Day 26 - Jul 9 Seward to Glennallen

DAY 26 - JUL 9 - SEWARD TO GLENNALLEN

This was a travel day. We left Seward around 9 AM and since there aren't many roads in this state, when we started for Valdez we had to backtrack through Anchorage, then continue north to the Palmer exit and turn northeast toward Glennallen. 

Of course the scenery was a visual feast. Once we had turned on to the Glenn Highway outside of Palmer, we moved from pine forests to the tundra. We climbed to what seemed incredible heights, with rushing rivers in the valleys and snow-capped, glacier laced mountains above. The permafrost heaves on the road were evident again as we bobbed along like a roller coster in some areas. 

Fireweed - a wildflower that grows along the highways 

Finally, we pulled into Glennallen, where a fair amount of road construction is underway, but it was really the first we encountered all day. There's not much to the town, except for the end of the Glenn Highway where it "T's" into the Valdez and Tok highways. One going south, one going north. 

We're spending the night in a lovely home which has been converted into a B&B and is tucked away in the woods. We chanced upon this place when we stopped at the Visitors Centers and asked about lodging. The volunteer told us of several hotels and campsites, and then suggested some B&B's - one of which she owned. At this place, Antler's Rest B&B - there are only two other B&B'ers, along with the homeowners and us. One of the guys mentioned he'd heard this morning that a grizzly was spotted on the road nearby. It wouldn't be surprising since this is a fairly remote town, and everyone is somewhat isolated from one another. We can't see any neighbors from this house, but they are nearby, just hidden by the forest. 

The view from our bedroom window. Also, it looks about
the same from the living room window.

Meanwhile I think I'll check out and head for bed. It'll be nice to be dry for a change, and tp get a decent shower. On top of that, the owner has made a batter of sourdough waffles for tomorrow's breakfast. The sourdough is from an 1898 starter that was passed down to her. 

Also, point of trivia: originally (as a nickname) sourdough was used to identify an experienced gold miner. We've seen it on all kinds of souvenir items: coffee cups, towels, bags, etc. referring to someone from Alaska.

Cheers, and it's raining again.

Day 25 - Jul 8

Day 25 - Jul 8 Anchorage to Kenai Penninsula

This was a misty morning day. We left Anchorage heading for Homer on the Kenai Penninsula; little did we know God had other plans. We missed our turn for Homer and ended up in Seward; I must have been nodding-off when we passed the directional sign; I'm supposed to be the navigator. What a neat experience the trip to Seward was. The entire drive was visual feast. 

Baby seagull is brown spotted right at the edge of the weeds.

Have you ever seen a baby seagull? We passed a large bird refuge along the Turnagain Arm (check the map for this body of water south of Anchorage)and the babies were in the rocks and vegetation. 

Snow-capped beauties on
the penninsula side Turnagain Arm.

Glaciar along Turnagain Arm

To our wonderment, all the mountains along the way are covered with various amounts of snow, and we saw our first of many glaciers.

How's this for a view from
your backyard. The base
of  that mountain literally
ends at the back of those
homes in downtown Seward.

Upon arriving at Seward, we visited the Library and saw a movie on the 1964 earthquake. It was actually a 9.2 trembler; classified as the world's worst recorded earthquake. The devastation and recounts from the survivors was astonishing. That anyone survived was a miracle.Once the 4 minute shaking stopped, a 30 foot tsunamis engulfed the entire town (about 4k000 inhabitants). Shell Oil's storage tanks caught fire, as well as a train fully loaded with oil, and a good portion of the town burnt down.

Seward has many, many murals throughout their small
town. (They have a mural society.) I love this one
 particularly because the artists did not feel compelled
to surround these graceful denizens of  the deep with
 any suggestion of water. And I was also intrigued
with the birds above each window.

Giant Pacific Octopus

Then we went to the Alaska Sealife Aquarium and were fascinated by all the various types of saltwater sea life that are in the area. It was great fun looking at all these species, even the baby giant octopus (which are smaller than your pinkie fingernail. However, mom was approx 6-7 feet. She was busy nursing the balance of her babies that were hatching daily. In March only 10-20 babies hatched per day. At this time there are hundreds hatching per day. When she is done taking care of her children, she will die. That's the cycle of life for a giant octopus female.

Humpback whale surfacing
for food.

Stellar Sea Lions - they're nocturnal
so they were all asleep when we saw
them .

AT 6 PM we boarded the Star of the Northwest for an evening tour around Resurrection Bay and out into the Gulf of Alaska/Pacific Ocean (slightly) to have dinner and check out all the wildlife. Dinner was an all-you-can eat salmon and prime rib feast (delicious!); some of the wildlife consisted of a nesting eagle, mountain goats, puffins, a colony of the endangered Stellar Sea Lions, and a very entertaining couple of feeding humpback whales.

Tomorrow, we will be on our way to Valdez. (We've modified our itinerary and will not be going to Homer since we covered our wish list in Seward. This was the best part of the vacation so far. It was on Keith's bucket list to at least see a whale in-situ, and God provided - thank you! 

DAy 22-23 - July 6-7

Days 22-23 - July 6-7

Visiting Anchorage has been a passive experience. Slow days, no hurry, trying to stay warm and dry, until today when the sun, blue skies, and puffy white clouds have visited us this afternoon. Who knew 60 degrees could be hot. I have sought shade to sit and write this missive. It's so nice to be outside and warm.

Section of Cloister Garden

St Patrick Church - sanctuary 

Water fountain in Cloister Garden

Mary's grotto in Cloister Garden

Yesterday we did a little housekeeping, shopping, changed the oil in the car (at Sears auto care center), and went to Mass at St. Patrick parish here in Anchorage; and then treated ourselves to another movie. Guess some days we're just not your typical tourists.

St Patrick's is a beautiful, inspiring, conservatively modern facility. It holds about 500 (conservatively). 

They have built the initial phase of their Cloister Garden, which is absolutely one of the most prayer-inspiring gardens we've experienced. It is designed to encompass the Old & New Testaments. And, when it's is finished it will have stained glass, sculptures, and perhaps a roof to complete the space. Unfortunately, I can only include a few photos to try and capture the experience for you. 

Today we were determined to get going early and do some real touristy things. . . but that was not to be. Keith has been suffering with what was thought to be planter faciaitis for several weeks, which has hampered any site seeing that required much walking. The condition has only grown worse over the weeks, and finally he decided - 

(What cloud in this very blue sky has decided to rain on us. They're all white and puffy and don't look rain-like at all !! So I've retreated to the cover of Einstein.)

- to seek medical advise and perhaps a solution so we could resume our touristing. The first medical facility we visited was Providence Hospital - Anchorage, where a Dr. Dietz reviewed Keith's condition. (Hey, Brent, another cute blond female Deitz! Emily, Dr Deitz was short, like your Dad, and she was born in Alaska and knew of only one other Deitz in the state. Do you have any relatives here??) 

Can you believe this? Dr, Deitz decided we were in the wrong place and they negated all billing. No charge. Never heard of that before. She even sent us to our second facility OPA (Orthopedic Physicians of Anchorage) which has a Sunday walk-in clinic. So, four hours and two medical facilities later the diagnosis is not what he thought, but rather an aggrivated Achilles tendon, for which there is no cure. With meds in hand and instructions for exercises, we went on our way. 

Entrance to Earthquake Park -
note the "wrinkled" I-beam

View of Anchorage from Earthquake Park

We went to Earthquake Park, which commemorates the 1964 8.0+ earthquake that was centered in Anchorage. The devastation was incredible. Main street dropped 15' on average throughout the town. Valdez was devastated and the town was eventuality rebuilt 4 miles inland. Seward was also wiped out but rebuilt near its same location. (Both of these last two location we hope to see this next week. 

The park is location on the southwest section of the city, and we saw our second moose within the city limits. It lazily munched is dinner on the edge of the road while we stopped to take pictures. (Another Kodak moment).

Tomorrow we move on south to the Kenai Peninsula. Maybe the blue skies will follow us.

Day 22 - July 5

Day 22 - Jul 5 

This is Mr. Magpie who stopped
by for a short visit.

Another lazy morning, taking our time getting started. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Talked with other campers. Even ran into friends of friends from Union Lake. They moved on this morning to their next stop, and our travels may cross again. Should we meet again, we've promised to share dinner together.

Kyle was our guide through the Indian
 homes. He is of Tlinget heritage.

This afternoon we went to the Native American Heritage Center. A very interesting and informative venue to learn about the many native American tribes here in Alaska. Some are very close in language and heritage, but others are distinctly different with no language connection at all. We went on a tour of the six or eight different native houses that were recreated at the Center. Each dwelling was unique, specifically tailored to the part of the state where it originated, and to the cyclic lifestyle of the given tribe.

I wanted to bring this one home,
but Keith said, NO.

Homes were under or above ground depending
on the tribes and their location in Alaska, and time
of year. Some tribes lived underground during winter,
and in temporary above ground homes in
the summer.

After the home tour, we watched an athletic competition demonstration of North American Indian Olympic games. These games were originally part of the practical skills utilized while fishing or hunting. These games are entirely different than what are demonstrated at the International Olympics. The strength and physical prowess required is certainly incredible. In 1988, some of these games were considered by the Olympic Committee for inclusion in the International Olympics, but the Olympic judges felt the USA would have dominance over other countries, making it too one-sided for fair competition, even though Canada and Greenland participate in the same type of games.

1, The object of this game is to
start from a squatting position,
balanced on one arm, other hand
and feet not touching the floor . . .

2. The legs are thrust upward without
touching the floor - while
still balanced on one arm . . .

4, Foot strikes the ball; hand
still balancing on floor . .

3, Kick the ball, while still
 balanced on one hand . . .

6. And returning to crouched position
with hand still touching floor.

5. Body swings through - still
balancing on one hand . . .

The competitors continue raising the ball higher and higher, until one of them out-kicks all the others. Heights often reach over eight feet. 

Just as a side note: our new sleeping bags were magnificent! We both enjoyed a fully warm night's sleep last night. 

Day 21 - July 4th

Day 21 - Jul 4 Wasilla - Anchorage

This morning and early afternoon were free time. We slept in - a treat - even if it was until 630A when CVS (Commerce Twp) called to ask if Keith wanted one of his prescriptions renewed. Oh, well. We checked the weather and not much had changed from last night's prediction - grey, possible rain for the balance of the week and into the next. Turns out this is typical for this time of year, depending on who you talk to.

So we shopped in Wasilla looking to replace our 40 year old sleeping bags with ones rated more appropriately for this landscape. We were directed to the Sportsmen's Warehouse where we met some very knowledgeable service reps who hooked us up. We gave our old bags to the nearest goodwell-type establishment. And now Keith is anxious to go to bed and try them out. It's 5PM.

More Chugach Mts and traffic

Chugach Mts on the way to Anchorage

After a little grocery shopping, we moved on to Anchorage, past the scenic Chugach Mountains, and found our little campground on the edge of the city. 

Looks cozy . . . 

the reality . . .

 As we've gone along, we've always picked our overnight accommodations "on the fly", so we never know what we're getting until we get there. And, today is no exception: Ship Creek RV Park. The ad in Mileposts shows it located on the Ship Creek. Hah! Between the edge of this park and the creek are the railroad tracks (about 15 yds from our tent), the industrial buildings on the other side of the tracks, the road beyond that, and who knows what else before the creek. And the train travels this track four times a day: 8AM, 10AM, 8PM and 9PM; and there's the coal train which comes through whenever it's full. Needless to say, this trip has held it's share of unexpected "pleasures". The owner's have been very accommodating, so we don't complain. Besides, we spend much time in the park except to sleep. 

Our neighbors

Of all our experiences thus far, the people we've met have been the best. Einstein draws attention (imagine that) and people always look, smile, waive, and if we're not driving at the time, they ALWAYS stop to ask questions, comment on the car and our plans, and wish us good luck. We are impressed with the range of foreign nationalities we come across, and how many people have actually moved here as opposed to having been born here. One gentlemen we met from So California, who is a Smart owner, shared with us how much he missed his little car, he & his wife have been traveling since last April; as soon as he saw our car he shared a photo of his car which he had customized with gull wing doors, custom headlights, lowered the ground clearance, and added a Hayabusa engine. He admitted he spends bit of time in traffic school. 

Now we are reviewing tourist options for tomorrow in Anchorage: museums, dog mushing, fishing, trolley tour, helicopter tour with glacial landing, Rocky Mt Chocolate Factory, hiking, biking. There's also the restaurant called Whale's Tale "which is Alaska's first self-serve wine dispensing system, full bar, and sharable plates." Hmmmmm. 

Day 18-20 - Jul1-2-3

Days 18-20  - Jul 1-2-3

Mt. McKinley (was originally known as Mt. Denali, until
Pres. McKinley wanted it named after him.
So the park was name Denali.)

As much as we wanted to spend four days at Denali, it was just not to be. 

The two days we spent there were beautiful; the surroundings and the constantly changing climate were fascinating. 

We stayed at Savage River Campground - a rustic site. 

We were surrounded by so many spectacular mountains, a good portion of them snow-capped. And Mt. McKinley, of course, was the pinnacle of them all. At 20K+ it was more than snow-capped; what we could see of it, it was totally snow covered, and the weather overhead changed constantly. The mountain never looked the same from moment to moment.

Tundra Twins - do we look cold!
Those cloud-shrouded mountains in the
background are snow-capped.

Our day trip to Eilson Info Center, 63 miles into the park, was exciting. The entire tour was wonder-filled. To think that we were traveling over arctic tundra was our first wonderment. The pine forests near our campsite gradually thinned to thick grasses and minimal small pine trees. A great open expanse of greenness that faded away to rock as it progressed up the mountains. 

Moose

And somewhere in that great expanse were the animals in the wild which we came to see. Over the day we spotted 10 caribou, 1 moose, 5 Dall sheep, 5 grizzly bears (2 adults were blond - a color indigenous to the park; 1 black; and, the 1 blond mother had 2 black cubs); 1 red fox (primarily grey with red on his back and four beautiful black legs); numerous arctic ground squirrels; and, very few birds (primarily magpies).

Caribou

Red Fox

Black & Blond Grizzlies -
Blonds really do have more fun

So, you ask, why did we leave two days early. The nighttime temps dropped to below 45 degrees. Our camping equipment, sleeping bags in particular, are 40 years old and are no longer rated for that level. So midway during the night when we had to get up to potty, we were so cold that by the time we returned to bed we did not warm up until sometime the next morning. The first night was midnight when we got up, and we remained shivering cold until 5AM when we got up to go on the bus ride to Eilson. The next night we dressed in two the three layers of clothes (depending on the body part) and still we woke midway during the night too cold to go back to a peaceful sleep.

So here we are, now, enjoying the creature comforts of a Best Western in Wasilla, AK, about 45 minutes north of Anchorage. Call us wimps; but, who'd expect such cold temps when the week before it had been unbearably hot with 80 degree daytime temps. We will return to camping tomorrow. However, the Weather Channel is predicting high 50's, low 60's through Monday, 30-50% chance of rain for the rest of the week. Oh, well. That's one of the joys of camping.

Day 18-21 - Jul 1-4

Days 18-21 -  Jul 1 thru Jul 4

We reached Denali National Park early this afternoon. What a beautiful, majestic place to be. However, we will be incommunicado for these next few days because there is no internet or cell phones in this area. The nearest source is at the entry to the park which is 13 miles from our campground. Our campground, Savage Creek, is the remotest that campers can have without making special arrangement. Lots of warnings about bears, containment of food, no feeding of any animals. etc. This is perhaps the most remote area we've camped thus far. There are other campers at Savage Creek, but we are not stacked right next to one another. A very pleasant site, but a little remote for Keith. He's gone into "bear watch" mode. The campground does have a community food shelter which is available to everyone. So overnight, we stick leftover food stuffs in there for safekeeping. Even something as simple as a toothbrush or chewing gum must be removed from our campsite..

Tomorrow  we are scheduled for a 6AM bus ride to the interior of the park, perhaps to see Mt. McKinley (if the weather's clear on the mountain) and any animals that may be out-and-about. It'll be an 8 hour trip. 

We don't have any other scheduled trips during our stay here, but will probably do a little hinting, if weather permits.

See you in a few days - with pictures. Have a Happy Fourth!