shannon

Actually, Jerri and I are retracing our path back to Seward and Homer, but its all new to Shannon and Jeff. During their visit, however, we're using Shannon's rental car while our RV is in dry dock at Aleskya Resort in Girdwood. We'll spend a few days in Seward where we'll headquarter at the Trail Lake Lodge in nearby Moose Pass. Then, move to Homer where we'll headquarter at Land's End Resort out on the end of the Homer Spit. And, finally, we'll return to the Alyeska Resort before Shannon and Jeff drive to Anchorage on Saturday for their flight home.

Shannon, of course, has lived in Alaska before and is a sourdough. This is Jeff's first trip. Ah, sharing Alaska with a Cheechako!

Day 77 (Saturday, 3 July):

Seward, AK - Girdwood, AK (Seward Highway - 90 miles) High 60's, Sunny.

After a short drive to Girdwood, we parked the RV and watched the July 4th (on July 3rd) parade. Then, we spent the afternoon in the Girdwood Forest Festival, a woodsy, hippy arts and crafts show akin to a Renaissance Fair but without the Renaissance focus.

Shannon and Jeff arrived around mid-afternoon and we spent the rest of the day/evening at Double Muskie, a favorite restaurant of the locals, just eating and relaxing. Shannon actually knew about the restaurant as she had seen it written about in one of her fine wine magazines. Tomorrow, we set out on their vacation.

Day 78 (Sunday, 4 July):

Girdwood, AK - Seward, AK (Seward Highway - 90 miles) 60's, Partly Cloudy.

This morning, we took off for Seward with the sun; well, we took off early after a full breakfast anyway. On the way down the Seward Highway, we stopped by Portage Glacier for a little sightseeing though it was overcast and rainy around the glacier.


Glacier Pups Since the last time we were here, Portage Glacier has receded so far that you can't get to it.	Jeff climbed up on the overlook wall to get a better view of the pups.

Seward, the sleepy little town Jerri and I had just left, had come alive with 30,000 tourists visiting to enjoy the 4th celebration and the Mount Marathon race. Unbelievable is the only way to describe it scene that awaited us. Early in the morning was the junior race for runners under 18, then at mid-morning was the ladies race, and at 3pm was the men's race. We saw the finish of the women's race and watched the men's race in is entirety, even keeping up with "Elvis". Yep, the King ran the entire race in full garb: powder blue jump suit with cape, sunglasses and full, black wig. And he did it in 1 hour and 29 seconds! I don't know if it was a race or a spirited mountain climb; but, it was lots of fun.

Shannon & Jeff ventured up to the point
on the mountain where the race splits into
uphill and a downhill trails.
I think that was enough to convince
them they never wanted to challenge the mountain.

Tony in front of Tony's Bar

After the race, we toured the Sea Life Aquarium where research into the reasons for the dwindling sea lion population and seal studies are ongoing. Finally, we just wandered around town. While out and about, we found a neat little bar that sported a special name so I had my photo taken in front of it. Jeff and I couldn't decide whether we preferred the Alaskan Summer Ale or the Amber best; so, we consumed several of each at the Trail Lake Lodge in Moose Pass where we're staying for dinner and to wind down.

Day 79 (Monday, 5 July) - Seward: Mid-60's, Sunny.

We spent the entire day out on Resurrection Bay, taking a 9-1/2 hour cruise to see the sea life and get up close to the glaciers. Resurrection Bay and the open Bering Sea were unusually calm. So calm, as a matter of fact, that it was almost like taking a cruise on an inland lake, not the notoriously rough Bering Sea. Chilly, but calm as the temperature out on the water was 15-or-so degrees lower than back on shore.


Sea Otter	Sea Lions	More Sea Lions	Northeast Glacier & Pups	Northeast Glacier	Cormorant Rookery

		Another Rookery These birds are like little penguins but they can fly	Gull Rookery Those 'in the know' don't say 'sea gull', just 'gull'

Day 80 (Tuesday, 6 July): Mid-60's, Sunny.

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

Kenai:

Basically, a travel day though we did stop in Kenai and Ninilchik on our way to Homer. We left Moose Pass around 9am but didn't arrive in Homer until around 4:30pm, it was just a relaxing day. Kenai has a tremendous Russian history and there were a couple of neat old Russian Orthodox churches which we visited.

Ninilchik:

Unfortunately, Ninilchik has lost its charm. What was once a quaint Russian village with signs posted to keep cars out has died. The old Ninilchik is now called 'Ninilchik Village' and most everybody who lived there have established a new Ninilchik up on the Sterling Highway where they can avail themselves of the economic prosperity connected with the tourism trade. And the shoreline where tractors used to push fishing vessels out through the surf is now lined with RV's and tourists digging for clams; there are no boats there anymore. Plus, the neat little church up on the overlook where Jerri and I once attended a Russian Orthodox church service was locked and appeared deserted; heck, the cemetery was even overgrown with about 4 feet of grass and weeds. So sad..

Homer:

It was late when we finally got to Homer, so after drinks and dinner on the deck overlooking Kachemak Bay at Lands End Resort, Jerri and I got out and wandered the spit, being 'found' again by those eagles.

Day 81 (Wednesday, 7 July) - Homer: Mid-70's, Sunny.

Museums and art galleries were the focus of the morning as Shannon and Jeff explored Homer. Then, we took them on a walking tour of Homer itself, the town proper not the spit. Around mid afternoon, when, we made it to Capt. Patti's out on the spit for some of her delicious Alaskan King Crab, then repairing back to the lodge for some downtime. Finally, we drove out to The Homestead for an excellent 4-star evening meal. Oh, and naturally we had drinks at the Salty Dawg!

For my car crazy frriends, I've been remiss in discussing the cars I've spotted this week. In Kenai a '63 Corvette split window coupe; somewhere along the road in Soldotna a '59 Cadillac convertible just tooling along; in Homer 2 Karmann Ghia's and a late-30's Ford pickup; and in Girdwood a '41 Studebaker President 4-door sedan (its license plate proclaimed 'STUDLEY'). And we've been running around in a GMC Envoy SUV that I'm, surprisingly, getting to like. I never thought I'd say that about SUV's, but this one is such a good car, and so easy to get in and out of.

Day 82 (Thursday, 8 July) - Homer: Mid-70's, Sunny.

The old US Mail boat, Stormbird, on which we traveled to Halibut Cove.

A grand day spent out on the water and at Halibut Cove, a place Shannon decreed "better than Alaska". Clem Tillion, a retired Alaska legislator and long-time Halibut Cove resident who was one of the authors of Alaska's constitution, took us on an enjoyable 1-1/2 hour cruise across Kachemak Bay on one of his old boats. Clem first came to the cove in 1948 when he bought an island in it immediately after leaving the Navy. He built a 2-room log cabin, got married, and started his life on the cove, and he's been there ever since raising a family and developing the area.

In the '60's, Clem became owner of all the land remotely connected to the cove not owned by Native Alaskans through the Homestead Act, a bill he helped push through Alaska's legislature (& he co-wrote the Alaska Burial Act so he could be buried on family land on his island). Once he owned Halibut Cove, he gave land to families with 4 or more children so he could start a school there for his children.

Lots of famous people either own land around the cove or at least vacation there. When I asked Clem which house belonged to Sylvester Stallone, he dodged my question by saying, "Well, Arthur Godfrey always came up on vacation when he was alive." I persisted but only got, "I'll only tell you that Sly flies his plane to Homer and we ferry him over."

Clem's private family cemetery is directly over the natural bridge out on the promonitory.

I suppose the two neatest things about the cove are the scenery and the local restaurant, the Saltry; and though I'm not really into "fru-fru" food, the fare was pretty darned good! Now, so far as the real Alaska, Halibut Cove is the Alaska of today's "yuppie". Regardless, words can't really express the beauty of the area, so here are some photos.


First view from the mouth of Halibut Cove	Making the turn into the cove (left side - Clem's island)	Making the turn into the cove (right side - mainland)	Clem Tillion's House On his private island Those boardwalks along the edge of the cove are the 'streets'	Clem's Daughter's House On a tiny island in the middle of the cove	One of Clem's antique boats

The Saltry Restaurant Meals are served outside under the lanai to the right of the main building			Some of the homes around the cove. Rumor has it that Sylvester Stallone ones a house in the cove

Unfortunately, the entire time we were on Kachemak Bay, there was a low tide. Regardless, Clem took us to one of the 2 remaining rookeries in the bay on the way to Halibut Cove. On the return trip to Homer, he took us to visit a sea otter he calls "grandfather". Nothing seemed to bother that old boy. As Clem pulled his boat up alongside, the old otter barely gave us a glance. When Clem's wake pushed him into the rocky bank, he just laid there until the next wave washed him back out from the shore. Laid back, relaxing, and enjoying life, nothing was going to bother him.

And when we returned to Homer, Jeff and I posed in front of the day's Halibut catch.

Homer, AK - Girdwood, AK (Sterling & Seward Highways - 184 miles)

Then, we drove back to Girdwood.

Day 83 (Friday, 9 July) - Girdwood: Mid-70's, Sunny.

Today was a day for everybody to do what they wanted. Jerri and I had a late breakfast and relaxed at Alyeska Resort's pool and hot tub. Then, while Jerri walked, I took a long nap on our RV sofa. Meanwhile, Shannon and Jeff just got out and about exploring the little town of Girdwood. Later, we all met and took the tram to the top of the mountain for a great dinner at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant. When I say "top of the mountain', I mean way up where the double black ski trails begin and the air thins - above the tree line!

Day 84 (Saturday, 10 July): 80's, Sunny.

Girdwood, AK - Anchorage, AK (Seward Highway - 38 miles)

After a final breakfast at Alyeska Resort where Jeff savored his last reindeer sausage (he had also earlier in the trip tried elk meat), Shannon, Jeff, Jerri, and I went our separate ways. Jerri and I headed for Fort Richardson, and Shannon and Jeff for Anchorage. Their trip drew to an end with a walking tour of the Anchorage, seeing what civilization in the largest city in Alaska looks like. While they were enjoying the sights of Anchorage, we checked in at the RV camp on Fort Richardson where I changed the RV's oil, and Jerri did some grocery shopping and our laundry in preparation for the next phase of our trip.

It was great sharing Alaska with Shannon and Jeff. As we were driving from Homer to Girdwood yesterday, Shannon commented that the western side of the Kenai Peninsula north of Soldotna reminded her of the Alaska in which we lived back in the '80'sOn this trip, however, her favorite place was Halibut Cove. Jeff, I hope, enjoyed Alaska enough to return at some time in the future. I think we pretty much saw most everything the Kenai has to offer.

Postscript:

You know, after all the wonderful gourmet food we enjoyed with Shannon and Jeff over the last few days, I probably just finished the best meal I've had in several days: Jerri's wilted lettuce salad, cube steak rolled in corn meal and fried, and mashed potatoes! No matter what, I'm just a Southern country boy at heart! And, now, Jerri and I are looking forward to our "Alaska cruise", our final chance to explore Alaska before we head homeward.

Shannon just emailed us from the Lower 48. Her "Blackberry" is working again so she's in contact with the world. She said she and Jeff got to see Denali from the Anchorage overlook before they left. How great! The 'Great One" is only visible about 30% of the year so it was a great treat that Jeff got to see it before he left!

Links to the main portions of the journey so far:

USA:

theAutoist Takes Off	Memphis to Kansas City	Across the Plains to the Badlands & Black Hills	To Yellowstone & Beyond
the Pacific Beckons

CANADA:

Into Canada	The Alaska Highway	Dipping into Alaska

ALASKA:

Retracing our Alaska Roots	The Heart of Alaska	Anchorage	The Kenai Peninsula
Shannon's Visit	the Marine Highway

HOMEWARD BOUND:

Across Canada Again	the USA!

ALASKA HOME