Anchorage, AK - Homer, AK (Seward & Sterling Highways - 222 miles)

        We're now in the part of Alaska we really like and the part that's probably our favorite area in the state:  the Kenai Peninsula.  Leaving Anchorage early this morning, we drove south along the Turnagain Arm, one of North America's few fjords and one of the most fantastic sights one can behold: glaciated and snow covered mountains reaching down to the edge of a deep, wide fjord.  Man!  The Turnagain also has one of the world's highest tides, surging 33 feet altogether but its bore tide (an abrupt rise of tidal water just after low tide surging into the constricted space of the Turnagain) is something to behold. Within just a couple of hours, the foaming wall of water can rise more than 6 feet, high and fast enough to be a danger to small craft.  Its just a remarkable place where you could spend all day.

 
        Along the edge of the Turnagain, we passed the tiny town of Girdwood where we'll meet Shannon at the Alyeska Resort.  Shortly afterwards, we passed the turnoff to Portage Glacier, another point of interest we'll explore with Shannon.  Then, we arrived in Moose Pass just before the turnoff to Homer.  We'll spend some time in all those places when we travel to Seward with Shannon.  It was hard to pass them by, but we'll see them in a few days.  But, the Seward Highway, no matter how good or pretty a road was a steady climb from sea level to 1500 feet at Johnson Pass - all within about 20 miles from Portage where the earth sank during the '64 earthquake.

        Then we were on the Kenai Peninsula and the Sterling Highway.  The peninsula is 70 miles wide by  150 miles long and provides some f the most fantastic views of mountains and oceans anywhere in the state.  Its totally different than the scenery along the Inside Passage because of the size of the mountains, the perpetual snow on them (we're near Russia, after all), and the color of the water.  There's just nothing like it.

Homer, AK

        Finally, Homer!  The first view you get way off in the distance with the mountains framing it just takes your breath away.  After getting settled in the RV park, we immediately offloaded the MG and headed out onto the Homer Spit for some fresh halibut.  The spit is a 5 mile long, narrow, gravel piece of land that juts out into Kachemak Bay like a long crooked witches finger.  During the '64 earthquake, it dropped 5 feet, and is probably the reason for Homer's uniqueness.  Way out on the end is a resort in which we'll stay while Shannon's in town, appropriately named "Lands End".  The beach is dotted with tents belonging to college students who come here to spend the summer.  

        The last time we were on the spit, there was a cannery, the resort and the Salty Dog Saloon along with a few fishing charter businesses or artist studios.  That was it.  I should've bought land in the Homer area the last time we were here, before the place was discovered.  Because, its discovered now!  And the RV's and tourists are here big time.  There's not enough vacant land left on the spit to build a tiny cabin.  Heck, Subway even has a restaurant on it!

        Back when we were young and living in Alaska, Homer reminded us of any number of tranquil little nooks along the gulf coast or anywhere on the Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina Atlantic coast, or even southern California's Pacific coast - except for the snow covered mountains that is.  Its still the same today, just crowded.

        A few photos:

  
        After dinner, as we were visiting with some folks from Rome, Georgia who we've bumped into several times in Alaska and Canada, a young airman from Eilson AFB asked if we had a can opener.  He and his family were camping in a pop-up camper and were preparing dinner but didn't have one.  We loaned him one and he repaid the favor by giving us enough fresh halibut for 2 meals!  He and his girls had been fishing and had caught more halibut than they could store.  So, at least, tomorrow's dinner will again be halibut.  Maybe Tuesday night also!  

        And tomorrow we'll spend the day on the spit just exploring.

        Oh, unusual cars we saw today?  In Anchorage a '57 Thunderbird and a '57 Chevrolet.  Here in Homer a red Saab Sonnet, 2-'57 Chevrolets, a '57 Chevrolet Nomad, a '55 Chevrolet 2-door hardtop like the one I had in high school (all the Chevy's were in front of a gift shop we will visit tomorrow) and a '50 Studebaker truck carrying a local B&B's logo.

Day 65 (Monday, 21 June) - Homer, AK:  High 50's, Sunny.

        Here's the view that greeted us from our RV in the morning.  If I could talk Jerri into it, I could easily stay here forever! 

        Though the weatherman says its in the 50's, it feels like the low 60's because of the effect of the sun on the water.  The wind is blowing a bit so we're not putting the top down, but its still a great day to explore.  Among the things we did this morning in preparation for Shannon's arrival was to check on a day trip over to Seldovia.  Homer is the last town on the highway system.  Seldovia is a small native village southwest of here that can only be reached by boat, about an hour cruise.  

        There's a company here in town that ferries people over to Seldovia in the morning and brings them back to Homer in the afternoon and we've made reservations.  (We've also made reservations for a 9-1/2 hour cruise out into Resurrection Bay to view whales when we get to Seward, something else Shannon's looking forward to.  I feel like the advance man for a presidential visit, making sure everything's going to run smoothly and that all the logistics are worked out.)

        We spent a bit of time in the Salty Dawg Saloon when it was just us and the regulars (yesterday, it was crowded with tourists in town for Homer's Summer Solstice Music Festival).  The owner told us there was usually $10,000-$12,000 in $1 bills pinned to the walls.  She told a story about taking $2,500 off the beams and from around the windows to make room for people to leave new bills, and that her local bank was not too happy to take them as they were old, written on, and dirty.  And, yes, people do steal them.  She also told us about the bank calling her one morning before she opened to see if she had been robbed.  Seems a bank in Soldotna had received some of the old bills that had been written on and pinned onto the wall.  Thief caught!  She even said occasionally some drunk would try to pay his tab with dollar bills off the wall, or use them in the vending machine to buy cigarettes.

        There are a couple of bald eagles flying around the upper spit area.  Yesterday, I almost got a photo of one sitting on a piling but a couple of guys came by and scared them off, the @$$&*%'s!  Then, I also saw a pair flying along the beach, occasionally diving for food but wasn't been quick enough with my trigger finger (I did get a photo of a wing though).  I didn't get a photo today either.  One was there, soaring along the beach not even flapping his wings.  Unfortunately, there were lots of other people looking at him also and traffic was backed up; so, by the time I got the car turned around and caught up with him, he had headed off towards open water.  Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

        While I was chasing the eagle, I passed this huge storage yard full of logs again.  I had been wondering about that stack of logs since we got here.  I mean, there are more logs in that yard out on the spit than a Mississippi pulpwood plant would have in storage.  This afternoon my wondering ceased.  I saw a part of the logging process that we don't use in the South.

        The barge had come across the inner bay from the mountains in the distance.  At first when I initially saw it way out in open water, I thought they were taking the logs somewhere by barge.  Then, as I watched, I realized the barge was coming into harbor instead of going out.  So, I waited.  In a way, it was kinda funny but also sad.  The tractor operator pulled the first ramp from the barge to shore with no problem.  Then, as he was pulling the second ramp out, something happened and it fell into the bay.  So, he had to pick it up, slide it across the first ramp, and reattach it to the barge which probably cost them a half hour (wonder if there's a demurrage fee for barges while they're being unloaded like for railcars?).  

        Finally, he drove across the ramps and picked up stack after stack of logs until the barge was empty.  Forwards and backwards, forwards and backwards with a trip to the storage yard every time to unload.  We're talking a couple of hours to empty that barge.  And that one barge probably carried the equivalent of 20-or-so of the logging trucks we see back home.  After all that work, the tractor operator still had to push the ramps back onto the barge.  And the entire process was done without ever tying the barge to land or dropping anchor; the tug boat operator just kept the barge in one place throughout the entire process.

Day 66 (Tuesday, 22 June) - Homer, AK:  High 50's, Sunny but Windy.

      Today was one of our more unusual days, activity-wise.  After breakfast, we climbed to the top of the mountain behind Homer to get a panoramic view of the entire area (wish I knew how to use the panoramic feature on my camera).  However, these photos will give you an idea of the view.

        Breath taking, huh?  But, Jerri says I have to return to Alabama.

        Then, we drove over to the little Russian village of Nikolaevsk, about 30 miles out in the bush.  Nikolaevsk is different than Ninilchik in that its Old Rite Russian Orthodox and Ninilchik in modern Russian Orthodox (sort of like the differences between the Anglican and Episcopal Churches).  More on the history of the village in a bit.

        Everything in the gift shop is from Russia, made by Russian artists.  And the monies from the sale of bags of tea leaves is sent back to Russia to help feed poor children.  Actually, stepping into the building is what I'd imagine visiting Russia would be like what with the Russian music in the background, everybody speaking Russian, and the clutter and colors of a Russian peasant village.  But, they're also internet smart with a web site (www.russiangiftsnina.com) and were ready to answer all our questions about their culture and village.

        Okay, here's the recipe (we bought a package that's enough for 35 cups and she gave the recipe to us):      

        I asked her if it could be served cold.  She went to her refrigerator and pulled out an ice tray with frozen cubes of tea in it.  She said they could just be melted in cold water for iced tea!  And neither of us needed to add sugar, sweet 'n' low or any other sweetener to taste.  Heck, I even had 2 cups! 

        Now for what I found interesting about the village itself.  First, Nina was quick to point out that the citizens of her village were "Old Believers".  Back in the 1600's when the Russian Orthodox Church was undergoing a schism, the people who wanted to maintain the old ways began to be persecuted by those switching to modern ways of worship (2-finger versus 3-finger method for making the sign of the cross, new and different words in they're prayer book, spelling Jesus' name 'Jeesus', etc.).  So, some of the "Old Believers" emigrated to China.  Eventually, they were also persecuted there so some moved once again to Portugal.

        Back in Russia, Nina was an electrical engineer.  She came to America as an adult and earned a masters degree in Russian from Norwich University as her diploma that's proudly displayed in her kitchen proclaims.  Her husband is one of the descendants of the original Old Believers who escaped Russia in the 1600's.  Their language is an ancient form of Russian that the settlers who remained in Alaska after we bought it from Russia spoke; and its a dialect that is still spoken all over the Kenai Peninsula today by descendants of those early Russian settlers.  Jerri and I both had a hard time understanding her stilted and broken English, but she was a talker and before we knew it several hours had drifted by.

        When we left the cafe to tour the village, we noticed everybody was dressed different from us, the women especially clung to their Russian dress.  We stopped in the local grocery store/post office and could've been in a Mennonite or Amish village anywhere.  The ladies had on their little white hats and their colorful Russian dresses and everybody was speaking Russian.   Nina told a tale of a young man who "ran away and got involved in some bad things".  Some of the men of the village found him in California and went to get him and bring him home.  "After a good spanking and some help from the village, he's a good boy who works hard."  

        One of the reasons they left Oregon was because their children were marrying out of the faith, getting involved with drugs, and just basically losing touch with their heritage.  That's something hard for us to understand.  As Americans we pride ourselves in our diversity.  We're happy to proclaim all the pieces and parts of our ancestry and proclaim ourselves Southerners or from Alabama or Louisiana or New York or wherever.  We're proud to say that "on my father's side we're Irish and my mother's side is Indian and English" or whatever our makeup might be.  Heck, many Americans couldn't speak our language properly if their lives depended on it there's so much slang and ignorance in our culture.  But, these people cherish the old ways, the old language, and the things that have made them who they are today.  You have to applaud them for that.

        Then we drifted over to the local fishing hole to watch the anglers trying for the king and silver salmon with which the city stocks it.  However, its an unusual fishing hole; its not an enclosed hole but an inlet of the ocean.  Fish can come and go as they please.  So, how does the city stock it?

       The fishery places wire baskets full of salmon fingerlings in it until the fishing hole is imprinted in their system as the place to which they should return when its time to spawn.  Then, when they are large enough, they're released  into the ocean where they grow to maturity.  When spawning time comes, they automatically return to the fishing hole where anglers await them.  The salmon are sort of like eunuchs: they've had their systems fixed and have no place to spawn, just a place to return to where fishermen await.  

        Right now the rule is "no snagging"; so, if you catch one in the mouth you can hit it in the head and take it home; however, if you snag one anywhere else and get it to shore, you have to release it.  There's even a state law that says you must hit them over the head to kill them instantaneously, not letting them suffer through a slow death.  Man, the salmon were really jumping, literally.  And the fishermen were catching them left and right.  Big ones, about 2 feet long.  We watched for quite a while; and we weren't the only observers either.  I finally got a photo of the two bald eagles I've been chasing:

Day 67 (Wednesday, 23 June) - Homer, AK:  High 50's, Sunny 

        As is our routine on the last day we're in a location, we slept late and had a light breakfast.  Part of our last day routine includes just goofing off, exploring the parts of town that tourists never visit though we did take time to tour the local museum.  It focuses primarily on the relationship between Homer and the ocean though it had a great exhibit on the Exxon Valdez debacle.  Interestingly, there was a statement that a government study revealed that some of the cleanup techniques did more lasting damage to the eco structure than did the oil spill!  And, after everything was finished, the cleanup efforts used more oil/gasoline than was spilled in the bay!  

        Here are a few final photos of the Homer area:

        Then, after wandering for a while, we stopped by Capt. Patti's Seafood Restaurant for a mid-afternoon meal.  The restaurant was voted Alaska's best seafood restaurant in 2000, 2001, and 2002.  Its a well deserved award.  We had the Alaskan King Crab legs, 3 pounds worth between the 2 of us.  And, when they arrived on the table, they were 2 feet long, or longer, and the claws were like huge fists!  Who cared about the side dishes.  All I did was chow down on the best crab legs I've ever had.  All they had to do was keep the hot butter dish and my wine glass full!  We'll definitely return to this restaurant when Shannon is here.  

        We also reserved 4 seats on the July 8th sailing across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia; 4 because Shannon's friend Jeff will also be with us during the week she's here.  So, during their visit we've made reservations to spend one day in the native village of Seldovia, accessed only by water, and a day afloat on Resurrection Bay watching whales, in addition to all the other activities we've got planned.

        Cars.  We passed a nice burgundy Jaguar XJS a couple of times; its top was down and the folks in it looked like they were just out having fun.  

        So, good-bye from the beach in Homer at the southwestern tip of the Kenai Peninsula.  Next stop is Seward on the east side of the peninsula where we'll stay until July when Shannon and Jeff arrive for their visit.

Day 68 (Thursday, 24 June):  70's, Sunny

Homer, AK - Seward, AK (Sterling & Seward Highways - 170 miles)

        We got up early this morning and headed out, arriving in Seward a little after noon.  The temperature in Homer was in the 50's largely due to the wind off Cook Inlet.  As we arrived in Soldotna, at the interior of the Kenai Peninsula, the temperature had risen to the low 70's.  By the time we got to Resurrection Bay in Seward surrounded by mountains, the temperature had leveled out in the 60's.

        Coming to the junction of the Sterling and Seward Highways, we turned eastward to complete our journey down the Seward Highway, a journey we started from Anchorage last Sunday morning.  The Seward Highway is one of the prettiest roads in Alaska from Anchorage all the way to Seward.  As a matter of fact, the highway was chosen as one of America's most beautiful highways and a "National Scenic  By Way"

Seward

        Seward promises to be an interesting place to visit.  After just a cursory drive around town, Jerri's already spotted several beautiful murals painted on the sides of buildings, there are actually 7 spread out around town that we're going to search out tomorrow.  

        The race actually begins at the foot of 3rd Street down by the sea aquarium.  It follows 3rd to Jefferson where it turns and begins a sublime climb up to the foot of the mountain.  There, it turns straight up and runners take off through an arch of silt and frozen ice.  We listened to runners who were coming off practice runs.

        "I cut a minute off my time in the creek bed, from 6 minutes to 5." said one 20's-something girl.

        "Man, you never realize how fast you come down, and there's no way to stop." exclaimed one balding guy.

        "I'm only going to do half today.  The top part's too hard and I want to save it for the race." one young guy told his running partners.

        All the serious runners wore gloves.  There was a a 13-or-so year old boy who came barreling down the face of the mountain, one older lady was soaking wet and her butt was filthy from where she had fallen and slid some distance, and there were some young military types who came down looking as if they'd been out for an east stroll.  Me?  Just walking the half or so mile up to where the trail turns vertical left me winded!  I've got binoculars for race day!

I had promised Jim Krasnansky I would call him when we got to Seward.  I did, and left a telephone message with his teenage daughter; however, on his way home from work this afternoon, he dropped by the Seward Army Resort without really knowing if we'd made it in yet (we'd told him that was where we were going to stay).  It wasn't hard for him to find us as we always have this Vermillion Red MGB sitting out front of our "roving home" or behind it on a trailer.  The purple MGB GT in the photos is Jim's, and that's him talking with Jerri as she grills hamburgers for our dinner.  We'll visit Jim at him home Saturday morning to take a look at his MGC GT project, a wire wheeled, overdrive-equipped MGC GT!

        As the days continue to get shorter, there's actually a twilight a little after midnight.  Last night, the sun 'set' around 11:45 pm and 'rose' a couple of hours later.  And as the sun was going over the horizon, the moon was quickly chasing it.   Right now at 10:30 pm and it still looks like mid-afternoon; however, around 2:45 am in the morning, there will actually be a little shadow spreading across the Great Land.

Day 69 (Friday, 25 June) - Seward:  Low-70's, Sunny

        It was warm enough to put the top down today, and we found 6 of the 7 murals we were looking for.  You know, our little hamlet of Gurley also has the potential to become a tourist destination.  There could be murals on the sides of buildings depicting Gurley's railroad link, the War Between the States era, and Captain Gurley's escapades.  There could be a walking tour of the historic district where people visit the old buildings.  There could be restaurants, gift shops, and museums in the old downtown area.  Gurley could also support an RV park, and there could be tours taking people to the Space & Rocket Center, NASA, etc., in downtown Huntsville - if only the land owners and historic society could get it coordinated.  Heck, local artists could even develop a comedic, musical about Captain Gurley's escapades, one that would be historically correct and could be presented nightly in the historic school auditorium.  There are lots of things that could draw tourists to Gurley much like they're drawn to unique locations all across the country.

        There was a cruise ship in port today so we stayed away from the normal areas where cruise passengers usually hang out.  Instead, we dinged around town getting our bearings and exploring nooks and crannies.  While out and about doing so, we ran into some pretty nifty things.  And there's still lots we've not seen.

        So far as cars are concerned, all we saw today was a lime green Plymouth Talladega Super Bird with its huge wing.  Oh, and George Horton from Anchorage stopped by the RV for a visit.  George, who owns an MG-TD, MG-TF, and MGA, is a theList member who's in Seward for the week.  He invited us to a British Sports Car Club of Alaska outing in Anchorage on Sunday afternoon, July 11th.  He's also a Moss distributor so we spent quite some time discussing the parts business. 

        Then, for dinner we had Jerri's homemade spaghetti with garlic bread and a bottle of Pinot Gris we purchased in Yakima Valley, Washington.  You know, life on the road's grand!  Jerri even mentioned the other night that, after we finish restoring her mother's house, we should think about selling the RV, buying a trawler and heading out for the Gulf Coast and Florida!   

        This whole trip is about relaxing and accomplishing those things in your life that make it stand out from a normal hum-drum existence.  When Shannon gives my eulogy, I want her to be able to say, "My dad LIVED until he died!"  So far, I've completed 2 master's degrees, fought in 2 wars, traveled all over Europe, Mexico, the Middle East and Japan, built my own house and car, restored a 30' wooden yacht, and driven an RV across the US, Canada and Alaska.  When we get home, I've got to figure out the next thing I'll attempt.  Maybe its time to build and fly my own airplane! 

Day 70 (Saturday, 26 June) - Seward:  Mid-70's, Sunny

        A fun day today, and our second top down day in Seward.  Actually, I didn't even put the top up last night, unusual for me!  Since it was Saturday, we slept late, had a full breakfast (eggs, bacon, grits, toast, orange juice), and visited with Jim Krasnansky at his house.  His MGC project will be a sweet car when its finished.  Right now he has the body completely apart, and its a good body.  Whoever did the previous work did an excellent job.  Now, all Jim has to do is repair a few places from previous accidents, paint it and start reassembly.  We went through some of his parts and I identified a few of the MGC peculiar parts for him as he bought the car in pieces (actually, I think he pulled a "Tony" and got it for nothing or, at least, next to nothing!).

        Then, Jerri conned me into hiking up to Exit Glacier.  As we were leaving the RV, I got out my small, quart-sized Thermos and filled it with cold water before strapping it on my back.  "We won't need that." she proclaimed.  Hehehe, little does she know.  Lemme see if I can give everybody a sense of our little stroll.

        In case you're wondering about the blue color in the glacier, it has to do with refraction of light.  Seems all colors of light enter the ice and, except for blue, are trapped there.  So, you can spot a glacier from afar by the white and blue colors.  And, the water running off from a glacier is always that slate gray color that's caused by sediment picked up from the rocks over which the glacier moves.

        When we got back to town about 4 hours later, we just drove around for a bit while we relaxed and cooled off.  Back roads in any town are always fun.  But, on Seward's back roads we found the boatyard where they pull boats for repair and the train storage yard where they park them until its time to head out on a trip.

Day 71 (Sunday, 27 June) - Seward:  50's, Overcast.

        You know, I guess Seward is about the only little Alaskan village that's still 'Alaskan'.  Skagway was neat but very touristy, Talkeetna was also neat, Anchorage and Fairbanks have become just another large US city what with all their big box department stores, Homer is still a little fishing village but its been discovered.  Seward is still Seward.  Yes, every other day or so a cruise ship arrives.  However, they don't hang around in the little town because there's not really a lot of touristy things for them to do.  The cruise ship line has a caravan of buses awaiting the ship to take their passengers somewhere and the Alaska railroad also runs sightseeing trips to somewhere for them.  So, while you see a few wandering around town, there aren't that many.  Plus, the town is broken into 2 sections: the wharf/tourist section and the downtown section about a mile away.

        We also wandered around on Seward's beach.  Its tucked away and hidden, and if you didn't know it was there, you'd never find it.  There's a little gravel road back behind some water-related businesses going over a couple of one-lane bridges and skirting the western edge of Resurrection Bay that you have to take to find the beach.  There are some magnificent waterfalls along it, one that is coming down so hard that its mist completely soaks cars going by, and its completely hidden by spruce forests and sea grass stands.  At the end of the road are a couple of businesses that rent sea kayaks, a couple of B&B's, and a line of privately owned beach houses.  Yep, some are even on stilts ala Fort Morgan Road in Gulf Shores!  And, just like beaches anywhere, the extreme high tide line marks the end of public property and the beginning of private land.  Today, the public beach was about 25 or 30 feet wide.

        Cars?  When we went out to the Alaska Ferry System terminal to pay for our cruise home via the Alaska Marine Highway Inside Passage, we parked next to a '65 red Mustang fastback.  

        Our cruise?  We'll put the RV and trailer on the ferry M/V Kennicott in Haines, Alaska.  From there we'll sail to Juneau, the state capital, where we'll stay for a couple of days.  Then we'll take another ferry, the M/V Columbia, to Sitka, often sited as the most beautiful city in the US - and, land-wise one of the largest - where we'll stay for 3 days.  Finally, we'll take the ferry M/V Matanuska to Prince Rupert, British Columbia for our drive back home.  Actually, the ferries are really small ships (the M/V Columbia, for instance is 280' long and carries 931 passengers); its just that the bottom level is where vehicles are parked.  Above on the other decks, there are cabins, movie theaters, restaurants, gift shops, etc.  Heck, we've even got staterooms on 2 of the legs of our cruise since you're not allowed to go below to your vehicle except when the ferry is in a port.

Day 72 (Monday, 28 June) - Seward:  50's, Overcast & Rain Showers

        Though the morning portended the rain we'd get in the afternoon, I washed the MG anyway.  It was dirty from our ride out to the beach yesterday, but the real reason I washed it was the spruce tree under which its been parked since we got to Seward.  Did you know spruce trees weep?  Yep, and their tears are like the sap a pine tree drips, except their tears are tiny, sticky spots.  I'm parking it across the street next to the trailer away from that tree from now on as long as we're here.  But, the RV has to remain parked under it.  I'll wash it when we get back to Anchorage.

        Then, after some grocery shopping and picking up a package of mail our post mistress had forwarded to General Delivery - Seward, we decided to explore some of the side roads leading out of town before the rain set in.  

        Mail?  I may have told you about how we receive our mail before so if I did, sorry.  But, some post offices do actually have a decent staff and should receive some sort of recognition.  Our post office in Gurley is one of those.  Every few weeks when we telephone her, our post mistress puts all our mail in an overnight envelope and forwards it to whatever address we give her.  We've received packages of mail in Rapid City, South Dakota, in McChord AB, Washington, in Fairbanks, Alaska, and here.  Everybody we'd talked with before the trip told us we'd have to contract with a mail forwarding company if we wanted to receive our mail.  Well, they're expensive; so, I talked with my post mistress.  Her solution was simple:  I left her $200, she packages and ships mail via the overnight service when I ask and keeps a running total of my account.  When we return home, I'll pick up all our junk mail (we agreed that she'd only send us our first class mail) and any money left over.  I'll use that change to go down to Gibson's in Huntsville and buy the ladies at the post office a big coconut crème pie and a big chocolate pie.  For those of you not from H'ville:  Gibson's makes the best pies in the south!  Meringue a full 5" high!  And, right now, Jerri's happily engrossed in her latest issue of Southern Living magazine thanks to those ladies ( believe it or not, that's one magazine you don't see on the shelf in Alaska).

        Side roads always lead to interesting places.  Today, we saw where the huge commercial fishing boats go to be repaired or when they die, tiny log cabins tucked away on mountainsides, and homesteads where people still live the Alaskan dream.  Heck, up one dead end road we came upon a place where the guard dogs attacking the MG were big enough to stick their heads in the window without lifting their feet off the ground!  Did you know you can do donuts in an MG and stay within the confines of the ditches on a gravel road?  And did you know that flying gravel will even chase big dogs away!

        Well, its mid-afternoon and there's a rain shower going on right now.  Jerri is, as I said, reading a magazine while she cooks a roast.  Me, I'm journaling.  I noticed that on the kitchen counter is a head of shredded red leaf lettuce (my favorite) and a bowl of chopped little green onions so I know part of what's going to be served with that roast tonight.  Since she bought a bag of potatoes this morning when we visited the grocery, I can also probably make a safe bet on mashed potatoes.  Hmmm, boy!  

        Last night's dinner was typical Southern fare: fried okra, butter beans, corn-on-the cob, cole slaw - no meat, just veggies.  I think Jerri cooked that meal to make up for missing all the fresh vegetables that are available back home right now.  Saturday, she spoke with our next door neighbor and master gardener, Opal Wilson.  Of course, Opal told her all about all the different vegetables she's getting from her garden right now, and about all the canning she's doing.  The folks in the RV next to us are from Washington state and were enamored over the okra Jerri was cooking outside on the grille.  I think, however, they were more enamored with her grille than what she was cooking.  They just couldn't fathom that the grille, which plugs into the RV's huge propane tank, was capable of cooking that entire meal all at the same time.  And the guy in the RV behind us had the same grille but he was using one of those BBQ grille propane tanks.  He came over to see how ours was hooked up to our RV since that modification would save him hauling an extra propane bottle around; but, our RV has a HUGE propane tank for long term living!

        Oh, airplanes.  If there's one real contrast between Seward and Homer, its airplanes.  There just aren't any here.  The airport is right on the edge of town alongside Seward Highway with its runways ending at the bay.  But, you never hear any airplanes.  And there usually are only a couple parked at the airport, and a helicopter.

        Cars?  Today was another Chevrolet day.  A '63 and a '65 Impala, both 2-door hardtops.

Day 73 (Tuesday, 29 June) - Seward:  50's, Overcast.

        Well, if you're wondering what we actually had for dinner last night, here it is: open face roast beef sandwiches, mashed potatoes and gravy, wilted lettuce salad and a bottle of wine!  Don't in your wildest imagination think that RV-ers eat "camp" food.  The guy behind us was deep frying fresh shrimp with hush puppies, french fries and salad, the two Hispanic brothers and their wives in the 2 RV's next to us had a full Mexican buffet.  With the kitchen facilities in these RV's and Jerri's huge outside propane grille, we can fix anything here that we would back home.

        We've stayed here longer than anywhere else on the trip.  Had I to do it over again, I'd spend an extra day in Talkeetna and a few more days in Homer.  That doesn't mean we don't like Seward, its actually a neat little town but there were still some things we wanted to do in those places.

        Oh, another difference between Seward and Homer: wind.  There's always a wind blowing across the bay in Homer because it sits on pretty open water off Cook Inlet and only has mountains to the west; here, because Seward is at the top of the bay on protected waters and surrounded by mountains, there's not much wind.

        We just relaxed around the RV today except to go out to 'Roy's on the Waterfront' for lunch, and to take a look at a couple of old churches.  Well, one is still a church while the other's been converted to a coffee shop and art gallery.

Day 74 (Wednesday, 30 June) - Seward: Mid-60's, Sunny.

        A sunny day and I spent it chasing TV gremlins.  We've recently begun to have wavy lines and double pictures on our TV screen when watching cable TV along with a screechy noise in the background; so, today I decided to investigate.  Our RV has an antenna on top for local channels and connections for cable and satellite TV in a compartment in the rear.  I started in that compartment by disassembling, cleaning and checking the connections for the cable TV system.  Next, I went inside and disassembled the antenna/cable converter switch to make sure its connections were tight (its on the opposite end of the cable TV coax).  Then, I disconnected our satellite box, our VCR, and our DVD player along with the Terk controller that switches the signal from whichever component is operating to the TV.  When everything was properly reconnected - tightly - I still had the problem.  So, I disassembled the dash and checked the power cable to the rear of the TV.  Nothing wrong there.  Apparently, over the rough roads, something has vibrated loose in the Terk controller so that its not sending a good signal to the TV (the DVD works fine on audio but has the same lines and double picture as the VCR when its placing a movie or cable TV signal). - all 3 systems go through the controller).  That or the cable from the controller to the rear of the TV is bad.

        Its just as well.  There are 3 huge cruise ships in the harbor and the downtown area is pretty much blocked off as they paint the curbs and strip the parking areas in preparation for July 4th.

        The 2 Hispanic couples next to us, brothers with their wives, who we've bumped into in Homer and Valdez came by this afternoon and invited us to dinner tonight.  They'd prepared another of their Mexican meals.  Man, what food!  I don't know what everything was, but I had 3 plates full!  Hey, I was being neighborly.  They have a family philosophy about food: no leftovers!  And they'd cooked enough to feed everybody in the RV park!  The homemade 'sopapilla' (probably spelled incorrectly) bread was amazing.  You can eat it like cornbread, pour honey over it, or stuff it with chili.  I spread a green chili and garlic garnish over mine.  It wasn't hot when I initially bit into it but it snuck up on me and bit me back real quickly.  The enchilada casserole was so good Jerri proclaimed it "the best thing we've eaten on the trip".  Red chili, pinto beans, Mexican salad, and if that wasn't enough we had a fruit cobbler for dessert (blueberries, strawberries and raspberries all mixed together).  They bring their own homegrown and dried pinto beans and red and green peppers along when they travel.   Whoo-ee, I don't need to eat for 3 days!  Jerri says she's going to get some recipes tomorrow.

        You know, retirement isn't half bad!  Too bad you have to wait so long to get to enjoy it.    

Day 75 (Thursday, 1 July) - Seward:  High 50's, Cloudy.

        You can tell something's about to happen in Seward.  The pace of the streets is picking up, there are more people walking around, more RV's pulling into town, and crews out picking up litter and painting stripes.  What were vacant lots yesterday are striped for parking today.  Some storefronts are getting a new coat of paint and people are cutting their grass.  There are more tents in the city park and the highway into town is a steady stream of vehicles.  July 4th is just a few days away.  Down on the waterfront where people have had their RV's parked all week are these signs that admonish "No parking July 3rd.  Fireworks area."  Street vendors are setting up their booths and an air of excitement is building.

        And nobody is practicing on Mount Marathon today.  The mountain is getting a deserved rest before the onslaught Saturday.  They say over 4,000 people have registered for the race! 

        And there are trawlers everywhere.

Day 76 (Friday, 2 July) - Seward:  60's, Overcast. 

        This is a day of preparation.  Tomorrow, we drive to Girdwood where we'll meet Shannon and Jeff later in the afternoon.  They arrive in Anchorage around 3pm and will drive to the Alyeska Resort where we'll meet around 4:30pm.  So, today, we're doing our laundry, packing our suitcases, and storing all the things we use when we set up for a long stay at an RV park (grille, table and chairs, outside mats for under the awning, etc.).  Plus, Jerri says I have to get a haircut before Shannon gets here!

        And Shannon and Jeff are already in the air.  Today, they flew to Orlando, Florida where they'll overnight before their flight to Alaska tomorrow.  They have an interesting flight plan: Birmingham, AL to Orlando, FL today.  Then, tomorrow from Orlando to Seattle, Washington, and on to Anchorage.  So, tomorrow will be a 7am Eastern Standard Time to 2:45pm Alaska Time flight, that's a long time in the air (including a layover in Seattle).  Plus, when they arrive in Alaska at 2:45pm, its actually 7:45pm Eastern Standard Time.  So, the 12 hour flight plus the couple of hours it'll take them to deplane, get their rental car and drive to the Alyeska Resort for the night means a 14 or 15 hour travel day!

        We also drove up to Moose Pass but, dummy me, I forgot my camera.  The mountain lakes between Seward and there are beautiful.  Some have that grayish blue hue of glacier water, some are covered with the prettiest yellow water lily's, and some look like they have rice growing in them.  The mountains were "out" and beautiful with the sun glinting off the packed snow.