What, just a short time ago, was a lush green lawn has turned into a bed of golden birch and aspen leaves. I love the colors of fall but I'm just not sure I'm ready to usher in another fall/winter season just yet. Where the hell is Al Bore-Gore and global warming when I need it?
As they always are, the summer of 2008 was filled with family, good friends and memories that will last a lifetime... or until senility sets in, which for those of you who know me could be any day now.
All told there were 33 guests checked into Hotel Clifton this summer. Not a week went by from the first of May through the middle of August that we didn't have at least two or three couples roaming around. It's the same scene with somewhat different faces every year... and we wouldn't have it any other way. We love showing off Alaska to friends for the first time and old pals coming back year after year to hit the hot fishing spots or just bask in the vast frontier that is Alaska.
We sent our last house guests home not quite two weeks ago and decided it was our time. We made it as far south as Seward before the AR Posse tracked us down. Our very own Stapler Queen called to make sure we hadn't dropped off the edge of the earth. We hadn't... trust me, you would have heard the thud when I hit the bottom.
Our first stop was Portage Glacier, roughly 60 miles south of Anchorage on Turnagain Arm. While the glacier has retreated around the valley (and out of sight) in the last twenty years, it's still a tranquil spot. We spent several days camped at the base of a very tall snow covered mountain at Williwaw Campground. The sites are tight and with the coach slides extended we looked like a fat kid stuffed in too-tight corduroys. The stunning views of a hanging glacier out our front window more than make up for the small site, though next year I will listen to the boss and reserve a double site. Ssshh... don't tell her I said that.
We hiked beside and on a glacier, watched salmon spawning by the hundreds, encountered a very large, though huggable looking grizzly bear, explored the fascinating Indian Creek Mine and ate the first of many, many roasted marshmallows. Kathy almost had me convinced to ride the tram at Aleyska until I read the plaque on the wall that said the terminal was a 7 minute, 2,300+ foot, straight-up ride to the top. No damn thank you. There's not enough scotch on planet earth to get me on that contraption. So, I strolled the gardens while evil Knievel-ette rode to the top... alone. About 30 minutes later she calls to tell me to get my butt on the tram... "we're going paragliding." Now, that's just not even remotely funny. "Are you out of your &&(@$#$ mind?" I asked. Click. Power off. End of story.
We said goodbye to Portage and headed south to Cooper Landing and some of the best salmon fishing on earth. This late in the season most of the terrorists tourists had gone and it was mostly locals. If you can put up with fishing next to bears and some life changing cold water, then this is the place to be. The week before we arrived two people were mauled by a rather cranky bear at the Kenai Princess Lodge. Talk about vacation stories. ;) We were parked on Kenai Lake and each of the three mornings we were there we found very fresh (think steaming) bear scat on the beach not 30 feet from the motorhome.
From Cooper Landing we tooled down the Seward Highway, which passes through mountain plateaus and valley's that after 30 years still take my breath away, to the village of Seward on the coast of Alaska. We followed whales and sea lions across the gulf of Alaska, took a beautiful 49' Beneteau out for the afternoon, drank several bottles of merlot with the friendly Yankees parked next door and ate some of the most mouth watering salmon this side of my kitchen.
Our last stop before heading the few remaining miles home was Denali National Park. It's been a number of years since we've been back into the park in the fall. The summer months are packed with tourists but the colors that were on display on this trip were nothing short of spectacular. After getting settled we decided to drive up the 17 mile park road and look for wildlife. Buses and private vehicles regularly stop in the middle of the road or off to the side if a critter is spotted. We happened upon one such grouping of stalled vehicles who were trying to find a bear that had been reported wandering just off the road. As we stood there with cameras at the ready we noticed a large white wolf stroll across the road and stop for a few seconds to check out the commotion. A few more miles up the road we found two moose feeding and a plump black bear waddling along the road.
14 days, 1,300 miles and I'm ready to go again. I'm thinking a long road trip culminating in a backyard RV get together with Mandy and Big Daddy in Tx sounds like a great away to spend the winter. Mandy, say the word and we'll pack the Goose and head south. Btw, reservations for the 2009 summer season are now being taken. :) Here are a few photo's from the trip... enjoy!
Click the photo's to enlarge
Fairbanks Ak Real Estate Broker Jesse Clifton
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Neat pictures Jesse... Yes, y'all have a fast and furious summer season. That is one of the downsides of living up yonder...