Homer and Seward

10 July - On to Homer

     We reluctantly left the Ninilchik area today and moved on down to Homer. We had such a good visit in Ninilchik that we hung around for another walk on the beach, another look at the eagles and boats coming and going that we were nearly noon leaving but no problem as Homer was only 40 miles to the south.

Saying good-bye to Deep Creek in Ninilchik

     We checked into another boondocking site on the spit in Homer right next to the docks and a lot of fishermen returning to clean their catch. Since we only planned to spend one night (we'd already been there for lunch earlier) we needed to make the most of it. 

Harbor in Homer Alaska

     We headed out by automobile in search of a scenic drive we'd read about called skyline drive. Being not very well marked and poor cell data prevented the GPS from working we rode a bit in order to find it but when we did it was worth it for the nice view of the Homer Spit and surrounding mountains. We did see another female moose on that trip but didn't even stop for pictures....we are over them and leaving that to "newer" tourist ;-)

Skyline Drive view of Home Spit

     Later that evening we enjoyed a one mile walk down the spit (past shops and restaurants/bars) to a nice dinner on the water at a restaurant called the Chart House at Land's End...the southernmost point of the spit. The view from our table was really nice and the hostess said they had seen a few humpback whales from there the night before. She said they are just starting to arrive and from now thru the end of August it is not unusual to see humpbacks or belugas. We didn't see any whales but were entertained by some otters. On our return walk we had to have a beer at the Salty Dawg bar.....there must have been thousands of dollar bills tacked up all over the inside of the bar with people writing different things on them....pretty interesting place.

Ceiling in Salty Dawg Bar

11 July - Homer to Seward

     Leaving Homer around 8:30 we are now backtracking up the Sterling Highway on our way to Seward which is approximately 170 miles. It was a pretty nice 65 degrees with a few clouds in the sky but really good driving conditions.  We made a stop in Soldotna for some much needed groceries and had lunch there as well.

     We arrived in the Seward area around 3:30 hoping to stay at the Waterfront Park which is a city run campground with over 500 sites...first come first serve but no reservations - we were too late.....nothing available. Then calling a couple of the commercial parks also found nothing available. We went in search of another park on the waterfront that we never even found and finally did find a place with no services but we are good for two nights here.

     We were pretty worn out by the time we got set up so we just sat outside (nice weather) and enjoyed a couple drinks and grilled some hamburgers. It was even nice enough to eat our dinner outside which was a pleasant change. After dinner we played cards again (outside) but it began to get a little chilly by the time we were done. Can't remember who won the card game.....OKAY, the girls won, there I said it!

12 July - Seward

     We had been doing pretty good from a maintenance perspective but had a few hiccups today....the day started off with us noticing (about 50 degrees overnight) that our heater would not come on. We usually just use it to get the chill out in the morning...not a big deal. I am working on a repair if I can get it done....if not, when we return home. Ed and Kay loaned us a space heater to get us thru the Alaskan summer :-)

     On top of that, word from home that our roof received some damaged shingles during a rough Georgia storm the night before. We are very fortunate to have the neighbors and neighborhood that we do....the repairs are done already and we can continue our trip without worry...Thanks to the Lindgren's and the Houseman's.

     We began this day with a visit to the Kenai Fjords Park and a hike to the Exit glacier which is part of the Harding Ice Field. The hike to the glacier is about 1.25 miles each way and we opted to take a ranger guided hike (first time) which was a nice change. We learned a lot from him. The bugs were pretty bad (flies) but thank goodness they were not the biting variety. Funny thing, I had insect repellant in the back pack but took it out just before going in order to lighten the load....won't be doing that again.

Exit Glacier in Seward

     Much focus on the rate the glaciers are receding - in the photo here you can see where it was in 2005 compared to where it is today. They had year markers back to around the 1926 timeframe.

Happy Hikers

     After the hike to the glacier we were all ready for some lunch. We ended up getting a good tour of Seward driving around looking for some place to eat lunch. We ended up at the Alaskan Gold Rush Bistro which was quite nice.

     The restaurant was very near the Alaska Sea Life center which was our next stop on the Seward touring agenda. We spend the next few hours looking at the ocean life there....it was an aquarium but not near as nice as the Atlanta aquarium in my opinion. They had a movie there too so Ed got a good nap :-)

     The Sea Life Museum was at the waterfront (Resurrection Bay) so afterwards we walked for quite a ways down the waterfront just looking at the ships coming and going and a few otters playing in the water. One full day in Seward was enough to see all we wanted so we are packing up camp and getting ready to move on in the morning. Our next featured stop is Valdez but we will likely take a couple days (including a laundry stop) to get there.

Seward waterfront boat traffic

13 July - Travel Day

     We left Seward after a good visit there and are now heading to Valdez in no particular hurry with a couple of stops planned along the way.

     First stop at road side pull out where we park the Culpepper's truck and trailer and drop our trailer in order for all four of us to ride together on a 16 mile (each way) detour to a little town called Hope. It is across the water on the Turnagain Arm from Anchorage. It was a very small but neat little town that had some camping spots near a river in the town where we watched and talked to some folks salmon fishing.....that looked like fun.

     After that detour we were back on the road and headed to Anchorage where we planned to stop for a park that someone in Homer told us about. We went to the park/overlook that was quite a narrow uphill run for the campers but we made it. At the top there was quite a view of the city of Anchorage and this was going to be our last opportunity to see Denali although almost 200 miles away. Since the day was clear we thought we had a chance - and it was visible but only the top portion of it....the lower and middle was covered in clouds. At least we can say we saw it....kinda!

     Back on the road and continuing in the direction of Palmer where we had tentatively identified to stopover on the way to Valdez. We get there early enough and not too tired so we decided to keep going. Beyond Palmer the road has more construction and slower travel but we did make it to a community called Mountain View where we saw the Matanuska Glacier. We stop in the community of Grand View at a roadside RV Park called Grand View RV Park and café. We grilled some chicken and enjoyed an after dinner hike to a bluff to view the glacier.

Matanuska glacier

Home for a day

A couple more shots from this part of the trip:

Ed and Kay at Exit Glacier

Darrell and Kathy at Exit Glacier

Highway view

On the road again

Matanuska Glacier

Highway view

Kenai - Halibut (Big ones, and Eagles everywhere)

6 July - Leaving Anchorage

     We departed Anchorage with some improving conditions and hopes that it will continue to improve for our upcoming halibut fishing trip in Ninilchik. The first part of the trip down to the Kenai was along the Turnagain Arm where we had driven the day before but this time it was a little clearer and more beautiful. We stopped at many turn-outs to admire the views and take some photos.

Turnagain Arm

Culpepper Duo

Beautiful Drive - Turnagain Arm

     Our plan for the day/night was to make it to the Captain Cook State Park up near Niniski which is north of the towns of Soldotna and Kenai....we did make it there but decided not to stay. I had read on another post describing the park and what we found was not as described or expected. The girls would have nothing of staying in that park and Ed and I were not impressed either. After doing a drive by and decided to continue on in search of a place to set up camp for the night. 

     We noticed a beach road on the map that ran along the Cook Inlet coast from Kenai to Kasilof, in the direction of Ninilchik which is where our fishing charter reservations were in a few days time. The beach road was a good (condition) road but did not offer the views or camping opportunities we had hoped....as we arrived in Kasilof we found a state recreation area called Johnson Lake that we decided to stay. It was a boondocking site (no water or electric) but we were prepared.

     We had a pot luck dinner while it rained outside and we decided to play cards for the first time this trip. We played hand and foot, like normal- the guys against the girls. I told them before the game if the girls won it probably wouldn't make the blog - so, you guessed it - Ed and I came back in the last hand to win by only 5 points. That is worthy of the blog, right?

     As we looked at the map we realized that we had driven to within about 20 miles of Ninilchik (closer than we planned or expected to do that day) when we arrived at Johnson Lake. So, with check-out not until noon the next day we rode to Ninilchik the next morning without campers to do a little recon on the camping opportunities there and stop by the charter company office.....I told them we wanted to "interview" our boat captain and the girls wanted to see the bathroom onboard.
    
     While riding around we found the perfect spot directly on the Cook Inlet called Deep Creek Recreation area....it is a first come, first serve campground (no reservations) so we needed to arrive pretty early on the 7th of July.

Our Ninilchik campground - Wonderful Place!

7 July - Deep Creek (Ninilchik)

     We left Johnson Lake and drove to Deep Creek arriving mid morning. As we pulled in (before setting up camp) we noticed Eagles everywhere....one was even sitting on a large rock near the road just posing....really beautiful.

Guarding the Campground

     The campground is directly on the water with magnificent views of snow covered mountains/volcanoes across the bay. The views are constantly changing with the clouds/fog and the mountains peeking in and out constantly. Between the eagles and the scenery views we are taking many more photos here.

Deep Creek campground view (Cook Inlet)

Cook Inlet view

     We went for a long walk on the beach where the deep creek empties into Cook Inlet.....another area with huge tidal changes. We saw many more eagles on the walk, some in or near the water eating fish. It looked like as the tide went out it may catch fish in small pools which makes them easy picking for the eagles.

Eagle having lunch - looked like salmon

He ordered Halibut

Flaps down - coming in hot!

     As we photographed the birds we learned (at least I didn't know) that the juvenile eagles were not born with bald (white) heads.....they are still majestic looking but they look different than the older birds. We also saw a nest near the road and I have gone there several times to photograph the birds on the nest and no one home.....when I ride by without the camera they are there.

Juvenile Eagle in flight

Juvenile Eagle Landing for lunch

     Ed and Kay grilled a great steak for dinner and we enjoyed sitting out with the weather getting nicer (upper 50's with sun). After dinner, since it doesn't get dark, I went out by the water where eagles were soaring overhead and seemingly playing games to try to capture some of that on film.....not much luck with my new telephoto lens but I met another photographer who shared some tips with me that seem to help.

     Since it doesn't get dark (completely) it is difficult to go to bed early and awe are always questioning what time it is. Just before going to bed this night Kathy noticed the sun setting behind the mountains and I went out to try to capture a few photos of that scene...it was 11:30 to 11:45 and it still did not get dark outside.

Cook Inlet Sunset

8 July - Deep Creek (Ninilchik)

     This is the day before our scheduled fishing charter and we decided to go to the company (Reel 'Em In) and watch the arriving fishermen from that day and just get a better idea what to expect for us. Hey, with a name like Reel "Em In, how could you go wrong.

     A nice group of folks were there unloading, weighing, and cleaning their fish so we had a nice chat with them. We even took some photos of ourselves with their fish....just practicing :-)

     After that we decided to take a ride down the coast looking at the beauty of it and ultimately ending up in Homer, Alaska where we had lunch on the spit. We wanted to check it out as that is our next destination, probably one overnight there and hopefully with full hook-ups.

     Getting back early and having an early dinner are important because we need to be at the fishing charter company by 5:45 A.M. the next day. An early night was necessary. We grilled out, readied our gear for the fishing trip and all went to bed early.

9 July - Reel 'Em In

     Arrived at the charter fishing office at 5:30 ready to go. Met our captain "Eric" and loaded up the gear. We expected to be on a boat with two others but turns out it was just the four of us.....nice!
Some notes about the fishing operation:

• Boats are all aluminum V-Hull boats with twin outboards. Ours was 28 feet but many were larger
• Boats are towed to the launch area where passengers board the boats via step ladder (still on the trailer) and a large tractor is used to push the boats down to the water (and retrieve them). Not sure if this is primarily because of the huge tide?
• Fishermen are limited to two halibut per day - one large but one has to be under 28 inches
• Fished with 3 or 5 lb lead weights (bottom fishing), 16/0 hook size, and large baits (salmon heads, herring, cod, and other cut baits 

Deep Creek Boat Launching

  

     The two previous days the bay was slick like a lake and we thought we'd hit a homerun if it would just hold one more day. Well, the weather wasn't bad (about 50 degrees and a little overcast) but the water was not as calm as the two previous days. Luckily we had our sea sick patches with us and were smart enough to use them. Seas were a little choppy going out (about 18 miles offshore) and once there, they were rolling 2 foot (estimated) swells. We survived the day without anyone getting sick.

First Fish Caught

     When we checked on the boat operations the day before the girls were more interested in what the bathroom facilities onboard were like than anything else.....as it turns out there was not one....only a little portable toilet. So, although I could not believe it, Kathy and Kay neither one used the bathroom for the entire trip (six hours).  Ed and I had no problem :-)

The Bets:
     A lot of talk about who would catch the first and biggest fish led us to place a bet on each. We didn't have baits in the water too long before Ed hooked and landed the first fish....estimated weight 40 lbs. Things were a little slow (waiting on the tide to turn) before Kay latched onto the first very large one - 81 lbs so she is in the running for the biggest fish. Kathy was next and bettered Kays weight by landing one that turned out to be the biggest of the day at 98 lbs. That left me, with pressure mounting and everyone watching....first about a 30 lb fish....the skipper (Eric) said we are on big fish, let's let that one go. You know you're having a good day when you throw back 30 pounders! A short time later I got maybe a 35 lb fish on one line and another one biting....we were holding the 35 lb fish at the boat until we could determine if the other line had a bigger fish. Both ended up getting off. Then after a long dry spell I finally landed my big one of the day...maybe 25 lbs. Hey, I caught MORE fish than anyone else but we didn't bet on that!

Biggest fish winner (98 lbs)

cell phone photo

     Then we move to another area where we will most likely catch the smaller fish. We were probably not there 30 minutes and all four of us caught them.....again they were waiting on me to catch mine.

     Back ashore and at the charter company site we hang fish and take photos with our own fish..... we look better in those photos anyhow! Eric also has the task of fileting the fish and we have them vacuum packed and prepared to ship home but not before we take several pounds for our RV freezers. Fresh grilled fish was on the menu tonight and it was good.

Good Day of Fishing

Total of 143 lbs filets

Moving to Homer tomorrow.....but Ninilchik was a very memorable experience !

A few more photos from this leg of the trip below:

Guarding the nest

Not the biggest but fun

That's a winner

Pro at work

She's a natural

Posing with other people's fish

Parent and child

Cook Inlet

Russian Orthodox Church circa 1900

Happy 4th of July from Anchorage

3 July - Denali to Anchorage

     We broke camp in Denali (actually Cantwell) in the rain and traveled from there to Anchorage (about 210 miles) in a pretty heavy rainy/foggy day so the photos on the way were few. We had a couple of look out opportunities to see Denali (our last chance) but the weather was so poor we could just see the road ahead of us.

     On this route we traveled through Wasilla, Alaska and as we neared there it cleared enough that we began to see through breaks in the clouds some snow capped mountains in the distance.....the Alaska Range. We needed fuel there so we also decided to stop for lunch in Wasilla at a local diner called the Mat Su diner.

Scenery near Wasilla

(from moving vehicle)

     After leaving Wasilla we only had about 30 miles left for Anchorage and we pulled into the Golden Nugget RV Park pretty tired. Ed and Kay took the remainer of the day off and Kathy and I didn't do much other than make a run to the store and a quick look around town.

4th of July Anchorage Style

     We spent the entire day celebrating the 4th of July at the downtown festivities that were a nice change for us and a great event. They had a parade at 11:00, music on two different stages beginning at noon, reading of the Declaration of independence at 1:00 and food and rides over the entire park area called Delaney Park.

Young Parade Spectator

Parade Participants

Parade

     The reading of the Declaration of Independence was at the Veterans Memorial just across the street from the park and was a quite a show. They did a flag ceremony where they demonstrated the different flags of the nation including the one where Alaska became a state and added the 49th star to the flag in 1959. After singing the national anthem they invited all the children to come up front for the reading of the Declaration where they were given flags to wave. At the conclusion of the reading they sang the Alaska state song.....I was amazed at how many folks knew and enthusiastically sang the state song. We left there feeling that Alaskans were a very proud and patriotic bunch.

Flag Ceremony

     Not exactly a health food fair but hey, it's the fourth of July! Ed and Kay had some reindeer sausage, funnel cake and ice cream while Kathy and I split a few differnt things, Thai spring rolls and chicken wings, a Greek Gyro, and a funnel cake too. We walked around the fair atmosphere and enjoyed the live entertainment at both venues.

Kids having fun

     They had a baseball game (double header) scheduled for 7:00 and 9:00 P.M. followed by some fireworks and I really wanted to go but the temp was dropping and we were all pretty tired after that day. Instead we opted for a couple cool drinks back at camp and visited for awhile before turning in. 
Happy 4th of July!

5 July - Turnagain Arm & Whittier

     Another rainy day but we were determined not to let that stop us from touring. But first, I took my truck in for an oil change and lube....all systems good. After that we struck out for a ride south from Anchorage to do some exploring without the trailers in tow. It was raining and foggy so what would have been a beautiful ride was hampered by low visibility.....but still nice.

     The route, Seward Highway, travels along the Turnagain Arm with incredible mountains on both sides of the water...at least water at high tide. Another amazing area with huge tide swings (33 feet) that leaves the bay with large areas of mud flats that come with warnings that they are like quick sand and not to walk out on them.

     Early on we saw a couple dall sheep (we think that is what they were) on a rocky mountain side....a little far away but still managed a few decent photos. We also ended up seeing a couple of eagles today but no opportunity to photograph them.

Dall Sheep

     We rode to our first stop which is the town of Girdwood and the Alyeska Resort (ski resort)...they had a tram to the top of the mountain but visibility was too poor for that to be worthwhile. The original town of Girdwood is known for dropping 8 feet during the 1964 earthquake after which time they relocated the town to the current location. Very small town.

     Next was the harbor town of Whittier....interesting to say the least and our first look at the Prince William Sound. Whittier is a town of 200 residents that all live in the same six story building. The town was built by the US Army, who have since abandoned it, and it is accessed via a 2.6 mile tunnel through a mountain. The one lane tunnel is shared by automobiles and the Alaska Railroad.

Tunnel entrance

     The harbor/docks in Whittier was a pretty scene with a lot of boats and mountains (we couldn't really see well) as a backdrop. Many folks (private boats) put in here for fishing and they also have tours departing for viewing glaciers and charter fishing. We enjoyed a salmon burger for lunch at a dockside restaurant, took a few photos in between raindrops, had a walk around town and looked through their small museum. Then back through the tunnel.

Whittier harbor

     We were all interested in what we learned about the severe tidal changes...called a bore tide. We found out that while we were out today the tide had gone out and was turning to an incoming tide as we were driving back to Anchorage. We'd read/heard that the tide was so significant that at times it looked like a 3 foot wave coming into the Turnagain Arm so we made our way to a look out point to try to witness this.....not to be, the tide did change and was swift but did not see an incoming wave.

     Back to camp to wrap up some chores to get ready for tomorrow's departure to the Kenai Peninsula.