Jul 20, 2017 - Fairbanks - Denali - Talkeetna - Kenai Peninsula (Alaska Whirlwind Tour)

Whew, what a great nine days traveling with our daughter! It was a bit of a whirlwind with lots of activities and so many photos. It's taken a little while to sort through the pictures but we finally got this entry together. We made five different stops in the nine days and ate a whole lot of fresh seafood! Here goes: Fairbanks - We got to Fairbanks a few days earlier than our daughter to get organized and shore up our provisions. Before she arrived we took a day trip to Chena Hot Springs, east of Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs is a...

Jul 20, 2017 - Sunshine Changes Everything

At last! Now I feel like I am in Alaska. The sun came out, the clouds parted and low and behold we can see. It is gorgeous. We left Anchorage and drove to Seward. It is supposed to be about a 2.5 hour drive. I think it took us 5 hours. I had to stop at almost every turn out. Each turn in the road offered another spectacular view. There is just something magical about mountains and water. Colorado has beautiful mountains but when you add water, it just seems to enhance the mountain views. We are staying at this lodge right on Resurrection...

Jul 20, 2017 - Epilogue

Needless to say, we kept in touch with the three fishing Musketeers and received encouraging reports. First and foremost it was Josef who succeeded in landing the first fish, a 16 inch plump Rainbow Trout that was promptly and expertly prepared for consumtion by the three. Then came the real Deliverance of Josef, a strike by a Sockeye Salmon that was a keeper ! Again, like in Tangle Lakes the fishing jinx was broken. Josef went on to hook three more salmon. However these were already mauled by predators down river, probably seals or otters...

Jul 20, 2017 - 8hour bus tour in Denali

Eight hour bus tour through the interior of Denali. Saw lots of beautiful mountains, braided streams, and animals. Highlight was watching a wolf first down by the water, then he came up the hill near us and walked on the road ahead of our bus for a mile or two. Saw a grizzly with 2 cubs but not close enough to get a picture. We did not totally see the mountain (Denali) because it is usually in the clouds in the summer--it is 20,300' high. We will try again tomorrow on our way out of the park.

Jul 19, 2017 - Arrived in Anchorage

We arrived in Anchorage last night. The weather is cool, rainy, and visability is very limited. I know there are mountains around us but I haven't been able to see them. We altered our plans to do mostly indoor activities. We visited the Alaska Museum, the Native American Heritage Center, a fishing bridge where we were supposed to see salmon jumping, (no fish jumping) and some galleries downtown. No pictures to attach because none taken. It is far too rainy to really see anything. Friends of ours in Skyestone gave us an extensive list of...

Jul 12, 2017 - Wednesday, July 12th 2017 - Seward, Alaska - the "Change of Command"

The morning started with a flood of sunshine. The temperature at 8 am was 63 F. We noticed already during the past days that this would not be a guarantee of a sunny day! The weather can change on a moment's notice. Each morning the sun burst into the sky behind the snow and ice covered peaks of the Kenai Mountains, just across the Resurrection Bay in front of us. Each time I was certain that by noon when I was no longer facing the sun directly I would be able to take some price winning pictures. No such luck. For some reason, each day by...

Jul 11, 2017 - Tuesday, July 11th 2017 - a sunny morning in Seward, Alaska

There is a lot of activity early in the morning around the port of Seward. While it appears that more cruise ships sail into Whittier, a harbor slightly further north there are lots of fishing and excursion boats leaving at all hours of the early morning. So did our intrepid fishermen who spent an uncomfortable night in the tent outside the Beaver. Uncomfortable primarily due to the inconsiderate use of electric generators by neighboring campers. This is an issue that bothers a person who respects the rule of quiet enjoyment of nature set...

Jul 10, 2017 - Monday, July 10th 2017 - Homer good bye, we are driving to Seward, Alaska

The day started quite cloudy and at times rain squalls came rolling in from the ocean. Not exactly a picture perfect omen for our last excursion journey of the inbound tour. Our son Mark who flew in from his home in Virginia with our youngest grandson Michael to join Josef in Anchorage will take over the Beaver in Seward, AK for their own fishing expedition centered largely around Cooper Landing and the Russian River area of the Kenai Peninsula. The drive from Homer to Seward is 193 miles on largely good roads. We arranged to meet Susi...

Jul 9, 2017 - Sunday, July 9th 2017, Homer, AK - catching some views from the motor bike

The weather changes in coastal Alaska in a heartbeat. There is no assurance that a sunny day is followed by another. And so it was this Sunday. That did not prevent us from enjoying our traditional American Breakfast. But shortly thereafter we followed "the Milepost's" advice: "Take a scenic drive. The glaciers that spill down from the Harding Icefield straddling the Kenai Mountains across the bay create an ever-changing panorama visible from most points in Homer. The most spectacular and largest of these glaciers is Grewingk Glacier in...

Jul 8, 2017 - Saturday, July 8th 2017 - Homer, Alaska

The sun, never gone for long during the short northern summer rose bright and clear for a sterling day. The temperature at 7:30 am was 56 F. We decided to explore this lovely community right after breakfast. I was able to wash the scooter at the city's sanitary dump station and was happy to see it shine for the first time in many days. Our plan was to ride out to "Land's End" a hotel and resort complex at the very end of the Homer Spit and take in the various sights that make this such a special place. Here is what the Milepost writes about...

Jul 7, 2017 - Off to Kenai on the west coast

After walking Daisy we dumped our tanks and took off to drive down the Seward Highway to the Sterling Highway and west to the Kenai Elks. Driving south we were along the glacial Chugach Mountain Range then turned west through the Kenai Mountains through the forests, past rivers and lakes of the Chugach National Forest. Once we turned onto the Sterling Hwy we caught sight of the Russian River and then the Kenai River which we followed through the heavily forested highway west to the coast past Sterling and Soldotna. As we neared the city of...

Jul 7, 2017 - Celebrating 40 Years and North to Alaska

We left Sechelt about 6:20 am on June 23, stopping at Java Docks in Madeira Park for a breakfast wrap on the way. We ate it at the Earls Cove ferry terminal. The ferry was right on time and we left at 8:25. This is a lovely 50 minute ferry ride - lots of green, some snowy mountains and a big waterfall. We stopped to visit a friend at Bootlegger in Powell River then headed for the ferry terminal there. The ferry is a new one with loading a bit of a challenge for ferry staff. There is a lower car deck that is accessed by a ramp that raises...