On to Valdez, AK

08/09/13

A beautiful sunrise greeted us as we continued our journey on the Glenn Highway.  The road became bumpy with some major construction as we neared Glennallen, AK where we joined the Richardson Highway southbound to Valdez.  The weather deteriorated quickly as we entered the coastal mountains.  Low clouds, fog, and rain became prevalent (and would stay with us throughout our stay in Valdez).  We settled into the Bear Paw RV Campground and found Mike’s Restaurant in Valdez for a wonderful dinner with Bobby.

Saturday really didn’t dawn, it just poured down.  We wondered in Bobby’s flight on ERA Airlines would arrive this evening.  Bobby packed after lunch and Joy and Don drove him to the airport.  The flight was running about 1 hour late but the locals just shrugged their shoulders without complaint.  Alaskans get used to the weather here as it does not cause the frustration apparent with a visit to any airport in the Lower 48.  He got on returning to Anchorage on a ticket and then caught a Delta flight to Minneapolis and St. Louis early Sunday morning.

We very much enjoyed Bobby’s visit to us having shown him a great deal of different geography here in Alaska.

RV Report:  Glenn Highway is good to the Matanuska Glacier area then deteriorates eastbound until Glenhallen.  The Richardson Highway southbound is rough until about 30 miles north of Valdez.

Diesel Fuel:  $ 4.72/gallon

Sunday morning is again cold and wet here in Valdez as Bob and Sharon do some laundry and Joy grocery shops at Safeway.  We will travel later today north about a hundred miles to Chitina as we prepare to enter Wrangell-St. Elias National Park traveling the McCarthy Road some 60 miles to Kennicott.

View south from Glenn Highway

Wrangell Mountain Range appears on the Glenn Highway

Another National Park for Joy

Southbound on the Richardson Highway

Approaching the coastal mountains, rain and fog

First views of Worthington Glacier

Bobby takes an up-close look

Looking south right up into the Bagley Iee Fields

Bobby and Joy endure rain and cold for a closer look

Just north of Valdez you join the river valley

Small Boat Harbour at Valdez, AK

Bobby fishing the Upper Kenai River and travel toward Valdez, AK

08/07/13

Wednesday morning found Bobby, Don, and Bob Relyea up early and out on the Upper Kenai River with guide Mike Adams drift-boating fishing for trout and salmon.  With cooler, drizzly conditions the trio faired pretty well catching a number of trout and three nice salmon.  We did a bit of laundry and had a nice dinner of barbeque at the only local restaurant.

Bob lands a beautiful trout but it's Catch and Release

Bobby hangs onto his first salmon

Bobby is all smiles landing his first Kenai River salmon

Later in the day he lands another

08/08/13

Thursday dawning foggy, rainy, and cool as we packed up at the Russian Falls Campground in Cooper Landing, AK.  Joy and Bobby took the Jeep ahead planning at stop in the Potter Valley to hike to Byron Glacier (where Sarah, Jason, Joy, and Don had hiked).  No such luck as fog had all but obscured the views.  Don followed solo in the motor home with Bob and Sharon up the Seward Highway toward Anchorage.

Joy and Bobby took the opportunity to stop at Humpy’s Restaurant in Anchorage for lunch to enjoy a previous treat – the Crab Roll.  Early afternoon found all gathering at the Fred Meyer’s in Palmer, AK before driving about 20 miles north of Palmer to see Hatcher Pass, an old mining community in the mountains.  This gravel road still is passable westward to Willow, AK.  After some sightseeing we returned to our coaches traveling westward about another 60 miles to near the Matanuska Glacier stopping at a beautiful roadside campground – Grandview RV Park.

Bobby barbequed dinner for all – burgers and reindeer sausage.

Beluga Point approaching Anchorage the sun appears

Panorama on the Glenn Highway east of Palmer

Hatcher Pass look west toward Willow, AK

The trail snakes through the Pass

Don, Joy, and Bobby at Hatcher Pass

Mining in still active here for Gold

Looking down on the city of Palmer, AK

Fireweed is about done in this beautiful valley

The Sustina River east of Palmer

Matanuska Glacier from Glenn Highway

Bobby tackles some barbecue for the group

Halibut fishing in the Gulf of Alaska

We enjoyed a cool and rainy Sunday here in Homer.  Bob, Bobby, and Don went down to the end of the Spit to try a little surf fishing.  Fishing was pretty good though we employed “catch and release” for those fish not wanting to clean them in the rain.  

All were up quite early Monday (5 A.M.) and off to do some halibut fishing out in the Gulf of Alaska.  We boarded the Nauti-Lady and headed out about 27 miles.  We all caught our limit of two halibut as we share with you below.  We arrived back around noon and headed to Coal Point Fish Processing with about 50 pounds of fresh halibut.  Bobby will be shipping it home via FEDEX tomorrow morning.

Tuesday will find us moving north again to center Kenai as we plan one more fishing trip on Wednesday on the Kenai River for salmon and trout.

Departing Homer at 7:10 AM

Sharon and Don both have fish on quickly

Sharon lands a "keeper"

Joy is up next cranking in 260 feet of line

Joy and the Captain land a nice one

Joy strikes again!!!!!

Bobby hauls in a nice one (the halibut)

Our catch for the day

Fileting the halibut begins on the way in

Seeing Homer, AK with Bobby

8/4/13

Our son Bob arrived Friday morning to visit this week.  Despite a rainy forecast we have planned out our week ahead.

Friday afternoon we arranged for a float-plane sightseeing flight around Kachemak Bay, and on Monday a halibut fishing trip for the five of us.  Our flight was informative and allowed for many pictures of the area.

We had dinner at Fat Olive’s Restaurant here in Homer.  This Italian place was quite busy but the food was worth the wait.

Saturday dawned rainy and cool so we lounged around most of the day with Bob cedar-plank grilling some or our fresh salmon in the evening.  Sunday we may take in the Pratt Museum or the Alaska Sea Life Center.

The first sunrise we had seen in many weeks

Our view this morning

Bobby, Joy, Don ready for takeoff at Stellar Air dock

Airborne off Homer, AK

Note the curved runway on a sandbar

Seldovia, AK across the Bay from Homer

Glacier flight-seeing

Halibut Cove, AK where our friends
Bob and Sharon were having dinner as we flew by

Our motorhomes on the beach (center-right)

A Bald Eagle cruises by our window

Another Eagle looking for his supper

Homer small boat harbor

Yummy Italian Food

Homer, AK

Tuesday brought a quiet day for some shopping and sightseeing as we prepare to move down to Homer, AK.

Wednesday morning dawned clear and cool again as we got underway stopping at the fish processing plant to pick up our salmon already vacuum packed and flash frozen for us.  Traveled about 75 miles south along the Sterling Highway mid-day.  We were disappointed that more of the coast is not visible from this tree-lined road but we would still say the views are scenic.  Road conditions deteriorate a bit south of Kasilof with one major repaving project underway between Ninilchik and Homer.

Sterling Highway south of Ninilchik

Passing the crest of a hill just north of Homer transforms the view from rolling spruce forest dotted with Fireweed to mountainous oceanfront in a matter of seconds.  We arrived at our campground midway down the Homer Spit (a three mile, hundred yard wide gravel bar in the middle of Kachemak Bay).  We are now parked in the Heritage RV Park, site 19 for the next week.  Our son Bob is on his way as I write this blog from St. Louis.

We plan to test this sign!!!!

First views of the Homer Spit

Joy wanted a room with a view - she got it.......

Oldest building on the Spit

This is the “apogee” of our route as we have traveled from St. Louis to Alaska.  Our motorhome has now traveled 4,274 miles.  The Jeep has traveled many more touring about while we have been camped.  Albeit a little dirty they continue to perform without problems.

RV Report:  Fuel: $4.56/gallon for diesel and $ 4.25/gallon for gasoline.
Road conditions deteriorate a bit south of Kasilof but driving 55 MPH with good shoulders and several pullouts.

Sharon and Joy parked again

Beautiful Kachemak Bay and Homer Spit
Kenai Fjords National Park and Kachemak State Park
across the Bay

Grewingk Glacier

Mt. Redoubt Volcano about 80 miles away

                                                Fields of Fireweed Video - Click Here