Ft Rich, AK to Homer, AK

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Left just after 8 AM today thinking that we could stop by the Post Office to buy stamps, and then go to Rec Services for info on the Military camp in Seward and get any info they might have on reservations for the National Park campground at Denali. Well, the Army has really changed !! Rec Services didn't open until 9 and the Post Office didn't open until 10. So we just decided to get going to Homer. Before we got out of Anchorage, the road was badly rutted giving me a lot of trouble keeping the car in the lane. So we pulled of to see if anything was wrong with the rig. Couldn't find anything, so just increased the tire pressure on the trailer whells from 34 psi to 41 psi. It seemed to help a lot. The highway was 4 lane until we got to the bottom of hill at the south end of town. There it narrowed down to two lanes, but WIDE lanes, with turn lanes, and passing lanes every couple miles. All the really sharp turns are gone, and you could actually drive 55-65 miles per hour safely. We didn't drive on any of the original road until we got down almost to Cooper Landing (Close to the Russian River). The camp grounds in Homer were all too expensive, so we decided to stay in a small plave on the north side of Anchor Point (about 20 miles north of Homer). When we signed into the campground, the owner showed us the moose cow and her calf that were grazing behind the campground. We left the campers and took the van down to Homer, and the Homer Spit. The Spit has REALLY changed!!! there are condos at the end of the spit, dozens of little stores in skid mounted utility sheds, 3 Private campgrounds (one of which charges $78/night - - it was almost empty) We stopped at a "scenic overlook" just outside of Homer and on top of the bluff above the spit. What a treat - - there were several eagles flying about and riding the updraft created by the wind blowing in from the inlet against the bluff. Kerry and I got to see a pair of bald eagles flying in formation - - wing to wing with lots of tight turns, dives, and climbs - - unfortunately, neither one of us had a camera. On the way down, there were several places where we could clearly see Mt Redoubt, and Mt Illiamna across Cook Inlet. They are snow and glacier covered and a little over 10000 feet high and we could see them from the water in the inlet all the way to their respective summit. Then down on the spit, we could see all the Kenei Mountains across Ketchemak bay. They also were covered with heavy snow and glaciers. It is the kind of beautiful scenery that one could never ever get tired of.

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Photos

Traffic on the Glenn Hwy
This is between Anchorage and Elmendorf AFB

Mt Redoubt
This is across Cook Inlet from the Kenai

Mt. Illiamna
Also across Cook Inlet

Moose and her Calf
This is at Busy Bee RV Park in Anchor Point, AK

Bald Eagle
This is over Homer SPit with the Kenai Mountains in the background

Salty Dog Saloon
This is at the end of Homer Spit