and looking out our front window at the ocean and the beautiful mountain range. What could be better? We visited with our friend this afternoon and she clued us in about some neat places to explore tomorrow, so we will see you there.
Hello friends and family! We arrived at our destination around lunch time. What a place we found! Our friend Debbie told us about a camp right on the ocean. And what a place! At high tide our motorhome is inches away from the water. When the tide goes out, there is a hundred yards between our motorhome and the ocean. The tides here are 30 ft. compared to 18 inches in the Keys. Isn't that wild? It is now the full moon and that means the tides will be bigger. That phenomena brings all the clammers out in full force. And with the clammers comes the Bald Eagles looking for food. We love it here. Long walks on the beach and looking out our front window at the ocean and the beautiful mountain range. What could be better? We visited with our friend this afternoon and she clued us in about some neat places to explore tomorrow, so we will see you there.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Kenai, June 10-12
Hi everyone, After Anchorage, we found a wonderful campground with hook-ups. We had lots of laundry to do so we took a day to do that, but at that campground was a beautiful lodge that we were able to use. They had a spa, exercize room, lounge, restaurant and all the goodies. So that was our chill day. The next day we drove to Kenai to Russian River Campground. It is famous for their beautiful water falls. We took a nice long hike to get there and it was worth it!. The camp was quiet and serene. It is so calming to us to just listen to nature and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Kenai is lovely. There is the mouth of the famous Kenai River, along with unlimited breathtaking views of Cook Inlet and the surrounding majestic mountain ranges. To us, that is what Alaska is. Mt. Redoubt, an active volcano, can easily be seen during salmon harvest season, along with beluga whales and bald eagles. The rich, native culture is represented by the historic Russian Church and Shrine. You will see the picture posted of the Church. The highlight of the day was when we visited Cook Inlet at the mouth of the Kenai River where we saw fishermen dip netting salmon. They were lined up in a row on the beach with five foot nets as long as 30 ft. holding them open for their catch. When they caught one, they hit it in the head with a hammer to kill it and dropped it on the sand and went back to the water for another one. Very interesting! Only the Alaskans are allowed to dip net. The weather is beautiful and sunny. Tomorrow we are heading down to Ninilchik for Halibut fishing, and to see our friend Debbie Hess, who crews for the Yankee Freedom ferry boat, in Key West, that runs to the Dry Tortugas. She lives in Ninilchik in the summertime . Love you all
Kenai is lovely. There is the mouth of the famous Kenai River, along with unlimited breathtaking views of Cook Inlet and the surrounding majestic mountain ranges. To us, that is what Alaska is. Mt. Redoubt, an active volcano, can easily be seen during salmon harvest season, along with beluga whales and bald eagles. The rich, native culture is represented by the historic Russian Church and Shrine. You will see the picture posted of the Church. The highlight of the day was when we visited Cook Inlet at the mouth of the Kenai River where we saw fishermen dip netting salmon. They were lined up in a row on the beach with five foot nets as long as 30 ft. holding them open for their catch. When they caught one, they hit it in the head with a hammer to kill it and dropped it on the sand and went back to the water for another one. Very interesting! Only the Alaskans are allowed to dip net. The weather is beautiful and sunny. Tomorrow we are heading down to Ninilchik for Halibut fishing, and to see our friend Debbie Hess, who crews for the Yankee Freedom ferry boat, in Key West, that runs to the Dry Tortugas. She lives in Ninilchik in the summertime . Love you all
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