2015
Summer Journey
Alaskan
Crossing, part 18
Kenai,
Soldotna & Seward
July 17, 2015
We’ve been 21 days in Alaska, traveling about 1831
miles so far just in Alaska alone. We’ll be leaving Bryer Lake SP this morning;
it was still raining this morning. There would be a couple of road construction
area we would pass through.
We’ll be heading for Kenai and Soldotna, along the
way making a stop at the visitor center and ate at a restaurant called the
Crazy Moose; the food was good, in Wasilla. Anchorage would just be an
overnight sleeping layover at the Walmart.
July 18, 2015
We didn’t leave Anchorage till late afternoon and
had 158 miles to Kenai. Passing through the Turnagain Arm mudflat area
presented some wonderful sights; we stopped at a large pullout along Old
Steward #1 highway.
Further down the highway we stopped at Kenai
Peninsula Tourist information center, they advertised free coffee, Unfortunate
they were closed but there is a great view of a Spencer Glacier (?)
From here it was nonstop motoring and sightseeing
for the truck window.
It was late when arriving at Kenai and the Walmart
was indeed a very popular RV layover destination.
July 19, 2015
We were told a good access point for the Kenai
River was at the Cunningham Point on Beaver Rd.
There were many people already there and the tide
was out, I didn’t have any mud boots at this time.
A couple had pulled in their first salmon of the
day. There wasn’t much action here so we relocated near the Warren Ames
Memorial Bridge, All though they were a lot of people at this fishing place no
one was pulling anything in, a trooper came around checking fishing licenses
from him I able to find out the the salmon were just sitting off the coast and
not coming in.
Julie and decided to head over to Soldotna to look
around and drop a line at the fish walk.
We return to Kenai and made one last try at Cunningham
Park, while there Julie spotted a juvenile Bald Eagle
sitting low on a tree branch.
July 20, 2015
I was told about a fish walk area by the airport
back in Soldotna, so one more day of trying for a salmon. It definitely a lot
of people fishing here.
This was the hot spot to be at, salmon were being
caught here and I pulled in my first catch.
I did pull in my first salmon, very happy about
it.
From Soldotna we headed for Morgan’s state Rec.
area. Due to a computer glitch I lost almost all the photos of Morgan’s State
Rec. area.
Julie has
made a nice salmon dinner, and we would get 6 meals out of that salmon. Tomorrow
we travel to Seward, about another 100 miles away.
July 22, 2015
A bit rainy this morning as we left Soldotna, but
we made good time to Seward, reaching this seaside town by 01:30 pm.
Stopping at the visitor center allowed us to
decide to stay at the city run Resurrection Camp area, Julie really wanted to
take a shower.
It didn’t long to find a suitable site (water
& electrical), what a fantastic view of the bat and the mountains. Julie
and I after setting up the rig decide to walk around the town. Walking down by
the shore we saw a helicopter take off from an anchored ship.
Walking further along the shoreline Julie saw a
brown bear and tried to make friends with it.
We came across a couple more interesting
monuments.
Julie and I wander around this part of town
checking out the different shops and restaurants. We found a bar and grill that had reasonable
pricing for seafood, we ate there. (No Photos)
July 23, 2015
Today we would go over to Nash Rd, a local told we
could fish for Red salmon over by the open dock area. As we traveled through Alaska we learned a
few things that Fish & Game didn’t tell us like in salt water you can do
real snagging with multi hooks.
This was our morning view; clouds had lifted
somewhat from the day before. Where I would be fishing was almost straight across
the bay
On the way to Nash road we would pass by the
cruise ship’s docking area, the off loading tourist would melt into the
landscape of the town; we didn’t see a sole hanging around.
Nash Rd was soon here and down this tree line lane
we went.
It was a short drive to basically the end of the
road and more fishing along the dock seawall. This area was also the city other
camping site, dry camping.
A local (couldn’t remember his name) was trying to
teach me how to snag these swimming beauties; it’s a lot harder than it looks.
I didn’t catch any today, but did accept an offer of two Red salmon caught from
the local. Back at the city camp site Julie cooked some of the Red salmon up,
delicious! It was a great way to end the day and what a view, some more clouds
had cleared away.
July 24, 2015
Exit Glacier is on our list before leaving Seward,
the road out to the glacier present a great view from of the pullouts.
On the road in (Exit Glacier Rd.) there are some
sign with numbers along the shoulder, we didn’t know what they were for till we
got to the visitor center.
The signage was the years that the toe of Exit
Glacier was at, one time in the ancient past near the City of Seward.
Trekking out to Exit Glacier was easy to do,
however it did require crossing a couple of treacherous bridges (not really).
Once there a roped off area guarded any further
access to the toe of Exit Glacier for safety reasons.
Returning was easier, all downhill.
It was good-by Exit Glacier as we were making the
long trek back to Anchorage, only making one pit stop at a wayside, there Julie
bought some elk and buffalo jerky from a vendor.
We would spend a day or so in Anchorage before
journeying on to Matanuska Glacier, McCarthy and Kennecott Copper Mill, till
then.
Thanks to everyone for reading my TCTRs, all comments
are welcome.
Link to previous Alaska Crossing, part 17
PART 19 of our Summer Journey, Alaska
Crossing.
Thanks, Alex Blasingame, aka c.traveler2.
