VALDEZ,  AK
July 29, 2011

At 9:30 we boarded the Valdez Spirit for a 9 hour boat cruise in the deep water (up to 800') fjord of the Prince William Sound. There are over 2,700 miles of coastline. The Captain shared history and stores as we cruised the majestic waters of Prince William Sound from Valdez to Meares Glacier.  On our way out of Port Valdez we saw commercial fishing dropping their nets for salmon. 

There are transfer boats, including the Northwestern seen on the TV show "Deadliest Catch", taking on fish from the smaller boats.

The Captain pointed out the location of many glaciers.  Did you know that 5% of Alaska is covered by glacial ice?  We saw Seal Island that was used for fox farming from 1894 to 1959.  Foxes don't like water so there was no worry they would leave the island but it seemed like a long way to travel to manage a fox farm.  He spoke of the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill noting that the area is recovering but will not recover completely in our life times. He covered early explorers, gold and copper mining, the 1964 earthquake, oil shipping and Alaska natives of the area. 
We travelled the shorelines while the Captain and two spotters looked for critters.  We spotted cormorants, puffins, bald eagles,murres, kittiwakes, and oystercatchers.  We saw Stellar sea lions, a black bear, sea otters,Dall's porpoises and harbor seals. 

We saw Glacier Island and blue ice chunks floating in the water. 







We later got withing a quarter mile of the face of the Meares Glacier.  Everyone on board was blown away when the glacier calved a huge chunk of ice into the water below.  We heard the sound of it seconds later, almost like a gunshot.  As we left, we could still hear that glacier groaning and creaking.  We were all excited when a large wave was created by the falling chunk that had the seals, sunning on ice chunks, surfing toward our boat. 





Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we spotted a pod of Orcas.  There were about 7-9 of these "killer whales", actually members of the dolphin family.  The Captain thought there were 2 new additions to the pod and he pointed out Splash, the large male Orca, travelling behind the group of playful youngsters.    



It was a long day as we travelled about 165  miles.  We were all tired by the time we disembarked at 7:30 p.m.   It was a full day  Everyone was tired but we had seen many of the birds and mammals that inhabit Prince William Sound.

 But we weren't finished yet.  We took a ride to Dayville Drive and stopped to see a big bear on the side of the road.  It was walking to the creek. We stopped on the bridge over the creek and I got out to snap a picture of it.  The adrenaline was flowing as I got my photo and then I realized the creek wasn't that wide and bears can run uphill very fast.  I walked to the car, trying not to look like prey if I started running, determined to keep my promise to NOT TO GET EATEN BY A BEAR IN ALASKA!




A few miles further down the road is the Solomon Gulch Hatchery where we were able to watch salmon as they returned to spawn. It was established to ensure that sufficient numbers of salmon return and reproduce each year.   People there were actually cheering for the fish as they jumped through the salmon ladder to the other side.  There were hundreds of salmon gasping for breath, covered by their brothers and sisters, as they were so tired from their swim from ocean to this creek.

VALDEZ,  AK

July 28, 2011


E A R T H Q U A K E !!!!!!

6 a.m. and just 74 miles northwest of Anchorage there was a 5.4 earthquake this morning.  It was felt all the way to Valdez.  A lot of the caravaners felt it.  But hey, who was up at six in the morning.  I was one of a few that slept through it.
There was a moose in the entrance driveway at our Palmer campground this morning. It was a beautiful drive from Palmer to Valdez although there were many frost heaves, steep climbs, and road construction along the way.  Snow poles (upside down L-shaped pipes) are snow guides that mark the edge of the road for snow plows. 

 
Oops, we missed the turnout for Sheep Mountain due to road construction.  Kept going.  Must tell driver sooner.  Silence.


There was a good view of Matanuska Glacier from the road.  At one time (18,000 years ago) this glacier reached all the way to the Palmer area, over 50 miles away.  The glacier is 4 miles wide at its terminus and has an average width of 2 miles.



Oops, missed the turnout for Eureka Summit, the highest point on the Glenn Highway.  Driver said we missed two turnouts.  (Second one was filled with Class C campers.) Kept going.  Silence.


Oops, we missed the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park visitor Center.  We turned at the right place but swung around as the visitor center was not right off the road.  Other bus said keep going.  Kept going. Silence. (Later found out the center is 1/2 mile down the road where we turned.)


Just before Valdez we saw many bicyclists pedaling along the road just before the Worthington Glacier, a national natural landmark.  We drove the coach up on the loop road to the state recreation site and spoke with an old gal attendant who was just a little chatterbox.  She told us to take our car to Dayville Road to see the fish hatchery, catch fish and see bears.  Oh, the view of the glacier was fabulous.  Extreme skiing activities are held in the mountains in this area. 

 
Thompson Pass is a beautiful alpine area and known for record snowfalls.  A record 974 inches one winter; 298 inch monthly snowfall; and a record 62 inches in a 24 hour period. Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls were also scenic.  The alpine slopes here have been referred to as the "Alps of Alaska" with elevations even higher than the Swiss Alps.

We arrived in Valdez about 4:00 p.m. and had harbor views in the "adult" campground.  There were 2 otters playing and splashing in the little port behind our coach.  They were like a couple of kids - rolling, rafting, diving,biting, wrestling, and looking at us take their picture.







We walked along the boardwalk on the harbor, watched the mates weigh and fillet the catches of the day, marvelled that sea gulls knew when and where to get a free meal, and we smelled the fresh salt air.  

We enjoyed yet another seafood dinner at Mikes Palace on the harbor.  Tonight - a Caesar salad with blackened salmon.  Huge! And delicious.   Check out the view from our campsite below.

PALMER, AK

July 27, 2011

Palmer is surrounded by lush pastures and dairy and vegetable farms as it is located in the fertile Matanuska Valley. For thousands of years the Matanuska Velley was covered by glaciers. The Mat-Su Valley covers an area roughly the size of West Virginia.  The fertile silt left behind when the glaciers recedes and the long daylight hours provide a perfect environment to grow world record veggies.   The Alaska State Fair is held here the 4th Thursday of August for 12 days.  The town of Palmer is famous for its giant vegetables. Cabbages can grow to more than 125#. Darn!  We will miss Friday Fling, the weekly market that offers locally grown produce. 

Today we went to the Palmer Visitors Center saw a showcase garden and then movie clips about a 1935 Colony, part of President Roosevelt's "New Deal" program.  During the Depression a relocation program was established to create 100 new cities.  In Alaska,  202 farm families from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota were given a chance at a lottery to distribute parcels of land to farm and raise dairy cattle.  We listened to a lady who was the daughter of one of the Colony families.  She gave a tour of a restored Colony home that was representative of one of 4 basic house plans available to Matanuska Valley Colonists.  We had a great lunch at the Inn Cafe(circa 1935) across the street.

Later in the afternoon we visited a musk ox farm to get up-close with these Ice Age survivors. This is one of  only a few domesticated musk ox farms in the world.  Musk oxen died out in Alaska by the late 1800s but were reintroduced in the 1930s when some were brought here  n the 1930s.  They are not technically oxen as their closest relatives are sheep and goats.  The shaggy prehistoric
animals are valued for their fine underwool called "quivut" (pronounced kiv-ee-oot).  It is supposed to be 9 times warmer than wool.   Quivut is knitted for hats, scarves and sweaters.  At $90 a skein, it is extremely pricey!  (I did purchase a ticket for a blanket -- can't wait to have my name drawn on Dec 11th.)

PALMER,  AK
July 26,2011

Looked for moose but none to be found

Moved from Seward to Palmer today, stopping at for a photo op just outside Seward.  By the time of statehood in 1959, most of the land in Alaska was owned by the federal government with some land centered around cities owned by individuals.  Because of the growing non-native population, the discovery of a vast oil field on the North Slope and increasing demands for the oil by the Lower 48, the question of who owns Alaska became a national issue in 1971.    Congress deviated from its
established federal Indian policy by enacting the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act .  ANCSA established 13 Native regional corporations and over 200 village corportions .  Congress conveyed44 million acres and almost a billion dollars to these corporations to give them a financial means of independence.  The other 88% of land in Alaska is owned by the federal or state governments.
We saw a bear cub just south of Anchorage after fueling up the RV.  It playfully scampered into the woods as we drove past.    The cost per gallon of diesel was $4.27/gallon.  With this rig it took $320 to fill up our 150 gallon fuel tank.  But we remind ourselves that we can go 1,000 on a tank of fuel.

The sun peaked out mid afternoon so we went for a walk around the campground, took a nap, and then went into Palmer to see what it offers.  At the Visitors Center is a statue of Balto, the lead dog of the final sled dog team that ran from the railroad station in Nenana in 1925 to deliver diptheria serum to Nome. 

Palmer is a quiet town with a population of 8,400.  It is a bedroom community for Anchorage.  Its first inhabitants were native Athabascans, followed by Russian fur trappers and traders.  When gold was discovered in the late 1800s and the US government became interested in the coal fields, railroad construction began.  Then came homesteaders, and then aan agricultural experiment station.  The population grew in 1935 when the President roosevelts Matanuska Valley Colonization Project brought mid-west farm families here to get them off relief during the Great Depression.  We dined at the Colony Restaurant called the Noisy Goose.  You were invited you to jump up on your table, flap your arms and loudly honk like a goose if you thought your food was taking too long to be served.

SEWARD,  AK
July 25, 2011

Seward is a quaint village of about 3,200 and one of Alaska's oldest communities.  The city is surrounded by lush, tall mountains and ice fields.  Exit Glacier is Alaska's most accessible glacier.  It was founded in 1903 and named for William Seward who convinced the United States to purchase Alaska from the Russians in 1867.  During the Gold Rush, Seward was the start of the Iditarod Trail, now designated a National Historic Trail.

Resurrection Bay has a year-round ice free harbor and is important as a fishing and cargo port.  It was a strategic military post during WWII.   The fort was built inside a mountain here in 1941 to hold off a Japanese attack but closed in 1943 before it could be used.  The US government spent more on this facility than any other base in Alaska.       

Close by is the Kenai River, a world famous fishing river, that has all five salmon species. Silver salmon are running now and their return creates quite a stir. A local head of household can take up to 25 silvers and each member of the family can get 10. 

Tourism, shopping and fishing support the local economy.  Lots of Alaskan adventures here but we took advantage of a free day for fishing and shopping. No fish but lots of bags.

Tomorrow we move on the Palmer, backtracking to Anchorage and going a bit north.

NIKISKI,  AK

July 23, 2011

Today we took a little detour to visit Diana Damitz, a former Rib Mountain resident, who moved to Nikiski, AK 15 years ago.  She met us in Kenai and took us to her home about 15 miles up the road.  Nikiski is an industrial area with gas and oil production facilities, even a refinery.  She was our personal tour guide of the lake country, the Captain Cook Recreation Area, the frenzied net dipping silver salmon fishing on the Kenai River, and old Russion buildings and a Russian Orthodox church in Kenai's "Old Town".

We had lunch at the Kenai Airport Restaurant where LeRoy and Diana reminesced about the old days in Rib Mountain.  Sorry to say it was time to hit the road and continue our trip to Seward, AK.

  

SEWARD,  AK

July 24, 2011

Today I became a Junior Ranger.  I now have a badge from the onboard National Park Ranger while on the Kenai Fjord cruise.  The 5 hour cruise included a salmon and prime rib all you can eat buffet and later an AYCE dessert bar.  We were privileged to see a pod of humpback whales bubble feeding off the front end of our boat.  Even the gulls knew what was going on and when the whales would all surface towith small fish and krill.  It was quite impressive to see these "filter feeders" working together to corral their food.

 

It was a cold, breezy, rainy and foggy day out in the fjord but we did see otters, puffins, mountain goats, eagles, and sea lions.  I love the fog hanging at the top of the mountains.  As the boat moved further out of the fjord, the swells got to  3' or so and you had to grip a chair or hold onto a rail if you were not seated. Several people were looking a little green around the gills for a while.

We spent several hours at the Alaska Sealife Center.  About $37 million, only a portion of the Exxon Oil Spill settlement helped fund the aquarium.  This is the only ocean wildlife rescue center in Alaska for research, rehabilitation and education for marine life.  Exhibits include Stellar sea Lions, harbor seals, Puffins and a tank where you can touch sea stars, sea cucumbers, and more.  We took a behind-the-scenes tour.

HOMER,  AK

July 22, 2011

FREE DAY --  GIRLS DECLARED A SHOPPING DAY!

Another beautiful day in Homer.  We have been blessed.  We cooked big steaks on the grill at the campground for dinner.  Delicious!!  We hate to leave Homer as it is such a unique  village, from the spit, to the shopping, to the seafood, to the vista, to the farmers market, to the eagle's nest at the traffic signal.  Tomorrow is a travel day to Seward.

HOMER, AK

July 21, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,   JADE !!!!

LeRoy and I got up early to SKYPE birthday greetings to our bouncing baby girl, Jade, and talk with our favorite grandson, Brady. 

We went off in search of a hardware store and ran across a store that turned out to be a mall - the one store was the hardware store, the Hallmark store, the Ben Franklin, a clothing store, a shoe store,and a souvenir shop.  After checking out the downtown business district we had lunch at Crabbies expecting to have more seafood.  Their lunch menu was buffalo burgers, a crab sandwich, and salads and soups.  We think we know why it is called Crabbies -- the hostess/waitress was a real crab - acted like she was still asleep and we were bothering her by coming in to eat at the restaurant.    

Anchor Point is North America's most westerly highway point accessible by a continuous road.  A sign designating this point is located at the end of Beach Road. I was surprised to see there was also a Blue Star Memorial at the same location.  There is one also located in Rothschild. 

We drove down the Anchor Point Beach Drive as we heard that large tractors take the boat trailers into the ocean to retrieve fishing boats.  A local fisherman said it costs $60 for the launch and day parking.  He said he caught 2 fish.   LeRoy and Dick fished for 45 minutes without a bite.  Seems like all the salmon, including a 36" red salmon, were only interested in swimming up river and not interested in eating.

A delay in traffic provided an opportunity to converse with a highway flagger on our return trip.  He works for a road construction company that bid to install delineators along the highway.  We were surprised to learn he was a Badger fan. 

The Skyline Drive vista of the Homer Spit.  The spit is a long, narrow finger of land that juts out almost 5 miles into  the water.  It's breezy, open and surrounded by Kachemak Bay.  On it is a fishing lagoon where you can fish in saltwater that comes in with the tide.  The spit also has a boat launch and RV parks.

That evening the Wagon Masters and Tail Gunners provided a fish BBQ at the campground allowing everyone to taste halibut cheeks, rock fish, cod and halibut.  We also had birthday cake for two of the gals on the caravan.