We are slowing down on this trip. We slept in a bit before having breakfast at the resort. There is a shortage of restaurants in Girdwood and the resort offerings are good, but not great. A great restaurant you want to return to, a good one works if you have no other choices.
After breakfast we loaded into the Suburban and headed for Kenai
. We passed many of the same places we have been over the past few days. Around the end of Turnagain Arm, onto the Kenai Peninsula, past the Hope turnoff and on towards Moose Pass and Seward. Today we turn off the Seward Highway and onto the Sterling Highway. This road takes us southwest to the west side of the peninsula.
As we drop down into fishermans paradise, Cooper Landing, the peaked mountains are behind us and rolling hills of woodlands and flat marsh take over the terrain.
We pass Kenai lake and cross over the Kenai river several times. Each time we see the glacial cold water with fly fisherman everywhere. 10 on the bank, a pair of drift boats with three fisherman each. Cooper Landing is nothing but bait & tackle shops, fishing guides, and lodging.
Next we enter Sterling, where the highway is anewly paved four lane road with curbs and lights - but not much to the town
. Maybe they are planning for some growth. We stopped to take a picture a and old one room log school that a friend once went to school in. They have put a new roof on it and replaced a few rotten logs over the years.
Continuing west we enter Soldotna before turning a bit north for the city of Kenai. Soldotna and Kenai are the biggest towns we have been to since Anchorage. They have Fred Meyer, Walmart, Walgreens, hospitals, athletic centers, and lots a drive thru coffee places.
We drive through the old town area of Kenai. Before the Alaska Purchase the Russians had several forts where the traded furs and fish. Old Kenai is where one of those forts where. After the Alaska Purchase the Americans operated trading forts as well. There are many log building dating back to the late 1800s. Here we have a beautiful view of Cook Inlet. There are beaches below the bluff. Ina clear day you can see across the inlet to Mt Redoubt and to the east you could see the glacial mountains
. Today is overcast and rainy so we cannot see across the inlet and the mountains to the east are shrouded in low clouds.
We found a quaint, quirky and busy coffee shop for lunch right in the old town area. Veronica's subscribes to the Alaskan "no building code needed" philosophy. Regardless of the building, the food was very good.
We drove south along the inlet before turning east through Soldotna back towards Girdwood. Kenai and Soldotna seem to be less tourist and more commercial. The drive back is slowed by the frequent tourists in their rental class C motor homes. Most are 24 footers and leading 7-8 cars each.
To see Alaska you can take the Alaskan railroad tours, the cruise ship tours, rent an RV, or rent a car. There are many 50 passenger tour buses ferrying cruise ship passengers to inland locations and then back to their ships. This morning as we were leaving our hotel we encountered the exodus of 3 bus loads of cruisers and the luggage. It made our own exit an adventure getting through the crowd.
Back in Girdwood the rain continues to fall. We head to a local restaurant called Jack Sprat for dinner. The food was good. Back at the hotel we retire to our room to watch some of the Olympic races before bed.
Last day tomorrow.
Day 6 in Alaska
Friday, August 12, 2016
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
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2025-02-12