1 July
The next adventure starts here! After a few days in Anchorage sorting out the vehicle and having a bit of a break, we finally said goodbye to all of our new friends. Armed with a traveller’s amulet from Jenny Brayshaw, which shows you the way and keeps you safe, we set off South West for the Kenai Peninsula and Cook’s Inlet. Great weather today but before we get away we have to go and pick up a snorkel head for the Toyota. The guys there just love the vehicle but took JC inside to show him another Toyota which had done a trip Argentina to Alaska! Paul thought you would like these photos.
Sadly our spare part had not arrived, but they are going to leave it behind a brick for us on Saturday, whilst they all go off roading together!
The Seward Highway runs alongside the Turnagain Arm and on a beautiful day like to day the views to Portage Glacier were stunning.
The day got even better as we spotted a bear catching his lunch in the Kenai River.
Feeling euphoric at our first sight of a GRIZZLY, we headed further South and camped at Clam Gulch on a bluff over looking the beach and Cook’s inlet. What an amazing view from our bedroom tonight. Have to admit though JC a bit worried as there has been a bear sighted near to the campsite today! After a walk on the beach, watching the fishermen, we retired to relax in the sun. We are missing the rest of the rally but not the speed of travelling with them!
2 July
After a great night’s sleep we drove south a little and had breakfast on the beach at the Boardwalk Café Ninilchik overlooking Cook Inlet, watching the clammers. Great breakfast.
Carried on to Anchor Point – the most westerly point on the North American Continent which is accessible by a continuous road system. Tried to ring you Julian but no reply – left message on Lucy’s mobile (it’s a thing we do from the far extremities of the world!). As we crossed the Anchor River we stopped to watch the anglers and the salmon. There were hundreds of salmon underneath the bridge, they looked like they were queueing up for a rest after successfully getting past the anglers!
Anchor Point................. Salmon fishing on Anchor River...
Coming into Homer the views were picture perfect and we drove on down to Homer Spit where we camped between the giant RVs, not usually our choice but limited camping here on the water. We caused quite a stir, with everyone coming up and admiring our “rig” and wanting to know where we were going and where we had been. Dale, Denise and the kids - our neighbours came in for a guided tour! Even here the salmon were jumping and the anglers on the beach in front of us caught there suppers quite easily.
More fishermen........................................
Wandered along to the Salty Dog for a drink. Great place with dollar bills stuck all over the ceiling – makes a change from hats. Lots of fishermen telling tales of the catches today mixing with the tourists. Linda, the bar maid recommended somewhere for supper and JC had a dream of a meal – fresh Katchemak Bay oysters followed by the halibut that Homer is famous for. – Geoff – these are definitely the best oysters ever!!!
Yes that's them in the distance....
3 July
Very very windy when we woke up on the Spit today. Worried about taking the tent apart and getting blown off out to sea! Managed but packed all awning on the back seats – JC doesn’t like this he likes things to be tidy you know! Our first day of miserable weather really as we stopped for breakfast of reindeer sausage and eggs for one of us and oatmeal for the other. Despite the weather, the light over the glaciers surrounding Katchemak bay was superb and couldn’t resist these photographs when we followed the road right to its very end - where else to go!
We tried to get on a bear watching flight today but it was US$ 633 per person. Thankfully it was booked up to 23 July or we could well have broken our budget for this month!! (only joking). Picked up our new sign for the Toyota – “Alaska to Argentina 2008” should get us plenty of notice as we drive along. At the internet café we met a young Dutch guy on his motor bike, alone, doing the same trip as us. He has already been up to Prudhoe Bay, so could give us some tips. We exchanged email addresses and told him to contact us if he needed anything. I feel sure we will meet up again somewhere on the journey south. Denise has got a very bad sore throat coming on – never thought I would been the anti biotics this early Nikki, so is feeling a bit down. That coupled with the first really wet day we have had didn’t make for a good day. JC stopped at a local supermarket to Yukon Jack, so that I could have a hot toddy once we park up for the night.
Every day has a silver lining –the rain stopped, we parked at a campsite called Morgan’s Landing 3.5 miles off the road in a very nice quiet place with bald eagles flying overhead. We met Paul and Donna from Colorado – great people who were again amazed at our “rig” especially the roof tent. Paul – you need to start selling them here – we have only seen one other one so far! The site was on a bluff overlooking the Kenai river, so we walked down after supper to watch the anglers. Sang and made a lot of noise, just in case there were any bears in the wood.
Cox winestopper - he is his mother's son... By the River... Couldn't resist this one.
Nice place ................... Bear tracking.....
4 July
Independence Day – overcast again and there had been rain in the night, but it kept off until we got the tent packed away and were heading for Seward and the Mountain Marathon – not to take part you know just to spectate. Denise still sniffling well but we had a great breakfast at Gwinis roadhouse built in 1952 – which was of course a good year. Lots of traffic heading for Seward and when we got into town it was chaos with people camping all over the place – tents on any piece of land that they could find, even though it might say “no camping” We couldn’t get any place to park so took a couple of shots of the runners and headed out of town to Exit Glacier, where we hiked up the trail to stand very near to it.
Don't think guy in red did it....... TV crews for us??????????????? Exit Glacier.........
One for Faye.................... Yes we did walk it........... Don't see many like this in UK....
As we headed North, Denise got worse and we decided not to camp but to head on to Anchorage, where we were able to get a hotel room for the night. Looking forward to having dinner with Justin tomorrow night.