The day started off nice enough, but as we drove further along the Cook Inlet, we watched the fog just above the waterline…
…and enjoyed the mountain views as we went.
This was an interesting moment when there were clouds floating across the mountains, fog just above the water, and all of it reflected in the mirror-like water below.
Then the fog moved inland, and changed the way we normally saw the caravan ahead of us moving down the highway in ghostly fashion.
Soon we left the Inlet behind and moved out on the Peninsula, which is another beautiful part of Alaska.
As always happens when we have been driving for a couple hours, it is time for a rest break and a to give all the dogs a chance to do their thing.
In this case, we all just wandered around taking pictures of the great scenery.
Then we were on the roll again, surrounded with all this beauty.
Kenai gets more rain and so is very green but the Fall colors are beginning to show here and there.
A good part of the drive is along the Kenai River, which is a beautiful blue-green and punctuated with the brilliant gold in the trees.
Just outside of the town of Soldotna, on our way to Homer, is a great wood carver. We stopped in, not only to see the carvings, but to pick up some BBQ sandwiches that are sold on the same property.
The carvings are amazing, however the BBQ place had a big, “Closed for the Season” sign out. So did the ice cream place next door. Disappointing because this caravan travels on it’s stomach!
There are three active volcanoes just off the Kenai Peninsula and we could see them all. I just can’t remember all their names or know for sure which one is which.
Finally we arrived at Homer, known for it’s great fishing.
There is also an impressive glacier surrounding the top of one of the nearby mountains.
This is a really neat RV park. It sits on the side of a hill that slopes down to the bay, and has mountains on the opposite side.
Don and I were there early, as we always are, waiting for the caravan to roll in.
When they arrived, they found that the fishing had already begun…by a rather strange fisherman, as it happened having caught a couple of the red and green King Salmon.
We had a full moon that evening, and the view even at dusk was again, breath-taking.
Homer has a long thin piece of land that curves far out into the bay, called a Spit.
It is here that all the little shops, restaurants, and fishing charters are located along a board walk.
Another point of interest for fans of the TV show, “The Deadliest Catch,” is the Salty Dawg Saloon. This is the place that the crew members of the fishing boats hang out… or so I’m told.
So this is a place you have to check out just to say you’ve been there, and it’s pretty interesting at that.
Virtually every square inch of the place is covered with one-dollar bills, with notes and names written on them.
I asked the waitress if they knew the value of the cash hanging everywhere. She said it had been estimated at about $35,000. Wow!
She also said every summer, some one snatches one or two bills, and occasionally they get an anonymous envelope in the mail with a few of them back from those with a guilty conscience.
The Marina was of interest to most of us as we were planning to go halibut fishing the next day.
So there we were, bright and early, dressed to the teeth against the weather, and with a huge box of donuts, just in case…
We all piled on the Sizzler and powered out into the ocean for about an hour before the serious work of fishing began.
And serious it was. Our lines all had a five pound weight and then when we got a fish on there, too, well, it was no easy task to reel the line in.
The limit was two fish each, and most of were glad we were not expected to catch any more, as we were exhausted and ready to quit…beside there was coffee and donuts to take care of.
After everyone was finished catching their fish, the crew spread out all our fish so we could take a picture….
…and then they began cleaning them and bagging them for us. Don and I ended up with 20 pounds of fillets from our four fish. We were happy campers.
Finally we were all back in port, some with stories about the one that got away.
There was an area of lagoon-like water at the beginning of the spit, where we spotted some Tundra Swans with their young.
There were several of them there. However most of the pictures I took was only of their rear ends as they spend a lot of time upside down feeding…especially just when I snap my camera.
Right across the road was an eagle’s nest with two young ones on the nest.
On Sunday we always have what Spike calls, “Prayer Group.” This Sunday happened to be September 11, so he had some special things planned.
Spike asked Don to read the tribute to the heroes of Flight 93 in Shanksburg, Pennsylvania, that had been given by President George W. Bush the day before. It was a very impressive tribute.
Then we all loaded up and headed off to Kenai, but with just a bit of sadness, as this would be our last stop and the end of the tour.
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