Kenai Peninsula

July 21, 2023

After leaving Seward, we drove down to Homer and experienced more rain and fog.  We camped at Anchor Point State Park and were surprised to find ourselves at the most westerly point on the US highway system.

Anchor Point - across is Cook Inlet is Katmai National Park - not visiting because of the

pricetag to fly over there.

We made it out to the end of the Homer Spit to Land's End.  When in Homer, it is something 

you have to do.

From the highway overlook as we approached Homer, fog completely covered the town

and water with the mountaintops sticking up.

We have visited numerous visitor centers in state and national parks, national forest ranger stations, and other public facilities and we were blown away by this one in Homer.  The detail of the displays was amazing

 down to the kelp-shaped bronze hardware on the doors and shells and fish figures embedded in the floor.  We saw a film about the amazing people who endure much hardship to conduct wildlife studies in the Aleutian Islands.

 

In Soldotna, we stopped at another visitor center.   We have skipped other opportunities in Alaska to "kiss a moose", but this one was hard to pass up.

Early morning moose sightings after leaving Captain Cook State Park Campground...

The town of Kenai has Russian roots.  While there, we had a very clear morning to see some of the volcanic mountains across Cook Inlet, some quite active as recently as 2009.

Mt. Redoubt, erupted in 2009

Mt. Iliamna

Before leaving Soldotna, Kris was able to get a refill on her seizure meds in preparation for going back into Canada in about 10 days.  She felt like she had an ear infection so we stopped in at an urgent care clinic.  Surprise! We both tested positive for covid for the first time and were handed boxes of paxlovid.   We returned to our favorite Alaska campground in the Portage Valley to rest and recuperate for four days.  Our symptoms were very mild and we were able to nap each afternoon and hike a little each day.

Not a bad place to isolate!

Glacial erratic behind one of the outhouses in the campground

Cottonwood seeds in drifts along the "Bird to Gird " Trail 

(Bird Point on Turnagain Arm to Girdwood)

equipment used in avalanche mitigation

Before leaving the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, we finally timed it right to witness the bore tide.

With tide chart in hand, we settled in at an overlook and saw one come in.  This is the only place in the US that one can be seen.  We saw one in New Brunswick back in 2015.

These were the only belugas we were able to spot in the area:

We made a short overnight visit to Anchorage for an oil change and to buy groceries.  While there, we had a picture-perfect day to make a return visit to Hatcher Pass north of Palmer.  I think half of Alaska residents were waiting for the great weather because the place was overrun with people and cars.  Below are pictures of both of our visits, taken about two weeks apart:

Our van was the only vehicle in the parking area on our first visit.

Look at all the cars!  We had to hike up to the Hatcher Pass monument.

a "Sound of Music" moment

A woman gave us this painted rock some weeks ago at an overlook along

the Alaska Highway.  This seemed like a perfect opportunity to take a photo 

and post it on her Facebook page as requested.

Just down the road from Hatcher Pass is Independence Mine State Historical Site with the ruins of a gold mining operation.