Sooo much to tell you guys! This vacation is just amaaaazing! How long have we been here?? Only since tuesday! And yet we have met so many people, seen so much landscape, let's just say it like this: right at this point we are more than amazed by all that constitutes Alaska, it is a blast and we'll be coming back for sure :-)
But now let me tell you some stories from this past two days...
We left Linda, our first couchsurfing host and drove all the way down the Seward Highway to Kenai. The Highway was a really neat drive, lots of stupendous views! We even got pulled over by the police because we were speeding at 67 in a 55 mph zone... uups :-) But we got off with a warning: "The slower you drive the more you'll see" :-) Along the way we took some time and stopped at Portage Glacier!
Then, we had a stroll along the beach in Kenai. The skyline was impressive, we couldn't take our eyes (or I, my camera :D ) off it! The beach was full of tents and people fishing like crazy! They can fish like 30 fish per person and 10 per additional family member :-) Those freezers will be packed, I can tell you! So then we watched them slice open the fish, wash 'em and put 'em in the cool box before going back in the ice cold water again! :-) Amazing!
So finally we went to meet our next couchsurfing host: Chelsea and her husband, Marc. They live in a log cabin they built themselves!! Well, it's not done yet but looks absolutely amazing! They have all they need in their garden, plus some chicken and a (really fat aka ready to be eaten) rabbit :-) Amazing encounter!! So then he took us to commercial fishing where Davy met with a huuuge King Salmon!! We were impressed!
After another stroll on the beach, we finally got back home and tried out Chelsea's sister's boyfriend's gun... I dare say I was quite afraid of all that... plus Davy wanted me to take him to a shooting range... but I said no... So here he was grinning widely, when they came to give him the (unloaded, I precise!) gun. they even wanted to take him hunt rabbits so he could shoot, but as it was 11pm, they postponed that until the end of our four night canoe tour. Because then we'll be back at their place for one last night!
Speaking of nights... they are kind of absent over here :-) It is bright daylight until around midnight, then it gets dark. But as of 2:30am it's bright daylight again!! So the sleeping part needs some getting used to, but we've got plenty of time for that haven't we :-)
By the way! Today we read the paper: Go Schleck Go!! :-)
We'll be back very soon!
AnD
(people rarely sea it because the weather doesn't allow it - so we're really lucky!!)
Welcome to Sarah Palin country! It sounds like you're getting a real feel for the Alaskans' lifestyle!
ReplyDeleteCadel Evans killed us today in the Tdf TT :( But by finishing 2 and 3 and putting on the best show in years, really nothing to complain about. We'll keep the dream alive and the Red Lion hanging proudly until next year!
ReplyDeleteReally does sound like a truly memorable trip! Best vacation ever? :) Continue enjoying (and the posts coming), because I hate to break this to you, but it always ends too quickly!
Big^B
William Henry Seward, Sr. (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. An outspoken opponent of the spread of slavery in the years leading up to the American Civil War, he was a dominant figure in the Republican Party in its formative years, and was widely regarded as the leading contender for the party's presidential nomination in 1860 – yet his very outspokenness may have cost him the nomination. Despite his loss, he became a loyal member of Lincoln's wartime cabinet, and played a role in preventing foreign intervention early in the war. On the night of Lincoln's assassination, he survived an attempt on his life in the conspirators' effort to decapitate the Union government. As Johnson's Secretary of State, he engineered the purchase of Alaska from Russia in an act that was ridiculed at the time as "Seward's Folly", but which somehow exemplified his character. His contemporary Carl Schurz described Seward as "one of those spirits who sometimes will go ahead of public opinion instead of tamely following its footprints." Wikipedia
ReplyDeleteDidn't know if you knew about this part of US history. Seward was very close to President Lincoln and was recovering from an assassination attempt himself when days later he was told of Lincoln's death. He replied, "I know he must have died as he would have been the first person here to visit me."
Love hearing about your travels. Keep on blogging.
@ Mom: The experience has been great so far, and more stories to be told, you'll love the next post on the blog Anne is writing right now ;)
ReplyDelete@ dr.b: I was afraid of the TT when I saw that C Evans was right up behind ND and Frank. Two days after the end of the race we here in AK also finally know the outcome of the TdF race. Team Leopard will be even better next year, I'm sure of that!
@Sarah: Interesting facts about William Seward! "His" highway is beautiful and how lucky the US were that they bought the state because of the salmon - or wait, was it the oil? :)
Dear fans, the next post will be up soon!