July 18-21, 2009 Ninilchick, Homer, New Friends, and Rain

To those following, sorry I haven’t posted in a few days….  To catch up this is what we have been up to.

Saturday, 18th, was a rainy day so we hung out and went to the Legion for steak night with Dennis and Carol and had a great time.

Sunday, 19th, it continued to rain and Sunday afternoon, we meet with more Escapees.  Peggy and Larry who have a home here in Ninilchik invited us and a number of other Escapees in the area to a potluck at their house. What a WONDERFUL time.  And we each got a present – Fresh Halibut – MMMMM.    Larry and Peggy – THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Monday, 20th, we woke to a very low tide:

 

And took a walk to watch the people clamming:

 

We thought about going – supposed to be some great clamming over the next few days – lots of negative tides but did not – :-((.   First we have no clue and second no license or equipment….  Oh well..

We did spend quite a bit of time watching the boats going in and out.  Because of the tides they launch boats and bring them back by using a tractor.  Really neat to watch:

 

And he is away….

We decided to move on to Homer since there is still rain in the forecast.

Stats:

Miles Traveled:  39 miles

Routes Traveled:

Alaska: SR-1 (Sterling Highway)

We arrived around noon and set up in the City Campground right on the spit.  Here is our site at high tide:

We took a walk to the fishing hole next to us:

 

And saw this little seal looking for his next meal – LOL!!:

 

We checked out some places in town and stopped at the American Legion.  When we got back, we had a phone call from Pennie and Dave who we met at Fairbanks.  They are camped right by us and we stopped by to see them.  And we all had a great campfire night, along with Bob and  Linda, more fellow Escapees for a great campfire night. (Did I say that I love this club for the camaraderie!)

One last picture for Monday – low tide:

On Tuesday, 21st, we woke to more rain and winds.  They were calling for gusts up to 35 mph here but I really don’t think it was that high.  So we went to the Pratt Museum.  Those who have been following me for a while might remember that this was the museum that talked a lot about the oil spill and left quite an impression on me – I could not imagine how the folks lived thru it..   And I hate to say it but I did avoid reading some of the displays this time around (because it had upset me so much last time).   A neat thing they have here is a live cam at the Brooks Falls to watch the bears.  We sat for a while and were able to see some of the bears and listen to the interpreters talk about their habits there and information on the area.

Here are two interesting tidbits for you on Alaska:

                                           

We also went to the Harrington Cabin – this is a typical homesteader’s cabin in Homer.  It was interesting to go thru the inside and learn about the people who lived here.  What hardy and brave people.

 

Later in the afternoon, the wind and rain picked up and high tide was pretty incredible!!

So no campfire tonight but we did get lots of wood!!!  Andy was talking with one of our neighbors who have friends here and we were able to get almost a truckload – Yippee!!

Pennie and Dave invited us over tonight and we had a great time chatting and playing Pegs and Jokers…   Pennie is also a beader and does some beautiful work!  Thank you Pennie and Dave.

We haven’t decided what we are doing yet.  The forecast is iffy but yet it can change rapidly here.   So we may just stay here for a few more days and wait it out…

July 17, 2009 - Travel to Ninilchik, Eagles, and New Friends

We left Quartz Creek Campground this morning under cloudy skies and made our way down the Sterling Highway.  One last look at the Kenai Lake (how about those clouds!):

We made a small stop at Fred Meyers in Soldotna.  Wow – was it crowded!!!  Andy stayed with the MH while I did the shopping.  From there we continued our travels to Ninilchik and are staying at the Deep Creek Beach (SRA).  We were able to get a spot facing the Cook Inlet:

You cannot see it due to the clouds but right across the inlet is Mt. Redoubt.   I am hoping the clouds clear for some good pictures.   The campground is small but WHAT A VIEW!!!

Here is our site:

Once we set up, we took a walk around:

How about this little one:

 

And I came upon this young eagle eating:

Taking a drink:

And away we go:

What a treat to see.

We met one of our neighbors, Dennis and Carol (fellow Escapees) and spent some time chatting.  We had been communicating by email for a while so it was great to finally meet face to face.  They have a blog of their travels: www.rvdrivingschool.blogspot.com   -  the pictures are incredible.

Andy and I stopped by the local American Legion and then the local school for pizza – great pizza.  The Legion here has a campground with electric.  We wanted to get more info but the campground host was out so we will have to check it out further. 

And we had a great campfire with Dennis and Carol and some of our other neighbors – Jim and Sue, and Nina.

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 91 miles

Routes Traveled:

Alaska: SR-1 (Sterling Highway)