Hi Friends and Family,

We hope all are happy and healthy and for those that haven’t been well, we hope you are recovering. Our prayers are always with you.

As we continued our adventure in Alaska, we had a number of short stops. The campground we stayed at in Tok is worth mentioning. At Sourdough Campground each night they have a pancake toss. The point of the game is to toss a pancake and get it into a bucket. Though it sounds silly, it was a lot of fun. Each camper has three chances.  If you get it in, you receive a tiny pancake which can then be turned in for free breakfast! Kenny, Mark, and I lost, but Susan got one in. They have a great breakfast, a place to wash your RV and it is a welcoming campground to stay in if you are in or near Tok.

In Seward, we only stayed for two nights. In the area, there are a number of glaciers that are accessible from the road. With only one full day there,we chose to do a day hike at Kenai Fjords National Park. When we arrived we joined a Park Service Ranger group. The interpretive Ranger led us up to the mouth of Exit Glacier where you can see the blue ice and hear and see the raging water coming from the glacier.

We next ventured to Homer Spit which is located on the southwest tip of the Kenai Peninsula. Reaching almost five miles into Kachemak Bay, it is the longest road in the entire world that extends into the ocean. Seeing the Tsunami sirens and realizing how susceptible Homer is to storm surges, being on the Spit is a bit unnerving.

Although the area is small, there is much to see and do. Their Visitors Center is well worth a stop. Behind the Center are some walking trails and this area is great for eagle watching.  Of course, we had to make a showing at the Salty Dawg Saloon for a beer! This saloon is extremely popular and a great place for people to gather. Visitors from all over the world sign and date their dollars then attach them to the wall or ceiling. Monies are later donated to charities.

Cleaning the catch

Susan had her heart set on a fishing trip. Be aware that there are rules regarding fishing for salmon or halibut. Some days you may only catch and release halibut/salmon. Susan caught a halibut but couldn’t keep it because it was the wrong day!

Catch of the day – NOT Susan’s boat, NOT on Susan’s day

Watching the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day was a lot of fun, gift shops were hopping, a bubble making station is available to the public, and there are several nice restaurants to choose from.

As mentioned, in our last blog, we headed back to Anchorage from Homer. After seeing the doctor there, we were starting to head out of Alaska. We stayed a couple of nights in Glen Allen from which we took a day trip to Valdez which is located in Prince William Sound. Both the journey and destination provided lots of photo opportunities. Traveling, we saw a number of glistening waterfalls and glaciers.

We arrived during the Huge Pink Salmon Run and millions of salmon where making their way up the fish ladders at the Valdez salmon fish way. Having never seen such a sight, they were fascinating to watch. We also recommend joining the free historic Walking Tour. Stop at the Valdez Museum to sign up for the tour.

 

We debated whether to journey to Chicken, Alaska, or not. It is a very bumpy and dusty road to travel but we ultimately made the trip. How the town became named Chicken is funny. Since Ptarmigan were prevalent in the area, the locals wanted the town to be named Ptarmigan. Since agreement couldn’t be reached on the spelling of the bird, it was agreed they would call the town Chicken.

In the day, Chicken was a mining hub but now it is a tourist attraction. There are tours of real dredges that were used to mine gold, historical tours, and recreational gold mining trips.

Susan and I had a fun time panning for gold in our campground in Chicken.  We spent many hours in the hot sun and both came up with small flecks of gold.  One panner near us did find a nugget so we knew “there is gold in them there hills”. Unfortunately, only flecks were in our mining pans.

Mining Dredge used in the day!  Took this pic on my cell phone!

At our campground, there was a wonderful store, coffee bistro, and small restaurant. A short walk up the hill brings you to a bar with a local bar tender. We stopped by there for a drink and learned a lot about locals and a bit of history. There were hundreds of hats intermingled with hundreds of panties hanging from the ceiling of the small bar, each ragged and singed as the next. When we asked about them, he said, “Before we hang them up, we shoot them out of a cannon”. (Always interesting to talk with the locals.)

So we ended our Alaska adventure in Chicken, Alaska. Our trip has been enlightening, exciting, joyful, amazing, at times even scary and definitely unforgettable. We are grateful to our travel buddies, Susan and Mark. We shared experiences that can never be repeated. So many unexpected treasures were discovered. Susan and Mark never failed to entertain us with their photo bombs, quick wits, and “smack” talk during cribbage games. Every day in Alaska has been truly a gift.

Next adventures: Yukon Territory and British Columbia

Until next time, we raise our wine glasses and toast to all:

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

– Gustav Flaubert