Alaska - Day 4

Day 4 we are on the move again,

heading south to Homer.

But first, a stop in Soldotna at the Moose Is Loose bakery.

Lots of wonderful donuts, even giant donuts, breads & cute fish shaped cookies.

That will help the miles pass!

The views are gorgeous as we travel the Sterling highway.

We stop at Anchor Point for another wonderful Backroads picnic.

And then gear up for a bike ride into Homer.

Here's a view of the Homer spit, a 4.5 mile low lying piece of land jutting into the Kachemak Bay.

It is believed that the spit is a terminal moraine, a result of a now retreated glacier.

At any rate the spit has the longest road in the world going out into the ocean.

And we get to bike to the end where our hotel awaits!

A little Homer flavor

Finally at our hotel

The hotel is at the end of the spit on a rocky beach.

We delighted in seeing the sea otters swimmimg outside our window.

They seemed to be just as curious about us as we were of them.

They would pop up and watch as beachcombers walked by!

Alaska - Day 3

Today is a big day.

 Not only do I check off national park number 44, Kenaii Fjords National Park, 

but we will be hiking to the Harding Ice Field as well.

We are hiking on the edge of the Exit glacier.

 The trail starts off in trees and blueberry bushes.

As we climb, we can see the distant mountains & the river.

And we spotted a cow moose & her two calves.

 As we climbed higher, we entered an alpine environment.

 Climbing higher we encountered snow and even a waterfall of melting snow.

Nearing the top we were hiking on scree rock fields as we approached the emergency hut.
Can you see it near the top of the hill we are climbing?

 Finally we reach the top, rewarded with views of the 700-square-mile Harding ice field.
The ice field is the source of 38 named glaciers.

Celebrating our ascent - 3400 feet and 5.5miles to the top!

Alaska - Day 2

Day 2 dawned cool & misty, but hey, we're in Alaska, and having fun!

(We don't realize that that will be the theme of the trip!)

 Our hike today is up to Ptarmigan Lake, where we found its namesake.

We also saw charming "smurfhouse" mushrooms.

 After several miles, we arrived at the aquamarine Ptarmigan Lake.

 A perfect lunch spot.

Oh, and we saw bears!  

A little too close for comfort, but we survived the encounter.

 Back from our hike we've relocated to the port town of Seward.

 We got there just in time to see the fishing boats arrive with the days catch.

 The fishermen filleted their catch right there on the dock.

 Some of the days haul.

Weighing an 81 pound halibut.

Dinner was seafood that night!

Alaska - The Last Frontier!

Lisa & I went on out annual mother/daughter trip, 

this year going to the Kenaii Peninsula in Alaska.

We traveled with the tour company, Backroads

who really took care of us.

Th first day we biked along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.

The coastal trail is an 11 mile paved trail along the Cook Inlet, at times winding through a lush forest.

 Saw sandhill cranes walking in the mud flats along the trail.

 After a picnic lunch, we drove down to Girdwood and hiked the Winner Creek Trail.

I dutifully signed the register, in case we came up missing.

 The trail crossed Winner Creek, a beautiful glacial-fed creek.

Although it was a misty day, we enjoyed the lovely forest. 

The best part of the trail is the hand tram passing over a gorge with the creek surging below.

A pulley system allows you to pull yourself across on a 2 person tram. 

 The hikers waiting to cross helped pull the ropes, creating a sense of camaraderie

 as we all pulled the tram back & forth across the gorge.  

It was exhilarating fun!

Just Hangin' Out

 I saw theses two on my morning walk today!

Off to Escanaba

We are headed to Escanaba, Michigan in the upper peninsula

for an Airstream rally.

Over 700 Airstream trailers attended the rally.

While we were there, we visited some local sights, such as the Sand Point Lighthouse.

 And Peninsula Point Lighthouse

 Peninsula Point is where thousands of monarch butterflies gather for their annual migration over the great lakes.  We only saw two, but it was early in the season.

 We lso traveled north to the Pictured Rocks National Seashore near Munising.

 We checked out the Miner's Castle 

And Munising Falls

Finally, on our way home, we visited Manistique Lighthouse

And spent the night at Petoskey State Park

Where I found the state rock of Michigan, the Petoskey stone.

Michigan is always such a fun place to visit!

Singing Wren