We say goodbye to the Kenai Peninsula

We left Homer Sunday and drove up to Soldotna.  On the way, we had to stop at Anchor Point to have our photo taken by the sign that says this is as far west as you can drive on the North American continent. Now we have been to both ends of US 41 and we have driven as far west as you can.  I wasn't about to drive as far north as you can because the Dalton Highway will destroy your car.  Rental companies won't even let you take one up there.

Salmon fever is still in full swing there.  We couldn't get up to a gas pump let alone find a place to park.  Business is good for those who depend on the salmon run.  I knew we could drive over to the city of Kenai to find gas.  It is just a short drive from Soldotna.

The salmon action has moved upstream for Kenai so things have settled down there.  We had a long list of things to pick up at Walmart.  After several trips back and forth to the store we still thought of something else we needed.  We decided to stay the night in the parking lot.  The campgrounds are overflowing in this whole area.

Darlie, Bob and Bob Jf.

This morning we continued our trek up the Sterling Highway towards Anchorage.  We stopped in Cooper Landing to pick up Darlie's moose.  You should see it.  It is a bullwinkle look alike.  Bob, the creator of the moose, was hesitant thinking we might not like it.  Both of us were delighted with his appearance.  I took a few photos of Darlie, Bob and Pam, Bob's wife, together with the moose.  I think we will call the moose Bob or maybe R.J., Bob's initials.  Bob made "Bob" so his horns come off making him easier for us to pack into the motor home.  As we drove away, Bob and Pam were waving goodbye with big smiles on their faces.

There are so many beautiful wildflowers in Alaska.  Each week a new one blossoms as an old one fades.  As we drove along the Sterling Highway, we were taken by the beauty of the Alaskan Fireweed.  It is the state flower.  Darlie made me stop several times so she could get photos of them.  It was a rainy day.  I think  the rain added to their beauty.  What do you think?

Fireweed

Traffic was heavy around Turnagain Arm.  The road is narrow and winding.  The scenery is better.  We stopped at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  They have elk, moose, bears, carabou, muskox and buffalo roaming on the grounds.   Some of these animals are rescue animals.  The buffalo are being raised to reintroduce into the wild.

Grizzly Cub

We watched to brown (grizzly) bear cubs romp and play in their area.  They look like large teddy bears.  They hardly look dangerous.  One of the keepers went into the enclosure to feed them.  He has them trained to sit up and to raise their paw for more food.  They really seemed to enjoy his interaction and company.  After their dinner, they went back to acting like a couple of adolescants again.

Elk

All the antlered critters are in velvet.  That is when their horns look fuzzy while they are growing.  The elk have massive antlers as do the carabou.  You wonder how they keep their balance with those things waving around over their heads.

Carabou or Reindeer

After we had walked around the park for a time, we realized we had been here before.   Our bus driver on our Holland America tour drove us through here.  It was much smaller then.  He threw the extra activity in because our Portage Glacier cruise had been canceled due to high winds.

Anchorage is a relatively small city but very modern.  It is like any small city in the lower 48.  For Alaska though, it is very busy.  We had forgotten what traffic was like.  Honestly, cars zooming in and out around us made us a bit nervous.  It is funny how quickly we lose our sense of balance in such situations.

In Anchorage, we picked up the Glenn Highway.  It will take us over to the Richardson Highway that will take us to Valdez.  There are only a few highways in Alaska.  The major ones have route numbers but every one of them also has a name that is more commonly used.  There is the Parks Highway from Fairbanks to Anchorage,  the Sterling Highway from Anchorage to Homer and so on.  Looking at a map of Alaska is deceiving.  It looks like it is just a little way between things until you look at the scale of miles.  Alaska is a very big place.

Matanuska River

We stopped at an overlook of the Matanuska River near Palmer.  The cliff is fenced to keep you from falling over the edge.  You are up very high above the river.  Places like that make me very nervous.
Tonight we are camped in the King Mountain State Recreation Site on the banks of the Matanuska River.  It is a wild place.  Nothing fancy here.  A bear or a moose could walk by at any time.  I love places like this.