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Kay's Travels
Kay's Travels

Kay's Travels

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 36 Valdez to Beaver Creek

    11 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    On the road by 8AM today. Next destination:. Haines, AK - 700 miles away. We need to go inland quite a ways, catch the Alcan highway and then back to the coast. Most of the driving today was in Alaska but we crossed the Canadian border into the Yukon Territory at about 350 miles. Scenery today was mountains, not snowcapped, forests, lakes and rivers. . I am sure that the world will never run out of spruce trees!!! We planned to drive to Haines in 2 days. The roads are not great - lots ofups and downs (called frost heaves), road construction, gravel patches and pot holes. Hard tomake good time and a driving challenge for Alice.
    We made one stop at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. A huge area of lakes, rivers and grassy marshes. This is a test stop for migratory bird and waterfowl. Visitor center of openso did not learn much but a nice area to stretch out legs and look around.
    Our campground for the night was in Beaver Creek,Yukon shortly after the Canadian border. Not much but "home"for the night. Time change one hour and the price of gas doubled! 😱. Back to the US tomorrow.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 35 Valdez

    10 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We did not have anything we particularly wanted to do today so had a relaxing day wandering and checking out some places we had seen on the map. Kay went for a walk/hike early on one of the many peninsulas that lead off of the harbour. A lovely dense green forested trail with Prince William Sound on both sides. Found 2 trees that had a couple of Christmas ornaments on them! I was so excited, had to take a picture.
    Back to campground for some RV clean up and maintenance and to get ready for a long drive tomorrow.
    Pipeline story:. The Alaska Pipline begins in Prudhoe Bay about 500 miles north of Fairbanks and flows souh to its end at Valdez. Beginning on our ride from Fairbanks to Valdez, we started to see the pipeline close to the side of the road. Parts of the pipeline are above ground and othrs underground. The pipeline is 48" in diameter. But did not look that big. The pipeline became most notible when we were crossing a river on a bridge and next to us was a separate bridge for the pipeline! The pipeline was an amazing engineering project and continues to function today though not the the previous levels. The pipeline is a big part of Alaska history and represented in museums. The economic bom that the pipeline brought to Alaska contiues today. Many who came to work on the pipeline stayed in Alaska. The terminus in Valdez is huge complex visable from all over town however highly secured and you cannot get close to it.
    In the latest afternoon we checked out one of the local museums. We enjoyed the exhibits primarily about Alaskan history. The special exhibition was prominent Alaskan artists from as far back as the 1920's. Lots of pipeline, gold Rush, and other historical information. Took a walk to the park ly real retail store in town, an REI type of shop. All the brands we would see there at home. Valdez does not have a real commecial area for shopping. Not sure where these people buy any clothes or shoes? Probably on line like the rest of us.
    Out for dinner, salmon tacos!! 👍    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 34 Valdez

    9 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    The day was filled with little trips and different things we wanted to see and do here. We are discovering that we have done most of the things we wanted to do on the trip. Did a drive through town to find the post office, not much commercial area. Mostly residential areas with very nice homes. Population of Valdez is ~4,500. The town is ALL about fishing. A fishing derby currently going on, so far the biggest fish cauis 275 pounds. (Halibut). One would think it would be cheaper on a menu however no such luck. When I bought it fresh off the dock in Homer, I paid $30 for a shade over a pound - just like home.
    Next stop:. The Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery. Never did I think a fish hatchery could be so interesting. About 10 miles our of town, we parked at an area where there were people watching a lot of gulls. Turns out it was the parking lot for the fish hatchery. It is salmon spawning season right nownformabout 3-4 weeks so lots going on here. There is a rushing river coming down the slope into Prince William Sound. Thereis a fish weir across the water. A fish weir is a device that keeps the salmon from being able to get up stream and channels them to a fishladder that takes them into the hatchery,. Without exaggeration there were thousands of pink salmon ( the links are running now, coho in a couple weeks). There is a self guided walking tour around the hatchery with videos to watch about the process. At this time they process 20,000 salmon a day!!! 😱. Processing means that they separate the males and females, take the road out of the females, the milt (fertilizer) out of the males, mix in a bucket ( I am sure the recipe is a secret) and take them to the incubators. There they grow to a certain size and are released. Their fertilization rate is almost 100%!!! Each year they process 250,000,000 pink salmon and 2,000,000 coho salmon.
    Then went looking for a place for a picnic. Found an idyllic spot next to a glacial lake filled with icebergs fed from 2 glaciers. Quirt and peaceful until 2 groups of kayakers returned from their tour. 🤣. Tire low again so back to the tire place for hopefully a permanent fix. 🤞. Cocktail hour and dinner "in".    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 33 Paxson to Valdez

    8 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Cool night but sunshine this AM. Made hot breakfast this AM before leaving. With no hook ups, easy to leave. Destination today is Valdez about 150 miles. Lots of campgrounds there, we called in the AM and got our first choice. An early stop at Wrangell-St Elias National Park, the largest park in the National Park system. Who knew? The Park is 13.2 million acres, (250 square miles) more than twice the size of Denali and 6 times the size of Yellowstone! There are 2 mountain ranges within the park - Wrangell and St. Elias. We spent an hour or so at the visitor center looking at exhibits, watching a movie on the park, and walking to a great viewpoint for the mountains. The 3 easiest to see are 12, 14, 16,000+ft. There are 5 mountains in this park over 16,000 ft! The drive south from there had even more spectacular scenery than before, giant snow-capped mountains with green foothills, and rushing rivers nears the road at all times. Amazing countryside!
    Down the road another 50 miles, stopped for a one way construction project, the little flagger gal told us we had a flat tire. 🤬👎🥵. Same one as before and this time no one found the hub caps so it is gone. As luck would have it the construction crew here had a fellow that had a tre "fixer"!!! Lucky us. Hopefully this will hold to Valdez. 🙏
    I have to say that the drive from Glen Allen to Valdez was one of the most incredible scenic drives I have ever made. Every direction you look there was a wonderful vista. Mountains with glaciers, forested foothills, green tundra above the treeline, glacial rivers and, new to the mix, waterfalls. So breathtakingly beautiful.
    Our tire fix made it to Valdez so a late 🍔 lunch and off to a tire repair place for a more permanent solution. Quickly done and back to our RV park. Good location rght by the harbor but one of the ones I do not like so much with one RV right next to another. 👎
    Our RV park is in a good location, right next to the very busy fishing harbor. When I checked us in the gal had said that if we go over to the harbor about 5:30P the fishing boats start to come in. So we walked there around 6 and had a great hour or so watching the commercial boats binging in their catch for the day. Fascinating to watch them maneuver these 100 pound fish, cut them up and package everything right at the numerous fish stations on and near the docks. A row of restaurants and shops nearby so we stopped for a beer and then discovered there was a geocache nearby so went to look for that. Found it with significant help from a local sitting at a nearby table. Clearly he had seen others struggling with this before. Back to RV for some wine and communications catch up time. Late lunch so just picked at some leftover soup for dinner.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 32 Hot Springs to Paxson

    7 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 55 °F

    Out “early” this AM (10) with only hotel check out to do. 😃. Cold breakfast in the RV to get an early start on a mostly travel day. Next destination is Valdez, AK. (Remember the Exxon Valdez?). It’s over 400 miles away so will make a 2 day trip out of the distance. First stop - the North Pole. The famous North Pole. This is the town known the world over for where children write their Santa Claus letters. The towns main attraction is the Santa Claus store. And OMG it is the biggest Christmas store I have ever scene many of you know my penchant for Christmas so needless to say it was an expensive stop. 😂😫🎉. They also had an Antler Academy to teach children about reindeer which we sad.y missed.
    Made a brief stop in Delta Junction which is the beginning or end of the Alcan highway, depending on how you look at it. We did not have a campground for the night so looking for a spot about 150 miles to Valdez to make an easy driving day tomorrow. Several BLM ( Bureau of Land Management) campgrounds in the area. We had no stayed at one of those previously so gave it a try. Sourdough Campground. Lovely spot near a river and a path from our campsite leading to a feeder stream. No hook ups tonight so “dry” camping. A walk after dinner down to the river and boat launch area around 9PM. So peaceful, quiet and beautiful.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur
    11

    Alaska Day 31 Chena Hot Springs

    6 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Taking a day off from tourism and spending a relaxing day at Chena Hot Springs Resort, about 60 miles NE of Fairbanks. A beautiful drive through the Chena Stata Recreational Area. Trees, rivers, streams and a highway with tons of gravel roads taking off to the right and left to fishing spots, campgrounds and hiking trails. Arrived at the resort around 1PM, checked into our room, had lunch and off to the hot springs. Spent the afternoon soaking up the water and sun. We were laughing and saying we felt like we had a "day off". Back for a shower and a bathroom we only had to share with each other and not all the campground neighbors 😂.
    We signed up for the 5PM tour of the Aurora Ice Museum, on the grounds of the resort. A fun diversion, an entire building with ice sculptures, a bar for 10, an ice hotel and an ice chapel for weddings. The 2 people who have done all the sculptures were in their workshop at the entrance to the museum. They also maintain the building and the ice structure. Amazing place, temperature at 25 degrees. They provide super warm parkas. The best part was the “ appletini” (vodka and an apple liquore) served in an ice martini glass! What fun!
    A great dinner of Alaskan scallops and a early bedtime.
    One final note, we met 2 interesting groups of young people today. At the hot springs, 3 young male geologists from Denver that had been working in Denali the previous 3 weeks. Had a long conversation with them about their work, traveling in Alaska - they were genuinely interested in our trip and lots of fun commentary. At the ice bar, while drinking appletinis, we met 2 30 something couples from NYC who were taking a year out of their lives to travel the US via RV. Three of them had quit their jobs, one could work on the road. They were full of fun stories and so personable. A real bonus of travel.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 30 Fairbanks

    5 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    Out this AM to get the tire air valves replaced and hub cap put back on. Done relatively easily before noon. And less than $50 ! Then to Starbucks for some planning time for the remainder of our trip. We have changed our minds several times and now again. We have heard many people talk about Valdez so have decided to go there next. But first we are going to do one more day in this area, going to some highly touted hot springs about 60 miles NE of Fairbanks. Should be fun. We splurged for a hotel room as well!! First night out of the RV. Then to Valdez about 700 miles south on the coast. After that Haines, maybe Skagway, and then wander home. Currently thinking we might go "the log way" down thru Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. Will see how the timing goes. Nice to be able to make changes as we go.
    Our tourism choice for today was the Creamers Field - A Migratory waterfowl refuge. On first appearance it is a very large open space with some big birds in the fields. However lots more going on here. We stopped in the visitor center to check out what was going on. We were lucky enough to run into one of the fellows who leads the guided tours in the mornings - Bud. Bud wanted to go back out to check on the sandhill cranes, (the big birds), and invited us to go along. So we had our own personal tour of the entire place. Essentially there are open fields and forest that are a refuge for all types of waterfowl. Bud took us on a mile and a half walk through the fields and forest with a running commentary for an hour and a half! Very interesting! Lots about the types of waterfowl and wildlife but even more about the forest and the land, how the permafrost affects the ground, etc. We learned a lot and enjoyed it. We saw several dozen sandhill cranes, all at a distance. They just started to arrive last week. By the end of the month they will have about 4,000 cranes there for about a month. They plant fields just to feed them and have a festival as well. Who knew?
    A much needed grocery run and back to the RV for dinner in.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 29 Fairbanks

    4 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Starting the 5th week of our trip. After Fairbanks, everything will bring us closer to home. (Now about 3,000 miles away) 😅. Plan today was to do to the State Fair however we woke up to rain so will put that off for awhile. Off to the highly recommended Morris Cultural and Visitors Center. A great stop, much more than a visitor center. Tons of information, knowledgeable staff, excellent exhibits on the different native tribes of Alaska and an excellent movie on bears. Lots of art, sculptures in a very modern building. We spent a couple hours there.
    A stop for lunch at the Fudge Pot, weather has cleared so off to the Tanana Valley State Fair.
    What fun! A midway with all of the usual games and stuffed teddies to win. All kinds of food and tons of exhibits. We went to a "fahion show" which was hilarious. It was a sewing competition divided into age groups. The first 11 year old had made a skirt for her sister who was the model. (About 6). The judges went thru the whole routine, quarter turns, deliberation, and the final vote. The sister got the blue ribbon!! She was ecstatic, jumping up and down. 😂. Then they said, that was the only entry in this age group!!! 🤣🤣🤣. Hoping someone tells her that story when she is 21.
    Gave up on the fair and home for cocktail hour and a walk to a restaurant nearby for dinner. Excellent King crab cakes, maybe the best I have ever had. Alice had stroganoff and liked hers as well. Another good day.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 28 Denali to Fairbanks

    3 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Yes!!!! Crossed another one off my bucket list! Hiked in Denali today! Overcast morning but not raining. A short hike but to a beautiful area near the entrance to the park - Horseshoe Lake. The bus driver yesterday touted this area as a place for waterfowl, moose and beavers. Alice left me off and went to paint while I hiked. An easy 3 mile walk in the woods to a beautiful lake. See pics. Only wildlife I saw was a snow hare, we had seen one yesterday and the bus driver corrected me when I called it a rabbit!! 🙃. But the best site was a spectacular beaver dam. Amazing architecture!
    So then this happened........ I walked back to where Alice was parked in the RV. As I am taking the big step up into the cab, I had my bear spray in the pocket of my jacket and I advertently hit the lever which set it off!!! 🤬👎🤪. That stuff is really vile! Alice got a strong inhale of it and could not breathe right away. Both of us coughing like crazy - we were quite the site for the other folks in the parking lot. After we aired everything out for awhile, I cleaned up the van and bagged my clothes, then it started to be pretty funny. My best comment was. " Never a dull moment!"
    Off for Fairbanks. 130 miles North. The rain really started to come down and we just drove until we were about 5 miles from Fairbanks. Had seen a write up on a jewelry designer - Judie Gumm - whose studio was really off the beaten path. A brief visit, lovely jewelry but not to my taste. Lots of animals/birds. But her studio was in a lovely setting in the woods
    Arrived at the campground which we really like. 👍. Space between sites, grass and trees, and all of the amenities that I have come to think of as necessities in RV travel. Dinner of pasta "in", a walk along the river right out out door and some planning for the next phase of our trip.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 27 Denali National Park

    2 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 50 °F

    Another rainy day but we have made reservations for the 11AM bus tour of Denali. It goes rain or shine. Breakfast, shower ($5)!! and out to get a lunch to take on the bus. First in line for the bus so we got good seats. There is only one road in Denali, it goes for 90 miles. Again, this Park is 6 million acres!!! Cars are only allowed for the first 15 miles. We chose the bus tour that goes to the 66 mile point. Scheduled for 8 hours! Primarily it is information, looking for wildlife, and, of course, views of Denali. No way to see Denali today in this weather. 🙃. Denali is the highest mountain in North America at 20,310 ft. Mountaineers come from all over the world to climb the mountain. 1200+ climbers summited Denali in their climbing season this year which is in May and June. The park exists to conserve the natural state of the environment. Protection of the animals is of utmost importance. The most prominent wildlife are bears - grizzly and black -, moose, caribou, wolves, and dall sheep. Our first wildlife sighting was a moose in the trees not far from the road. Mountain all socked in and hard to see very far. Did see quite a few caribou. Several stops along the way for stretching legs, bathrooms and always something different to see. Got to the end of our line - mile 66 - the Eielson Visitors center. A lovely new building built into the landscape. We had a half hour break there, raining so watched a movie on the climbing of Denali. When we got out, the rain has stopped and weather had started to clear. Large viewing spot for Denali and one could almost make out the lower slopes.
    On out return we had much better weather and lots more wildlife. Saw lots of caribou, another moose and finally I got to see the bears. We saw 2 different sets of them - both grizzlys - albeit a ways away. Could see quite well with the binoculars. Amazing how fast they can move!
    Back by 7 PM and glad to get off the bus but would recommend the ride to anyone. Spectacular scenery in every direction - even with the rain. Home for soup and salad dinnerand an early bedtime.    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 26 Talkeetna to Denali

    1 août 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Weather turning rainy this AM and weather at Denali not looking great - wet and cold. 😆. We had an RV breakfast and buttoned up the vehicle for travel. We are getting synchronized with the proces and it does not take long anymore. Destination is Denali Park entrance about 130 miles away. Stopped at a Birch (tree) products store, got gas and groceries and on our way out of Talkeetna.
    One stop at a Denali Viewing point however weather increasingly lousy so one had to have a good imagination to see the mountain. Arrived at Park entrance in the rain around 3:30. Learned our way around, picked up some brochures and watched 2 movies on Denali. One was on backpacking. Backpacking here is a whole different experience than I ever thought of backpacking. The park is 6 million acres!! Experienced backpackers just takes off from the one road (or fly in). There are no trails and wild animals everywhere. Navigational skills are critical. Amazing! Lots of hard core hikers around.
    Found our campground a mile from the Park entrance. A tourist area with hotels, restaurants, and shops. We checked out some shops, had dinner "in", watched the final episode of Absentia and to bed,.    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 25 Talkeenta

    31 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Out to spend our day checking out Talkeetna. Breakfast out this AM in the Talkeenta Roadhouse - a place we had read about where mountaineers from all over the world congregate when preparing to tackle the climbing of Denali. Talkeetna is called the Gateway to Denali. Restaurant was family style dining and we ate with a fun family from Utah and Colorado. They had previously lived for 2 years in Barrow, AK. Pic below is that family. After breakfast we walked about town for several hours checking out shops, the Cannibis store 🤣 (no purchases). Several large rivers converge at the end of town and form the major river of the area - the Susitna. Spent some time at a coffee house working on our planning for Denali and beyond. We do not have reservations at Denali so will do first come, first served. However so as not to have to get up at the crack of dawn to get there - about 130 miles away - we made a reservation at a campground right outside the park for tomorrow night.
    Back to campground - Alice doing laundry and Kay going for a short hike. A 3+ mile walk on a trail that followed one of the rivers. A nice brisk walk, no hills. Have been wanting to try out my knee on some hills, that will need to wait until Denali.
    Lots of restaurant choices here, chose the Wildflower, and it was very good. Lots of outside seating and live music. Ran into our 'family" from breakfast at the ice cream place after dinner. It's a small town.    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 24 Anchorage to Talkeetna

    30 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    A lazy AM, getting ready to move today. Destination: Talkneeta about 100 miles North and half way to Denali. Alice has been having problems with the accessory batteries of the RV not holding a charge. So off to an RV repair place in Anchorage. Turned out to be quite the big deal. Two of four of the batteries had not been replaced as requested a few months ago. 🤬 For lunch I went into the RV, got some ham, cheeses and bread and we ate our "picnic lunch" in the parts department. 🤣. While waiting in the afternoon, I went for walk - as usual in Alaska - a walking/biking path across the street. Trail ran along Ship Creek and was full of salmon swimming up stream!). Amazing - all kinds f salmon, King, pink and sockeye. Second picture below is the salmon in the water (Look closely). After 6 hours, we were on our way to Talkeenta - fortunately only about 100 miles away. About 50 miles up the road we are stopped at a stoplight and some fellow is beeping his horn at us on the driver's side. He hollered to Alice that we had lost a hub cap, he had retrieved it and asked us to pull aside to give it to us !!!!! Can you believe it ? However the RV has 4 tires in the back and from the hub cap coming loose it had broken the extender on the air valve between the 2 tires an both were going flat! The fellow know of a tire place nearby, looked it up for us and said they closed at 6PM. It was 5:50. We arrived at 5:56. The fellow worked overtime to get us going by putting air in the tires and new valves in both tires. AND did not charge us anything!!! Amazing. Needless to say we were highly grateful and back on the road by 6:45. Arrived at our campground in Talkeenta at 7:45 and wine never tasted so good🤣. Heated up some soup and bed. What a day.En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur
    1

    Alaska Day 23 Anchorage Day Trip

    29 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Off today for an outing we have been wanting to do since our first day here. We are taking a train to a glacier and then raft down the lake and river created by the glacier. Drove about an hour south of Anchorage with a couple stop along the way. First the Beluga viewing point along Turnagain Arm (AKA) Pacific Ocean, viewing area is there for seeing Beluga (white) whales. However it was low tide and if there were whales around, they were far away. 😖. Then a quick stop at Indian Valley meats where they process fresh meat (caribou, buffalo, elk, venison, moose, etc) and fish and have it for sale as well as the obligatory gift shop. We left with some buffalo sausage and caribou jerky. Oh yes, and one more stop for a speeding ticket as we were rushing to get to the train on time. :-(

    Arrived at the train station which is also the visitors center for these parts. Tall rubber boots provided for all. (All too big 😀). Train ride through the beautiful wilderness about 25 minutes and we arrived at the Chugach National Forest, Spencer Glacier stop. We took a couple mile bus ride from there to the trail head for the Spencer Glacier. An awesome sight, lots of icebergs in the lake in front of the glacier made it seem almost surreal. After our safety briefing (what to do if you fall into the 34 degree water - answer: most likely die 😂) 8 in each of 4 rafts. We spent about 30 minutes on Spencer lake and then another hour and a half down the Placer River. Absolutely stunning. Incredible scenery for 2 hours! 🌲💧🌊. Peaceful and serene. Not much in the way of rapids, a few that might have reached class 2 - primarily a meandering river and a skillful gal rower. Pulled into a spot just by the rail lines and were picked up. Wonderful afternoon.
    Back to Anchorage; pasta for dinner.    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 22 Anchorage

    28 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Beginning the fourth week of our trip.
    First stop today was the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Definitely a worthwhile visit. A different type of museum. Exhibits were 6 different full size different native tribe houses built around a lake. Each had someone to explain the building and the differences in the cultures. In the main building there were performances going on on continuously. We watched 2 of them - one on native sports and one on native dance, both most interesting. Also in an auditorium, movies played each 1/2 hour about some aspect of native life. In addition they had lecturers leading tours of the homes talking about different aspects of each culture. In another area vendors with all types of native crafts; jewelry,art,woven goods, ulu knives, etc. An interesting couple hours.
    A lovely botanical garden rounded out our activities for the day. A large area broken up into smaller gardens with different themes. Interesting art as well. We meandered through the paths and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Met another couple from Salt lake City who knew the gal, Diane, we met on the cruise!! Small world.
    Out for Thai food tonight, wrong restaurant choice. 👎    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 21 Anchorage

    27 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Up and out for the most important thing of the day - nails! 🤣. After much research we found a place near to us. Nails at California prices but not as good. Then a quick stop at Target - we broke Alice's French Press coffee maker and trying to replace. No luck.
    Tourism next - went to 2 Saturday markets - one very close to where we are staying - interesting as it was all Vietnamese farmers, tons of great looking green vegetables. Lots of good smelling Vietnamese food as well. The second market had some crafts as well as one artist we both liked. Alice bought some gift cards. Growing season is short here so fresh markets are well attended. All have flowers, especially peonies. Then to downtown Anchorage to take the Trolley tour around the city. Walked around the center of the city area - the usual tourist shops, restaurants (quite a few breweries) and flowers everywhere! Really lovely hanging baskets on the many of the streets. Stopped for a good lunch at a lively bar/pub - F Station. Kay had a salmon salad with a very large portion of salmon. Alice, the halibut sandwich. The Trolley tour was great, a very knowledgeable driver, lots of Alaskan history. Much rhetoric about the 1964 earthquake which was a 9.2 !!! Also the WWII history, especially in the Aleutian islands.
    Back "home" - a walk in the woods for Kay and an attempt to find a geocache without success. Back to get Alice to help find another one which we did! 👍. Second geocache of the trip. Minimal dinner tonight as we had a big late lunch. Internet, another episode of Absentia and bed.    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 20 Skilak Lake to Anchorage

    26 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Our first rainy day, not heavy just "dripping" on and off all day. Loved our "in the woods by the lake" campground. Left early in search of a good breakfast. Ended up at Coopers Landing - great food and Kay appreciated - no cooking and no dishes. 👍 😂
    Destination today is Anchorage about 100 miles. First stop along the way is a little "off the beaten track" village - Hope, AK. Hope was one of the original Alaskan gold rush towns in the 1800's. However gold mining was short lived there as the Klondike rush was much more lucrative. Now Hope is an historic town with many well preserved tiny houses (now B & B's). Wildflowers abound. Also the same number of dilapidated buildings to add character. As we have seen in most of Alaska, the big sport in the town is fishing. A river flows into the Turnagain Arm of the Gulf of Alaska and the shores were teeming with fisher people. We found out later that the catch is pink salmon. Fishing was good. We watched several being caught just standing there for 10 minutes. An interesting find and away from the tourist trail.
    On to Anchorage with stops for gas (gas really not too expensive - by California standards - has always been under $3/gallon), the Visitor's Center for some more tourist information about the area for which we are heading.
    Arrived at our campground in Anchorage around 6PM. We are camped in Centennial Park, with a large forest all around with walking paths. 😀👍. A walk in the woods before cocktail hour, dinner "in" and to bed.    En savoir plus

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    Alaska Day 19 Homer to Skilak Lake

    25 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Leaving Homer today with good memories but ready for a new adventure. Destination today is somewhere around Soldotna, about half way to Anchorage. We do not have reservations all I called said first come, first serve so off we go. If worst comes to worst, there are always Target parking lots.
    Sightseeing today - 2 planned stops. Anchor Point and Ninilchik - both small villages along the coast. Anchor Point first. This whole area is fishing, all kinds of salmon, steelhead and trout. Rivers and lakes everywhere. At Anchor Point we looked for the sign, "the most Westerly highway in the US". Found it, picture below. Out to the beach t and watched the fishing boats in and out for awhile. On our way back to the RV we found our first geocache of the trip!! Easy to find - really always amazes me that you can play that game anywhere in the world. Then saw a gal taking a picture of something up in a tree. And there were 2 bald eagles!! Have been looking for them, saw one in Homer but at a distance. These were very close and content to stay put through all of our picture taking. A fun stop.
    On to Ninilchik. The draw here is an old Russian Orthodox Church. The church was on a lovely bluff overlooking the sea with a volcanic ridge of mountains across the cove. Just beautiful! This area was first settled by the Athabascan native Americans. They were booted out, first by the Russians there for the fur trading, and later by the Americans. A lot of native Russian interbreeding resulted in a mixed race of which there are still folk living in the area today. There are several Russian Orthodox churchs in the area still used today. Then a quick trip through "old Ninilchik" - mostly abandoned homes in a beautiful setting.
    A stop at a cute coffee shop and on to find a place for the night. We tried at a large campground in Soldotna but we did not like it. So we took a chance on campgrounds around a large lake about 40 miles away. Lake Skilak. And after 7 miles of gravel road, here we are! Have a wonderful spot - all the sites are separated from the others. And they are free!!! I am a very happy camper tonight. I now know what "dry" camping. No hook ups for water, sewer, or electricity. Alice's RV can do all that without hook ups. The days are so long we seldom need lights anyway. Back to civilization tomorrow - next stop Anchorage.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 18

    24 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    A day to explore Homer. First off to the Oceans and Islands Visitor Center. Much more than the usual visitors center - a mini museum, nature walks, lectures, etc. Enjoyable several hours. Then to check out Old Town Homer. Not to much there except a well publicized bakery - Two Sisters. A fun stop for lunch - great baked goods and good sandwiches. Onward to checkout a winery - Bear Creek. All of their wines made from berries. Tasting for 8 wines - $5. 😂. They had 2 types of wines - those blended with grapes and those just berries. Alcohol content from 8-17%. Wines OK. I would consider all as a desert wine. Bought a bottle of my favorite, Black Current. Alice bought a bottle of Port.
    Then a ride to checkout the hills around the town. The fireweed is in full bloom. And sooooo beautiful. A friend of a friend of Alice's told her about the hills on the other side of the mountain. Spectacular scenery with the fireweed covering the hillsides. Next off to the Pratt Museum, a local museum to Alaskan art and culture. I begged off of this one for a nap instead. ( Missed some sleep last night). Alice enjoyed. And one more stop at the Farmers Market which was just closing down and we did not see much.
    So a full-day of tourism, back to campground. Had had some rain last night but cleared this after noon and now sunshine at 9:30PM. Have gotten used to the many hours of daylight. Love the long days. Just wear a sleep mask at night.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 17 Homer

    23 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    A short note today. A "work" day and a day off from tourism. We decided to stay another 2 nights here as there is a lot to see and do and we need a "day off". Did all the maintenance stuff today. Cleaned the RV, did laundry, went to the grocery, got gas, and went to the ATM. I said tonight when we were putting everything away, "everything is clean but us". No time for a shower. 😆. Special dinner tonight. Fresh halibut from the dock. Homer is the Halibut capital of the world! Pictures today are some from other days for "catch up".En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 16 Homer & Seldovia, AK

    22 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Up and out to catch the ferry from the Homer spit for Seldovia at 11AM. Seldovia is a village across Kachemak Bay, a 45 minute ferry ride and has been recommended by several friends. Wonderful weather today, sunshine and a high of 65. My type of weather. Arrived by noon and started a walk around the town, a small community park, a boardwalk with shops and restaurants and flowers in bloom everywhere. So pretty. Did a bit of shopping in great nursery (think plants) and eclectic gift shop. Then a leisurely lunch on a hotel deck with water views in every direction. After lunch, Kay off for a short real hike and Alice to paint. A trail at the end of town was marked as intermediate on the map. Trail went 1.5 miles across a beautiful wooded area to Bay on the other side of this peninsula. It was a lovely hike, quite a few people on the well marked trail. Also a good test to see how my knee will hold up with some real up and down. Loved being out on my own for awhile, not much alone time in an RV. 🙃. Did about 3.5 miles, knee held up well, will see what tonight brings. Met Alice and we walked to a small Russian Orthodox church, a bit more around town and back to the ferry for a 4:30 departure. A really good afternoon.
    Lots of recommendations to go to the Salty Dog Saloon in Homer. We were ready for a beer after our ferry ride so off we went. What a fun place!! Money (bills) hanging all over the bar. Amazing. Pics do not do it credit. We got a seat at the bar and enjoyed the "vibe". Picked up some fish and chips (salmon) and took home for dinner. An early evening and to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 15 Seward to Homer

    21 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    There was one more thing we wanted to do before leaving Seward, the Seward Dog Sled Training Center. We scheduled this early so we could do the dog sled ride and still get to Homer where we will be for the next 3-4 days.
    The Iditerod dog sled race is held annually the first Saturday in March. The race is 1000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, AK. Just outside of Seward is a place where they train dogs for this race. The tour was fascinating and included a 45 minute ride through the forest pulled by 14 dogs! Great fun. The information about the Iditerod, the preparation of these dogs and the mushers was fascinating. The fellow who runs this training camp for the dogs and mushers has won the Iditarod 3 times, last in 2017. We got to see and play with some of the new puppies as well. Lots of movie filming done here as well. A really fun morning.
    Off to Homer, AK about 160 miles from Seward. Beautiful scenery the entire way. We traveled from one side of the Kenai penensula to the other. Several stops along the way. First a pottery place in the potter's home shortly out of Seward. Lovely setting and some very different pottery. Kay bought a piece. Next a stop at Moose Pass, a quirky little village with an old time general store and a trading post with a talking moose. 😂. Light lunch and on our way. A couple afternoon rest stops for Alice's power nap and Kay out for a walk. Seems like wherever you pull off the road there is some kind of hiking trail. My kind of place. 😀
    Pulled into our Homer campground around 6:30 PM. We are on the Homer spit, a long skinny peninsula that juts into the Gulf of Alaska. We are at a beachfront campground with water on both sides of us. Quite the spectacular place. A part of the spit is quite touristy in an Alaskan way. Tons of charter boats, fishing and ferry docks along with shops, saloons, and restaurants. Fun place to walk around. We had our cocktail hour in the RV and then to a restaurant on the spit for dinner. More very good local oysters.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 14 Seward, AK

    20 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Third day in Seward. I like this town. Quiet but with all the amenities. Spent the AM cleaning up the RV and ourselves. Showering on this trip seems to be a “ project “. 😆. Off to the Alaska Sealife Center, a museum just down the road, highly recommended from several friends who have been here recently. The museum was established for the scientific study for the sustainability of sea life. They have done many well known studies and were being filmed by National Geographic when we were there. Exhibits included very interesting studies of their many projects as well as 10-15 aquariums with a range of sea life. Huge inside and outside water features with sea lions, otters and sea birds that they are rehabilitating. Lots of the exhibits were geared to kids and, since this was a Saturday, lots of them around.
    A cruise around town to check out the murals on many buildings that were highly touted and worth seeing. A stop at a very cute coffee house in a small old church. Very homey atmosphere, lots of art and things for sale, a fun find. A lunch stop at a restaurant right on the bay with outdoor seating, lovely spot.
    Spent the afternoon doing a lot of planning for the rest of our trip. As luck would have it, out next door neighbor, Tim, was a talkative soul but had been RVing 5 times around Alaska and was a font of knowledge of where to go and places to stay. Out to dinner to a restaurant we had read about and had come recommended by friends, The Cookery. Had a wait as they did not take reservations and found close by as saloon that was a fun place to wait. The food at the Cookery was great! 😊👍 Kay started to enjoy the local oysters. Soooooo good. We both had scallops which were terrific! A lazy, fun, day of tourism.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 13 Seward, AK

    19 juillet 2019, Gulf of Alaska ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    A leisurely AM with some catch up on “life”as we do not have to be to the boat for our tour today until 11:30. Decided to do a Wildlife and Glacier boat trip in Kenai Fjords National Park. Cannot believe that I just got off a boat yesterday and back on a 6 hour cruise today! 😱. However we wanted to take advantage of the good weather figuring it would be a lot more enjoyable to do this trip in the sunshine.
    A very informational trip due to a Park Ranger on board for all kinds of history and detail information about the wildlife and glaciers. We left from the marina in Seward, through Resurrection Bay, out into the Gulf of Alaska and from there into Aialek (Surprise) Bay to the Holgate Glacier. Seas were calm with hazy sun and mostly clouds.
    The Holgate Glacier comes out of the Harding Ice Field which is one of the largest ice fields in the world and spawns many glaciers. We were able to get very close so some pretty good pictures.
    Then the real search for sealife. A long ride to Day Bay - not somewhere the tour was scheduled to go. However whales had been seen there the previous day. We were so very fortunate to find a pod of whales. We followed about 9 different Orca's for close to an hour. They were all around the boat and even one with a mom and baby who was practicing jumping out of the water. Really great fun. On the way back to the harbor, we got a closer look at harbor seals, sea otters and birds, puffins, kittiwakes, and common mergansers. (Mers - ducks). No eagles yet.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 12 Whittier to Seward AK

    18 juillet 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Up early for 6AM departure from ferry! Alaska greeted us with sunshine and clear skies. Temp around 60. Perfect! Off the boat by 6:30 and on our way. Whittier is a small town basically the port town for Anchorage about 60 miles away. There is a 6 mile one lane tunnel to get to the main road to Anchorage or Seward. Had controlled traffic for the tunnel so had to wait there until 7AM.
    Our destination today is Seward AK on the Kenai peninsula, only about 80 miles away. The “bible” I have for navigation is The Milepost - a highly comprehensive publication that literally has information mile by mile for every road in Alaska. Finding that I can’t read the information fast enough before the sites come up. 😂. First stop is the Kenai Peninsula Visitor center however they do not open until 9 so off to look for breakfast. Found an “authentic” locals place in Girdwood - The Girdwood Picnic Table. Interesting folk about, lots of blue and pink hair. 😂

    Then to the Visitors center and a very helpful guy - Larry. Got tons of information and some good tips - a worthwhile stop. Out first tourist spot in Alaska was just down the road, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This Center is a drive through Wildlife park focusing on the rescue and rehabilitation of large animals. You could walk and drive around your leisure and it was very interesting. Numerous spices of wildlife, lots of movies filmed here - Into the Wild - being the most popular. We went to a ranger presentation on the bears and saw several up close and personal. The park was many acres and each of the types of animals has its own section. Besides the bears, Caribou, lynx, porcupine, sitka deer, elk, moose and their biggest project - bison. Over a period of 20 years they have raised an entire herd of bison that had become almost extinct in Alaska. Just recently they released the first group of bison that they had raised. A very good gift shop and onward to Seward.
    Both of us tired today and Alice needed a power nap. I am envious of her ability to do this. We pulled off in a large turnoff and she can put her had back, close her eyes and go to sleep!!! 🙃. Luckily I spotted a trail going off into the woods as we pulled off. So I decided on my first short hike in Alaska. I was rewarded with a trailhead right across a marsh. It was a wonderful, easy path through the woods with lots of up and down but nothing difficult. (I am babying my knee on this trip). I am learning that there hiking trails almost everywhere in Alaska - a hikers paradise.
    A lovely drive to Seward with outstanding scenery, rushing rivers, quiet lakes, green trees and low mountains as well as snowy majestic mountains. Amazing. Arrived in Seward around 3 and found a campsite in an RV Park right downtown on Resurrection Bay. To the grocery store (Safeway), camp set up and some much deserved wine. Dinner at Apollo’s, Greek and Italian, good pasta. To bed early to catch up on some sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • Kay's TravelsAlaskaVoyageur

    Alaska Day 11 Yakatat, AK

    17 juillet 2019, Gulf of Alaska ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    A very early start to the day. Ferry was supposed to dock at 5 AM however we had some rough seas last night and were about an hour behind schedule. Yakatat is a tiny, sleepy fishing village, population ~600 with it’s claim to fame of Fat Grandma’s Cafe for breakfast. So off we went to find Fat Grandma’s. A short walk in a forested area, so green and “clean” smelling. Had rained last night. Quite the eclectic store cafe - combination eatery, general store, curio shop and lending library. 😂. Alice and Diane drank coffee while I went for a walk. Found the post office and the Glassdoor Bar, and the Liquor Store, both in the same building for convenience. Short outing as we had arrived late and back on the sea by 8:30. Last stop until our final destination tomorrow AM, Whittier, AK
    Breakfast and back to the puzzle for the morning. Alice has a short attention span for the puzzle and decided to paint. Pic #1 below is one of her products.
    A real change in scenery today. The forested hills have become snow covered mountains as we travel North and get closer to our destination. More of Mother Nature’s best.
    Had to take the puzzle down about 2/3 finished. 😱. Dinner and prep for leaving at 6 AM tomorrow. I am ready to get off this ferry! 😂😂😂    En savoir plus

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