Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Kenai Fjord National Park, Aug 28th

Anchorage Alaska, again, and tonight I’m doing the free stay…camping at the Harley dealership in town. Not sure if I mentioned that my first night in Anchorage, but the shop has a small park next door and a bathroom and shower for motorcyclists, which I fit the bill. My free stay at Larry and Allen’s bed and breakfast didn’t workout since they were full tonight, but if I stay another night, they’ll have a room for me. Thought about the hostel again since it’s within walking distance of the Glacier Brewhouse, but with the doors locking at 1:00 and since I found something for free, may be out a little late tonight. Have a few things to take care of in Anchorage that decided to make the two hour drive from Seward after the boat tour and what a beautiful ride…with the sun for a change. Still can’t claim a rain free day since got spit on along the ride, but getting a little spit compared to the rain where the rain gear is mandatory is much easier to handle.

What a beautiful day to do the Kenai Fjords National Park boat tour out of Seward and it’s really too bad that I didn’t have a camera to capture the sites…they are incredible. Woke up to sunshine, well, by alarm since if going on a boat tour, should do the 8.5 hour tour which leaves at 10:00, and after last night could’ve easily slept in. Since it was picture perfect out had Suzanne book the tour for me, remember that 10% discount and I’m set, now if I can just get this digital camera to work. Tried what worked for Best Buy, remember that lens cleaning kit I bought? well, that didn’t make any difference that today is for my eyes only, but like so many other things I’ve taken pictures of along the way and have tried to describe, it still comes down to the pictures would not do this place justice, it’s definitely a must come see on your own.

Before boarding the boat, decide to give Canon a call to see if there’s anything they can do for me and I should know better after having called them 5 times with the other camera only to get the same story…gotta send it in before they can do anything about it. Well, did tell them how unhappy I am with their product and that I’d like a manger to call me back to see if there’s something they can do for me because of my situation and if not, everyone who reads this blog will hear how I recommend…’Don’t buy Canon’. My situation is now finding another camera that can use my SD cards since it is something usable in a number of different products although some brands have their own proprietary memory sticks.

Now to try and describe everything that I saw without pictures to back it up, but it was s day full of sunshine, a lot of wildlife and some beautiful mountains and glaciers to take in. The first animal we saw on the way out of the harbor was a Sea Otter lying on its back in the water cleaning its face after breakfast. It’s something how they just lay there on their backs and float as well as they do, but pretty cool to get close enough to watch what their doing. Some other animals we saw on the way out were 4 porpoises who decide to follow us and like the captain said, make some noise because they like putting on a show, oh and these are some of the fastest swimmers around, hell they were doing circles around us. What next, except for some hump back whales and the deck hand Katie came on to tell us everything about them since she spends her time out of Alaska in Hawaii studying them…what a job, summer in Alaska and winter in Hawaii – sounds like the perfect thing to do, but have talked to a lot of people getting ready to leave for the winter to spend somewhere warm....found out the captain heads to Mexico after working the summer in Alaska just to play – that’s the kind of job I could handle. Well, the one thing we kept watching for with the whales was the tail and sure enough we saw it a few times that it would’ve made for a great picture, but for me, something I won’t soon forget having been able to see it live.

Saw a number of Sea Lions sunning themselves on the rocks and a lot of birds along the way of all sorts from the Puffins, to the Seagulls, some others I don’t remember, but the Bald Eagles were some to see. Remember the Puffin, the bird that flies thru the water with its wing instead of web feet? that’d be the one and where there were a number of different birds all huddled together on the water, it’s where the diving birds were feeding, but all the others, such as the Seagulls were hanging around cuz the diving birds were scaring fish to the service for the flying birds…that’s eating off from someone else, but nothing compared to a couple of birds battling it out over the water. Don’t remember what the two kind of birds, but the one chases the other around that pretty soon the one getting chased gets sick and looses it’s lunch, which is what the other bird is after…the others vomit – oh man, were there chunks in that batch?

There are glaciers all over around the Kenai Fjord Park, but it’s something else when you park a boat next to one that is standing a mile tall in front of you with chunks falling into the water. We did have to keep our distance incase a large enough chunk might break loose causing a tidal wave, remember seeing that one boat that almost capsized because of that, well, did stay our distance, but the thing to capture when the chunks are falling into the water are not only the pictures, but the sound…sounds like a gunshot and I’m not talking any wimpy gun, but a hell of a gunshot – now that’s something worth seeing.

Can’t forget to mention that we did get fed on this trip, both lunch and dinner and either you’re doing seafood all day with Halibut and Salmon or like me, a little chicken and
Salmon for dinner, but it was pretty good food. Oh, and the other thing, did meet a lot of people on the cruise, can’t say everyone which would be like me, but the majority of them. One interesting group was from Germany on a 4 week vacation, remember Come and Laetitia from Denali and Homer, like they said most European countries have 2 months of vacation and although they work 10 hour days most of the time, that definitely sounds like something us Americans could learn and maybe introduce, work a little longer to be able to vacation more. Anyway, they were interesting to talk to although I had an alterative motive when I saw their daughter, but hey, if I can make it to Germany for Oktoberfest, may have a chaperone and they thing a lot like those Canadian women, they don’t care about age, they are just looking to have some fun.

Well, like I said, pictures would not do what we saw today justice, but you have to experience it on your own and it really has me pushing to everyone, don’t wait until your old and grey to do an Alaskan vacation, do it sooner than later, you won’t regret it. Oh, and before I forget and it goes with my message to all of those with an RV or camper who just setup camp in their home state, you should really be using it for a trip to
Alaska and if you look at the pictures from Seward yesterday, you can park right along the bay, best view in the bay. Ok, still daylight out and although it looks like clouds between me and Anchorage, called Larry at the B&B and found out the weather is great in Anchorage that as long as I have things to take care of in town and it’s only a two hour trip, might as well go for it. Yep, just got spit on which may not count, but figured I should make the trip because have heard from a number of people that should start headin east because the season is coming to an end, and unless you want to ride thru the snow,
East is the way to go. Ok, making it this far should get me to Valdez tomorrow for a visit, but that’ll depend on how long it takes me to get things done in town before heading east, about an 8 hour trip I found out, but like I’ve heard, definitely a ride worth doing…only other thing’ll be whether I have a camera to share the ride or not....and have decided that need to make a return visit to Whitehorse even though thought about skipping it, but since I bought the camera there and I have Selina to visit with, why wouldn’t I. Let’s see if tomorrow shows us a different Alaskan day – no rain or spit. Sorry no pictures, even I'm disappointed. Few pictures from disposable camera.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

again time to get off the la la bike ride and get a job

8/29/2006 7:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you coming home to curl? Margie is yes as I am also. But we have a new person for Theresa. TG

8/30/2006 9:09 PM  

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