WOW! Have we been having the time of our lives! To follow is more or less a diary of our events since our last entry on the Blog. Within the next day or two I will paste some pictures relating to these stories. So sorry for the absence in our entries, but we have been very busy & mostly out of internet connectivity.
July 15-18 Denali National Park
We arose early on Tuesday the 15th to prepare for the arrival of our Williamsburg, VA friends, Beth & Jack Murray. Ann was busy washing sheets & towels & switching the sleeping areas around so that Beth & Jack could have the “master suite” while they were with us. Steve & I would sleep on the fold out couch. Towels would hang everywhere, but that’s OK as long as they dry! Steve & I also cleared out a few cupboard spaces for them to stash their gear. Thankfully they didn’t over pack for their visit with us & we had “plenty” of room. We drove north to Denali from Talkeetna & stopped at the two view points at the south & north ends of the Denali State Park to view Mt. McKinley. It was a relatively clear day & we were able to view the top of the beautiful huge mountain from about a 45 mi. distance. It was fantastic! When we arrived at Denali Natl. Park we inquired at the Visitor’s Center (VC) as to where the closest sighting of McKinley was in the park & were told it was a 9 mile drive from the VC. We jumped back into the BF & headed to that overlook & low & behold there it was – BIG and BEAUTIFUL!! This time we were at a distance of 75 mi. from the mtn, but it was clear & lovely. People were just sitting along the side of the road gazing or picnicking & enjoying the view. Little did we know how lucky we were & that for the next 3 days Mt. McKinley would be socked in by clouds. It is such an incredible improbability for seeing her! The Murrays joined us late in the afternoon & we sent them to the viewing spot in hopes of their seeing the mountain also, which they did. That evening we enjoyed a steak & salmon dinner cooked on our grill & we dined-in in the BF. It was so fun being with friends & to have a chance to enjoy the Denali experience with them. The Murrays introduced us to a card game of “Oh Hell” which became a nightly event for the four of us.
The following day we split up in order for each couple to get the lay of the land & to find out what exactly we wanted to accomplish in Denali. We enjoyed a delicious dinner that evening at the Salmon Bake. On Thursday we arose early to prepare to go to the Wilderness Center at the Park to take an 11 hour bus tour through the Park to Wonder Lake which is the closest viewing area of Denali – just 25 mi! We were disappointed that the day was cold & cloudy & very overcast & also with rain showers occurring off & on. Automobiles are not allowed in the Park past Savage Creek (13 mi. from the VC) so everyone who ventures farther than that point must be on a registered Natl Park tour bus. What a wonderful tour bus driver we had! Cheryl narrated throughout the entire tour & told us ever so much about the area. Cheryl was from Ohio and had been coming to Denali for the past 9 summers to drive the visitors on buses through the Park. It is her passion & it clearly showed. We saw ever so much wildlife along our journey & whenever Cheryl or a passenger who spotted wildlife shouted “Stop!” Cheryl would stop the bus for as long as anyone wished so we could all view & photograph the beautiful scenery & wildlife. This is a small list of what we saw during the day as many of these animals were repeated throughout the journey. The day began stunningly as we watched a wolf walk along the roadside very early in our tour. Throughout the day we saw: Seven brown bears & one cub. Caribou. Moose. Lynx. Ptarmingan (the official state bird of Alaska). A bald eagle which was an unusual sighting for Denali Natl Park. Upon arriving at Wonder Lake we knew immediately that there would be no mountain viewing for that day. However, we were truly blessed by all the fabulous wildlife we had seen throughout the day. All the passengers were exhilarated by the fabulous trip into the interior of Denali Natl. Park. Dinner that evening was again was at the Salmon Bake restaurant which has fabulous salmon & halibut which we all enjoyed very much. We managed to play out our evenings with cards & laughter!
On the 18th the weather continued to be rainy & overcast so the four of us returned to the Park to enjoy the exhibits in the Visitors’ Center as well as attending the Alaskan Dog Sled show at the dog area. It was a very interesting show & a good explanation of the difference between working dogs (the kind found in Denali Natl Park) and racing dogs (the kind used in the Iditerod Dog Sled Races). We all loved the show & loved the dogs & their caregivers. An interesting question was asked as to whether the wolves, bears, & other wild animals in the park are a threat to the dog sled dogs & if this dog area required special security for its inhabitants. The answer was that the predators consider the 25 dogs in the Denali dog compound as a wolf pack & that is a threat to the individual predator & therefore the predator will not come near the dogs! There were no fences or security guards! Much of the remainder of the day was spent by Beth & me doing our Denali shopping & gathering a few memorable items of our visit there. Dinner that night was pasta & salad in the BF. A few more hands of “Oh, Hell” were dealt!
July 19 Anchorage
Because of the continuing rained we all changed plans. We left Denali & went to Talkeetna with the intention for enjoying sour dough blueberry pancakes at the well known Roadhouse restaurant. Unfortunately we arrived too late for breakfast but we did enjoyed a wonderful homemade menu for lunch where we all sat around common tables. There is a local craft market in Talkeetna on Saturdays so we all purchased a treasure or two. We left Talkeetna mid afternoon for Anchorage & arrived at Elmendorf AFB at their FamCamp. It was a lovely wooded setting with clean laundry facilities & reasonably priced. The Murrays caught up to us late in the early evening & we all piled into their rental car & drove into Anchorage for dinner at the Simon & Seaford Restaurant. We each enjoyed a fabulous halibut or salmon dinner! Beth & I noted that Anchorage has an open street market on Sats. & Suns. so we planned to return to the market the following morning.
July 20 Anchorage
As we were preparing to leave our campsite the campers in the campsite next to us said they had had a bear in their camp night before! Oh great! And we were out walking around non-chalantly late that evening! We’re learning, but slowly, that there are bears all over Alaska! We did make our run to the Anchorage market. Wow! There were so many beautiful native crafts for sale there. After the market we bid farewell to the Murrays & Steve & I returned to the base to complete our laundry detail, fill up the propane & gas tanks & to buy a few provisions at the commissary. Upon completion of those “minor” details we headed down the road to the Pools home better known as “Lloyd’s Lodge.” Indeed it is a hunting lodge with all sorts of heads & racks hanging on the walls of their home. Lloyd is quite a hunter & fisherman & it is so much fun to enjoy his tales & his enthusiasm. The Pools welcomed us royally, even to the point where they provided us with properly warm clothing for the Alaska experience which was ahead of us. The four of us enjoyed a lovely visit that evening & we had a delicious steak dinner with asparagus & salad & the crowning glory, berry crisp! Steve & I stayed in our camper in their driveway that evening even though the Pools welcomed us into the home. At this point we find it much easier to just stay put. Lloyd fitted Steve & me out with waders & boots for the upcoming fishing trip to the Russian River on the Kenai Peninsula.
July 21 Monday Russian River
The Pools & Lindbloms all packed up & headed to the Kenai. Steve & I acquired our fishing licenses from WalMart. Along our trip to the Kenai we stopped at the fabulous Portage Welcome Center which has 2 hanging glaciers (hanging over water) which are continually melting. The melted water is a beautiful blue color. We all had lunch in our respective campers & then continued on to the Russian River further south on the Kenai Peninsula. We made camp at the Russian River Campsite in the Chugach Natl Forest. What an incredible beautiful area it was! You could barely tell there were other campers around & there must have been nearly 60 campsites located there. After setting up camp we walked down steps & along an open metal boardwalk for about a mile to the river to check out conditions. It was noted that not too many fish were being caught that evening so we returned to the campsite to prepare dinner. Carol & Lloyd provided a delicious dinner for us of moose burgers, potato salad, peas, & homemade oatmeal cookies. After dinner (9pm) we all suited up in our waders, boots, & very warm gear & returned to the river to begin our fly fishing lessons. Lloyd was a wonderful instructor & very patient, too. No fish, but we were well on our way to becoming experienced fishermen! We returned to the campsite & climbed in bed totally exhausted after a very full day.
July 22 Russian River
Up & at ‘em at 7am. That’s a late fishing morning for the Pools so they were very generous in accommodating our “vacation” lifestyle! Steve & I ate a quick oatmeal breakfast, walk Bennie & suited up in our waders & boots & rain jackets & several layers of clothes. The skies were clear but the water is very very cold! Lloyd continued our fishing lessons for us & soon let us cast on our own. Practice! Practice! Practice! We claimed our positions among many many anglers on the RR & began casting away. Steve & I each hooked 2 salmon, but sadly neither of us had the skill to “land” them so all of our fish got away. (Is that not the typical fish story???) Throughout the day we were joined by 2 brown bears who seemed to be in charge of the river & all its fishermen. Whenever a bear came out of the wooded area someone whould shout “BEAR!” & everyone stopped fishing & backed away until the bear or bears had completely combed the area & then moved on. Of course, they returned frequently & what started out to be cute, fun, interesting, or unique (however one wished to describe it) became a nuisance, but never did anyone not respect the authority of these great animals. Steve & I did not take too many pictures while we were on the river as we were both afraid we might fall into the water & we did not want to lose our cameras or all of our pictures. Our wonderful & ever so great fishing mentor, Lloyd, hooked & landed 3 beautiful red sockeye salmon that day, which is the limit for any fisherman. Needless to say we sat down to a delicious dinner of grilled salmon, cole slaw, roast zuchinni & somemores. There is truly no finer dining than eating fresh salmon straight from the cold waters of the Russian River in Alaska!!
July 23 Homer
We were on the water by 7 am. Steve & I were totally enthusiastic for this last chance to catch our very own salmon. The rain was coming down but it did not bother us, but sadly, we found no fish, only bears! Lloyd took a video of me running out of water from bear! It’s hilarious & I hope to be able to post it on the blog in the future. I loved the fishing & I only wished we could have stayed longer. We all drove to Homer that day & we stopped at Fred Meyer’s (BIG Alaskan grocery store!) for supplies. We took a typical Alaska side road, which means dirt road, thru a wildlife refuge along the Skilak Lake where the salmon come in from the ocean before finding their exits into the Kenai River & then into the Russian River on their way to the ocean to spawn. We arrived at the Ocean View Campground in Homer & settled in. I had my 1st shower in 3 days & it felt wonderful! Dinner by Carol & Lloyd this evening was moose kabobs, onion, tomato, red, yellow, green, orange peppers, salad, rolls. We all took a walk on beach after dinner & returned with loads of smooth black rocks. Upon our return Carol served her delicious berry crisp & we retired that evening to rain! Rain! rain!
July 24 Homer
It rained throughout the night & we awoke to a cold & wet day. Undaunted by foul weather the Pools & Lindbloms boarded the Pools comfortable 4 door truck & headed into Homer. First stop was the art gallery owned by a friend of the Pools, Karen Marks whose deceased husband, Wes, had passed away just a few years prior. Karin was a delightful representative of this charming town of Homer. She & her husband had come to Homer after Wes retired from the USMC & Wes learned how to mat & frame pictures & they opened this beautiful art gallery sometime thereafter. Karin has clearly done a wonderful job managing & maintaining a fabulous presence in Homer. Her gallery has the best of Alaskan art. It was hard not to walk out without an armful! After spending an hour or more having coffee with Karen & then spending time enjoying & shopping in the gallery, Carol & Lloyd, Steve & I walked along the roadway looking for a lunch spot which we found inside an ice cream parlor. A delicious lunch of barbeque & salad was enjoyed by all of us. We returned to the BF for the purpose of checking up on Bennie but it was apparent that our campsites needed special attention due to the winds that had come in off the Kachemak Bay along with all the rain & cold. Both the Pools’ & our awnings were in much need of attention & unfortunately our awning may need a total replacement, but that remains to be determined once we get to an RV dealer when we return to Anchorage. Fortunately the Pools point us in the right direction for all our needs or problems. So-o-o, after correcting the damage, giving Bennie a walk, & managing a 20 min. power nap, we jumped back into the truck & headed to the Bear Creek Winery for a tasting & a good time. Oh, yes! We all did come out of the winery with a few bottles of wine. From there we drove down to the end of the Homer Spit & enjoyed viewing the mountains all around the Kachemak Bay & the water surrounding this narrow spit of land & all the small fishing & tourist businesses along the route. Again, a truly beautiful & unique sight! Oh yes! We did stop in the Salty Dawg Bar for a beer & to enjoy the “ambience” of this popular watering hole which had millions (??) of $1 bills tacked all over the walls & ceiling. There were also a few unmentionables hanging around as well! From the Salty Dawg Bar we returned to our campsites to begin dinner. This night we ate around the table inside the Pools camper as the weather was not delightful outside. Dinner this evening was moose hotdogs, potato salad, baked beans, & Carol’s delicious brownies. What a treat it is to be a guest at the Pool’s dinner table!
July 25 Homer
Muster 9:45 am. We drove to nearby gas station & loaded up on coffee. We went to the Islands & Oceans Museum which represented the Aleutian Island chain. We all found it very interesting & informative. Who knew that the introduction of foxes by the Russians on many of the islands caused the decline of much of the bird life on these islands. Much effort gone forth to restore the bird population & in a few cases it has been a success story. From there we drove out to the Homer Spit to see if we could get on the Danny J for the boat trip to Halibut Cove but sadly there were no cancellations. Steve & I will stay in Homer on Sat in order to make that trip but the Pools must leave us for other commitments. We will catch up with them again later next week. We enjoyed halibut fish & chips & seafood chowder for lunch in small restaurant on the Spit. After several errands we all geared up to drive out of Homer a few miles where we took a hike on a trail that took us along a beautiful trail filled with Alaskan wildflowers. Led by our able & most interested leader, Lloyd Pool, we identified many of the beautiful flowers thanks to Carol who was carrying her new Alaskan Wildflower book. It was great fun & a very beautiful hike. Some of the flowers we saw today were forget-me-nots (the Alaska state flower), chocolate lilies, wild geraniums, lupine, larkspur, monks hood, cow parsnip, yarrow, yellow paintbrush, & poppies. There were plenty of alder bushes throughout our hike which we were most cognizant of the fact that bears love to hide/sleep in the alder bushes. We made regular noises & songs in hopes of warning any bears in the area. Calling out things like “Coming through!” of “Hello, Bear!” were common sounds for us during the hike. Returning to the campsite Lloyd prepared the most delicious piece of halibut which we had purchased on the Spit earlier in the day on the grill. We also enjoyed roasted corn on the grill & fresh green salad. For dessert (Carol always serves something delicious for dessert!) we enjoyed Carol’s delicious homemade brownies. The rain seems to have finally let up & we were able to eat outside the campers this evening. Lloyd gave us an excellent lesson on wine tasting which Steve & I thoroughly enjoyed. As has been normal the Pools & we have enjoyed one another’s company late into the evening, but it is still light outside till about midnight!
Truly, we are enjoying the Land of the Midnight Sun!
July 26 Homer
The Pools departed the campground by 8 am & we were on our own & very sad about being in that situation. What a wonderful 6 days we had spent with Carol & Lloyd & they were always so generous & caring in their hospitality! We will truly miss them. Steve & I spent the day doing odds & ends. We returned to the gift shop that Karen Marks owned as she had a potter at the shop doing demos during the day. I had her personally sign the pots that Carol & I had purchased the day previously. Libby was most interesting & a delightful person. In the late afternoon Steve & I went to the dock on the Homer Spit & we took the Danny J cruise boat across the Kachemak Bay to Halibut Cove where we enjoyed a delightful seafood dinner & a lovely cruise back to Homer across the bay again. Weather was a little drizzlely but we seem to be adapting to it. Lots of rain & cold weather gear. The Danny J returned at 10:30 pm, but don’t forget, it’s still light outside where we are!
July 27 Seward
It was a slow start for us on this Sunday morning but once underway we re-visited a few places we didn’t want to miss in Homer & then headed north along the same route we took to get to Homer, because generally speaking the road system in AK does not criss cross so you return the same way you came. Prior to leaving the campground we noticed the big red tags of the SMART tour group & we stopped to say hello! It's great fun running into many people we have met in campgrounds or towns earlier in the trip. We made a few stops along the way – one being we went into the town of Nanilchek, a Russian fishing village settlement on the Kachemak Bay, just to enjoy it’s uniqueness! Driving along & stopping for gas, lunch & few other oddities we arrived in Seward, which is on the southeast side of the Kenai Peninsula & on Resurrection Bay, by dinnertime. We checked into a beautiful military campground & resort located in the heart of Seward. It has terrific amenities at reasonable prices which we are most grateful for at this point. We plan to stay in Seward at least 3 days to catch up on lots of housekeeping details such as The Blog!!, the wash, & cleaning the BF and also to learn & take advantage of what is in this unique area of AK!
I plan to post pictures shortly after this long dialogue.
