Alaska State Fair

We went to the Alaska State Fair, we enjoyed the yummy state-fair food like turkey legs, bar-b-que pork sandwiches and fruit filled cream puffs. We saw the epic sized produce like the pumpkin that was just shy of 1,500 lbs, a new Alaskan state record. Enjoyed seeing all the animals but the best part of the fair was a booth where the Elks Lodge ran something called the Rat Race, so much fun!   It raised a lot of money for charity. 

We made it back to Anchorage in time for a pizza dinner at the Moose's Tooth, awesome pizza!  While there, we ran into a nice,dynamic young couple we met last week down in Seward on the fjord glacier boat tour, Tyler and Gabrielle, he serves in the Air Force and she is a nurse. Her parents, Carita and David, were at the Moose's Tooth with them, they are up visiting from Arizona. Fabulous people, we all had a great time getting to know each other.

Aurora Borealis

Friday night we were up late watching the movie The Gladiator, it finished just after midnight.  We ran outside to see if the aurora borealis was visible. Wow!!! Translucent brush strokes of bright green with hints of pink painted the dark sky. It was like watching a living painting; it breathed, it moved, it danced. The colors appeared in a swirl and then would drift apart as the hues faded away and a new translucent stroke of color would show in the black night sky. The northern lights are a natural phenomenon that you must see for yourself, I do not have the words to explain it's wonder and beauty. Just amazing!

Whittier, Alaska

We enjoyed our week long stay in Seward, wonderful laid-back summer holiday town, but Thursday morning was time to move on. We packed up the RV and headed north on Seward Highway. We pulled into a reststop overlooking the beautiful waters of Turnagain Arm, disconnected the jeep and headed out to explore the harbor town of Whittier. Whittier is a quaint town on the shores of Prince William Sound, we drove there from the Portage Glacier road through the single-lane 2½ mile long tunnel shared (not at the same time, they take turns) by both vehicles and the Alaska Railroad. Yes, it is a 2.5 mile tunnel, I believe it is the longest in the USA. 

We had dinner at Varly's Swiftwater Seafood, great place! I had the fish and chips and John enjoyed a cheese burger with fries; ate on the back patio, it has a nice harbor view. We met a fun couple, Patti and Brian, they were also enjoying the fish and chips. We traded a few travel stories and they told us that the beluga whales gave a good showing yesterday in the Turnagain Arm.  So when we returned to the RV we started looking for balugas and about a half dozen young, small, blue-grey belugas swam close to our shore. Belugas turn all white when they are about 4 or 5 years old. Today, before we got back on the road we saw a group of adult belugas playing and swimming just offshore, an amazing sight! John said a few of them looked like large marshmallows bobbing in the water. 

Later, we checked into the campgrounds at Fort Richardson, then ran to Anchorage to pick up some RV supplies and have dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Moose

Elk

A little bear cub climbed a tree and fell asleep.

Black Bear

Brown Bear

We went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, they rehab injured or orphaned Alaska wildlife. It is an impressive facility, the animals have large open, natural surroundings to roam.

Iditarod Trail in Seward, Alaska

Started at mile marker '0' of the Iditarod trail in Seward, we walked part of the trail taking in many sights along Resurrection Bay; stopping at the creamery for an ice cream treat. Truth be told, we've been stopping by the creamery at least every other day, they make a great sundae. We ended the day with a delicious dinner at Ray's Waterfront.

 

Halibut Fishing in the Kenai Fjords

Went deep sea fishing again, this time in the Kenai Fjords National Park. Gorgeous glaciers and fjords! The park oversees the Harding Icefield and at least 38 glaciers and fjords stemming from it. The only area accessible by land is Exit Glacier, we walked to it yesterday. 

Saw more humpback whales and caught two good size halibuts and once back on dry land we went to the Salmon Bake restaurant to celebrate John's birthday with a big steak dinner.

Exit Glacier

John and I have become outdoor enthusiasts as we jump in and explore more of Alaska.

Today we hiked to the Exit Glacier. It was a perfect experience that included great hiking trails, seeing wildlife, and enjoying an amazing glacier.