July 19 - 20, 2024 Discovery Campground Beach and Back to Soldotna

July 19th, 2024  

We woke to a beautiful day and headed down to the beach.  

Low tide - YEA!:

This area of the Cook Inlet is known for their agate beaches and that is what I was hunting!  Along with the great views, beautiful weather, nice walk, I did find some agates and some other cool rocks.  

Can't wait to cut them open (just have to find a place now - hopefully in Yuma or Quartzsite).

These rocks are huge and no, I did not take any - LOL:

If you look closely at the middle of this picture, there is an oil rig.  Behind that is the mountains and volcanos:

My rock hunting partner:

The mud flats of Cook Inlet:

The mud flats are very dangerous - it is like quicksand.  We threw a few rocks in and they just disappeared.

"Mudflats form when silt and mud are brought in by seas, oceans, and tributaries. The mud and the silt are deposited into bays and lagoons when the tide comes in. The water mixes with the mud and silt, creating the muddy quicksand that occurs in mudflats."

https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/07/13/the-true-history-of-cook-inlets-deadly-mudflats/

Those rocks are HUGE!:

We made our way back home and just relaxed in the sunshine.

He wants out and is not happy that he is inside:

Cool burl on the tree behind us:

"A burl is a rounded, woody growth on a tree trunk or branch that can be knobby in appearance. Burls are a collection of tree cells called callus tissue that form as a protective response to environmental stress, such as injury, disease, or infestation. The stress causes tissue from unopened buds to build up in layers, which can continue for decades. Burls can grow to be several feet across, weigh hundreds of pounds, or even reach 20 feet in height and width."

What a beautiful view:

This little one was hanging around us for most of the evening - we think it was a young one, just out of the nest:

We ended the evening with a great campfire and a supper of baked potatoes and steak - YUM!

July 20th, 2024

Today we headed south to Soldotna and are staying at the Soldotna Elks for the night.  We spent the day getting caught up with some things, shopping, and planning.  Tomorrow we are heading east so stay tuned and enjoy today.

Stats for July 20th, 2024

Stats for today:
Miles Traveled: 37 Miles
Routes Traveled:
Alaska: Kenai Spur Highway; Delta Avenue; Suthard Blvd.