Glenn Highway and the Kenai

Well, we are finally in Alaska and getting somewhere. After waiting for Don's uncle and Rose in Tok for a couple of days, the four of us headed towards Anchorage. We parked in a Home Depot parking lot for two nights while Don and Al got work done, windows repaired, tires rotated, and oil changed. It was a productive day and we were ready to then head down the Kenai Peninsula.

Alaska has a most interesting phenomenon. There are Espresso shacks everywhere. Espresso is big here. A shot of espresso costs about 1.00. There was even a shack in the Home Depot parking lot. Anchorage is a pretty big city. Don and I went to the Anchorage Public Library, one of the most beautiful facilities I have ever seen. Its architecture is unusual. It has three levels and a beautiful fountain, a cafe, and tons of free space to relax and read.

The Kenai Peninsula is like nothing I have ever seen before. Mountains surrounding the ocean with views of indescribable beauty. The photos do not do it justice. Don took the photo here of the eagle having lunch while on a short drive today. Today we also went on a wildlife cruise that left from Seward. We saw so much wildlife including bald eagles, sea otters, puffins, seals, mountain goats, and even orcas and a humpback whale. We were served a wonderful lunch of salmon and prime rib with all of the fixings. The cruise lasted 5 hours and even though it was an overcast misty day, we saw a lot and enjoyed it thoroughly. We are staying at a very nice campground attached to a lodge, and will leave tomorrow for Soldatna. Don and his uncle plan to fish.
They will hire a guide and hopefully have some luck. We will be in Alaska for at least three weeks before heading home. Don's birthday is Saturday so hopefully we will celebrate that day. It's kind of fun having company on this leg of our journey, and Rose and Al are fun to be with. We have laughed a lot. The last photo here is of the Matanuska Glacier, one of the most spectacular ones we have seen.