Alaska with the Stocks 2009

June 26, 2009 Day 35 Seward, AK

Wow!  Today good news and fun!  Dean got to talk to the inverter people first thing this morning, and apparently we need a new AC board.  It is being shipped by FedEx and should arrive on Monday. Until then, we barbecue, eat cold food, or eat out.  No hairdryer, vacuum, hot cider, etc.  How easy it is to get used to these luxuries like hot food and drinks.
We went to The Bakery for a $9 breakfast omelet (no coupon), and then went next door to embark on our Renown wildlife cruise, which departed from the Seward harbor dock.  The Glacier Express is a 3-deck catamaran, and the cruise is 6 hours long. I believe this is the best Seward tour of the Kenai Fjords NP because the catamaran is the speediest and smoothest, so there is less chance of seasickness.  It cost $129, but I got to go for free (Toursaver coupon).
We were greeted by National Park ranger Tom who was a former high-school teacher for 34 years, and he acted as our guide. As we pulled from the dock at 11:40, the clouds were thick and covered the sky; rain was predicted, and it was cold.
We came upon several otters, floating on their backs with pups on their tummies.  They were pretty close to the shore, so you needed magnification to see them.  Everyone rushed out on the front of the boat, and being short and slow, I was not able to see because of the tall people in front of me.  There were "only" 80 people on this ship, which can accommodate 250 passengers.  I can't help but compare this with Stan Stephens' Valdez cruise where there was no crowding because they had railing and deck all around the outside, so there was plenty of room for everyone to have a front-row seat. 
We were served lunch at 12:15.  It was a plastic basket with a bagel, smoked salmon or turkey, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, an oatmeal raisin cookie, and a sweet, juicy apple. We were given our choice of a free can of soda.  Subsequent sodas were $1, and coffee, tea, and water were available for free all day. The bagel and the cookie came from The Bakery, same place we had breakfast, and they were the best soft bagel and most delicious oatmeal cookie I've ever had.  We stopped and bought some more cookies because I wanted to try to figure out what the mystery ingredient was in the cookies that added a subtle caramel(?)flavor and a tiny bit of crunch. Unfortunately, we ordered oatmeal cookies and she said oatmeal cookies, but when we got them home, they were chocolate chip-but still very tasty.
After a 3-hour cruise, we proceeded slowly into an ice field generated by the Aialik Glacier. Because the sky was so overcast, the glacier blue was really vivid, especially at the base. We got closer and closer, until we were within a quarter-mile of the glacier and heard what sounded like the hull running aground.  We stayed there about 30 minutes listening to the groaning, booming explosions, shotgun-type bangs.  These big sounds were followed by tiny showers of ice falling into the water.  The Mears Glacier on the Valdez cruise was just as noisy and gave off very large chunks. The captain had what I thought was a good idea; he asked for 20 minutes of silent time to allow everyone to hear all the sounds, but people just talked a little more quietly.
We had bypassed 2 orcas on our way into the Aialik Glacier because there were two boats observing them, and that's the legal maximum.  There was a queue forming with one boat in line, and the captain told us we'd be the second.  Well, when we came back, the orcas were gone!  I was SO disappointed!
We cruised and cruised and cruised when the captain finally said he had found orcas.  And did he!  Too many to count!  Two were on my side of the boat, then ducked under the boat, and came up on the other side.  There were many more on my side to watch, too, as well as on the other side where the two orcas had gone.  We went a little further and found more orcas, and there were Dall's porpoises playing ring-around-the-orca, zipping through the water in circles, almost looking like they were playing tag.  What a thrill!  Dll's porpoises' shapes and coloring are just like orcas, but they're about 1/5 the size and so energetic.  We'd seen them from afar several times earlier, and the captain had failed to go over to them, saying that they were feeding and wouldn't be interesting.  I had mentally named him the "Manana Captain" because he kept saying, "We'll see better later."  Well, he knew his business, and I guess that's why he's the captain and I am the passenger.  I'm glad I didn't verbalize my thought.
The captain then took us to see the marine birds' nesting grounds.  There were thousands of kittiwakes (real name is true gull).  They look like miniature seagulls with black wing tips.  We were told there were cormorant nests, but I only saw one cormorant there, and he went behind the rock, so I couldn't see his nest.  We were also told there were murres.  I am familiar with them, but I didn't see any.  We have seen born horned and tufted puffins throughout the trip, just swimming alongside the boat.  It's hard to get a picture because they appear and disappear so quickly.
We went a short way to the Stellar sea lion "haulout" where the bachelor sea lions and juveniles were basking in the newly-emerged sunlight.  There were more than 100 either on the rocks or in the water.  We were told their numbers have mysteriously declined by 90% (I'd previously heard 80%), and no one knows why-predators, changing temperatures due to global warming, disease.
The cruise was wonderful, and I'm so glad we went.  I put my emphasis on seeing wildlife when thinking about where we'd be spending our money, so we will be doing several cruises.  The Stan Stephens Valdez Cruise still has its first-place ranking.

Weather:  Thick overcast which progressively thinned and became blue sky with some clouds and SUN.  High temp was 60?F.

Day 35 part 2,

More photos.

Hi Dean & Linda,

Are you going to stay at Seward and see the 4th of July race to the top of the mountain and back? This was one of the highlights of our visit there. One of the competitors, when we saw it was in a full "ELVIS" costume and did surprisingly well.  And of course there is also the great "OutHouse" race.  We took the all afternoon kayak tour across the sound and really enjoyed that (from the tour coupon book).

We've been reliving our trip with your posts. Thanks for taking the effort to keep us up to date with your travels.

Chet18013

Hi Linda & Dean:

Great log and writing style. I'm new to the Fourm (used to post many years back) but not new to Rv'ing. Heard about your trip from Chet (we've corresponed w/ e-mails) and my wife & I are about 3 weeks behind you. We're currently in Whitehorse and won't be leaving until next Tuesday. Then it is on to Dawson City, TOWH, Chicken, Tok and Fairbanks.

I've just spent the last 45 minutes scanning through you posts and sorry to hear of your troubles w/ the inverter.

I've been keeping our blog site up to date as best I can using the free wifi when available. Verizon had promised me aircard usage up here but never told me about the horrific roaming charges attached.

If you get the chance, check our site.

Playing golf tomorrow at Mountain View GC in Whitehorse then off to the Follies Monday nite.

Safe travels

Gene & Laurie

June 27 Day 36 Seward, AK

The sun was shining when we woke up, and we both said, "SUN!"  We puttered around doing mundane chores, had a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich for brunch since we can't cook, and set off for the SeaLife Center, the Seward aquarium.  We knew it was small because we drove by it yesterday, so our expectations were low.  We paid our $20 admission (Thanks to Toursaver, my ticket was free), and had a wonderful afternoon watching and learning about amorous marine birds, Stellar sea lions who were courting, and a cute orphaned otter. The sea otter, Skittles, was found almost frozen to a dock, and he will be airlifted to a Washington zoo in a few weeks.  The sea lions, Woody and Kiska, have been together for 16 years, but separated at mating time.  This year the Center decided to let them court, and the musky odor Woody emits is so strong sometimes that the guide can smell him way out in the parking lot. We saw pretty Harlequin ducks sitting on a log, and pigeon guillemots raised their beaks in a high-pitched song.  The male King eider is so pretty in a variety of colors (grey with a unique bump on his nose), and the reddish-brown female King eider looks entirely different.  I saw many of these birds on our cruise yesterday, and I was glad to learn their names.
The moon jellies were beautiful as always.  We bought two great little DVDs on Alaskan animals and the antics they perform in their very nice gift shop.
We went right across the street to the restaurant on the corner (sorry we can't find the receipt with the name), and we had a good meal of scallops, beef enchiladas, and clam chowder with coffee.  It cost $52 with tip; we had good service.
Then we took a drive out to Lowell Point.  There were two remote RV camps on the water (for Class B & C RVs), and homes with a variety of architecture.  We stopped at the smallest Safeway I've ever seen and found that it had a nice variety of goods for sale.

Wildlife not at SeaLife Center:  1 wild otter, 2 robins

Stoney Creek Campground, $38.11, FHU, 50 amps, WIFI (selected sites & in meeting room that has tables and chairs), TV svc.

Day 36 part 2,

More photos.

Dean

Chet18013 said:

Hi Dean & Linda,

Are you going to stay at Seward and see the 4th of July race to the top of the mountain and back? This was one of the highlights of our visit there. One of the competitors, when we saw it was in a full "ELVIS" costume and did surprisingly well.   And of course there is also the great "OutHouse" race. 

Chet18013

Click to expand...

We're not sure where we'll be--the major factor will probably be when our inverter AC card arrives.  But, I'm so glad you wrote.  I'll go to the visitor center and see what they have planned for this year, and I will also call Homer's vc because we were thinking of moving on to Homer on Tuesday if all goes well.  Thank YOU for the good info.

Linda

June 28, 2009 Day 37 Seward, AK

It rained all night, but the sun was shining when we awakened again!  Alaska is such a beautiful green, especially when illuminated by the sun. I decided to go to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at Mile 79 on the Seward Highway, 73 miles from Seward.  I thought we might as well have some fun.
  We stopped at Mile 45 at the Summit Lake Lodge for a delightful breakfast.  The lodge was handcrafted in 1954, has a nice view of a lake, and is absolutely beautiful. Swallows were everywhere, bringing food into their babies. The lodge has wonderful pictures of wildlife, good food, and reasonable prices (omelets were $9.75 with potatoes and toast).  It also has good service, and clean, roomy, nicely decorated restrooms.
The admission at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is $10/adults up to 65, $7.50/seniors (65 and over) and all fees go to conserve Alaskan wildlife.  The first thing we viewed was a grove of trees that were killed by sal****er from the nearby inlet when the land sank 10 feet as a result of the 1964 earthquake.  The signs were very informative.  I learned that after the barbed quill of the porcupine enters a person or animal's skin, the animal's body heat makes the skin swell around the barb and makes it more difficult to remove.  We saw prairie buffalo, musk oxen, wood bison, brown bears, wood bison, orphaned moose, big moose, caribou, elk, and Sitka black-tailed deer.  We found the black bear pen, but not its occupants.  We had seen most of these at the Anchorage Zoo, but this was special because all the animals had huge enclosures and seemed to be happy.  Their mission is to restore animals which have decreased in number and to educate all ages of people.  They are also doing research.
We reveled in seeing the beautiful landscape on the drive and enjoyed the 2 hours we spent at AWCC.  We came home with our batteries re-charged, as well as those on the motorhome.  Within 2 minutes of arrival back the cg, rain started, and it hasn't stopped.  Rain is very considerate in Seward-it only rains at night so it doesn't interfere with our activities.

Wildlife not at AWCC:  2 magpies, 3 ducks (I think they were King eider females)

Daytime temp:  High 60's, slight breeze

June 29 Day 38 Seward

Good news, bad news day.  Good news--Our inverter AC thingie arrived.  Bad news-the instructions that were included were not for our part.  Good news-it came at 4:00, so there was plenty of daylight left to install it if we could get a fax or verbal instructions.  Bad news-Washington is one hour later than Alaska, so they were closed.  We called the Stoney Creek cg office to get their fax number, and they said they would come in early to receive it.  Such nice people! 
Good news-it was a beautiful sunny day to go see Exit Glacier and eat lunch by a stream while charging our RV batteries.  Bad news-Exit Glacier is small, appears dirty from ash from Redoubt, and is a 1-mile walk on a steep trail to get to actually put your toes on it, so I couldn't do it. 
Good news-the Seward Salmon Bake, a restaurant on Exit Glacier Road which was recommended by locals, advertises "Good beer, lousy food".  We didn't try the beer, but the food was very good.  Bad news-it cost $54.  We need to get electricity back again so we can cook at home instead of eating out so often.

Daytime temp:  high of 60?F, slight breeze

June 30 Day 39 Homer

We called the inverter people as soon as they opened and found out that they don't usually include directions because most people hire an RV technician to do the work instead of doing it themselves.  They told Dean what he needed to make the repair
We made the lovely scenic drive today from Seward to Homer.  We went through several lovely towns-Sodoltna, Kenai, Coopers Landing, Ninilchik-which were all humming with boat and RV activity.  I saw more boats and RVs today than I have in all the rest of the trip added together.  Fishermen were standing about 50 feet apart in the streams, just like a row of dominoes.  We wanted to take a picture, but the parking areas were full.  There were lots of streams, rivers, trees, greenery of all kinds.
Dean wanted 50 amps, so we chose Oceanview RV park.  We did drive out to the spit, and the RV park out there is beautifully situated.  We may live on 30 amps out there for a day or two.  They are not much cheaper than here.
WE HAVE ELECTRICITY!  At 10:40 p.m., Dean finished the installation of the inverter card, after several hours in cold, windy weather.  The heater came on and within minutes it was warm in the RV.  We'll sleep well tonight.
Afterthought-while I was in the RV as Dean worked outside, I read "extra" pamphlets we had picked up.  I came across the information that the Seward Museum had two slide shows, "The History of Seward" and "The History of the Iditarod Trail" at 7 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  If we had gone to the VC, we would have known that, and we would have seen these shows.  It's the only VC we haven't gone to first-I don't know why we didn't.  But, in Homer, it will be our first stop.

Distance traveled:  173 miles

Daytime Temperature:  High of 60?F, strong breeze

Staying at: Oceanview R.V. Park, $53.75 with 50 amps ($5 less for 30 amps), free cable (but you have to get a box in the office and wire it in), free wifi in the laundry room (or $9/12 hours, or $5/3 hours at your site, Laundry Room, here we come!) FHU, view of the mountains, in walking distance of downtown.

July 1, 2009 Day 40 Homer

We started our day by visiting the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, a very pretty small museum promoting the preservation of wildlife.  They had a 14-minute film about their mission, a beautiful building with displays about fish and wildlife, as well as a room where we viewed hundreds of kittiwakes nesting on an island in real time through a camera positioned on the island.  We also learned that the real visitors' center in Homer is the Chamber of Commerce.
Homer does not have a true center of town, like a main street.  The fishing related restaurants and activities are out on the spit, where we decided to celebrate our successful inverter card installation.  We had a delicious dinner at Land's End.  The fresh halibut and salmon were so flavorful and moist, and the dinner came with potatoes/rice pilaf, sourdough bread, asparagus, and soup/salad.  We looked out on two large glaciers and a mountain range, as well as the ocean.  Many boats returned from fishing charters, several hundred kittiwakes flew around and bobbed in the ocean, several bald eagles flew over, and swallows flew under the restaurant's roof to deliver food to babies.
After dinner we went exploring.  We found two mini-malls and Pioneer Blvd., where there will be a parade on July 4.  We drove north for about 30 minutes on East End Road, saw hay farmers working in their fields, pretty views of the area, and little towns.
We shopped at our RV park's gift shop.  Their prices were less than we've paid before, and they give 20% off for a sale.  They did have a good selection of items.
Dean saw someone's Motosat antenna up, and Jeff gave him some ideas, so trying to get our own internet is scheduled for tomorrow.  I think of Ardra's comments, but Dean does not give up easily.

Temperature: 42?F-60?F, chilly wind, sunny  When we are sheltered from the wind, it is wonderfully warm.  Otherwise, we needed coats.

Linda,

When we were in Homer (my all time favorite Alaskan city) I was able to attend a couple of city community theatre plays, (on my own as it was not Russ or Terry's' thing)  The theatre was near the POND.)  Give it a look.  BTW I missed your days of no posting.  My first trip to the Forum each day is to look at your adventure.  Be sure to  visit the Thai restaurant we mentioned in our log.

We took the  day trip to Seldovia from Homer and saw the bear swimming in the water.  It was a fun day but it did involve a bit of walking.
Terry did his halibut fishing charter from Homer and  we ate his fish for months  afterward.  YUM .

I am loving your adventure.

Betty

I think of Ardra's comments, but Dean does not give up easily.

Click to expand...

LOL!  Neither does Jerry.  I know you'll tell us if he succeeds! 

How I love the halibut and salmon up there......

ArdraF

July 2, 2009 Day 41 Homer

Dean went to Napa and got cleaner to work on the steps so I can enter/exit the coach more easily.  They currently extend only half-way because of TOTW dirt that got into them.  He has them temporarily extended, but he needs to buy yet another can of cleaner.  TOTW dirt has affected so many things.
We drove to the library to post because our wifi here is weak.  As we drove into the parking lot, I noticed attractive young ladies who were wearing silky long dresses.  When we set up our computer in the library, we learned that we had to check in with the librarian to be able to access wifi.  As Dean was doing this, I noticed about 16 free computer cubicles, about half of which were being used by more young ladies in long, flowing gowns.  I asked one of them if there were a special occasion that everyone was dressed up for.  She explained that this was the dress of "Old Believers". 
I asked the librarian, Jolie, if there were any books about Old Believers, and she told me she had taught many of them in her 34-yearlong K-1 & special ed  teaching career here in Homer.  She told many stories of the history of Homer, as well as telling me that the OB's (my abbreviation) had broken off from the Russian Orthodox church, were wonderful people, that they had church services that started at 2:00 A.M. (that's not a typo-it's two hours after midnight!)  Their services last between 8 and 10 hours, and they stand up the whole time.  I was so fascinated that I joined the library ($10) and checked out two books about them.  We left the library two hours later, and Jolie must have talked with me for one hour of that.  In fact, as we were leaving, she came running behind us to add something she thought we'd like to know.  If you visit here, be sure to meet her.  If you can get her talking (not hard to do), you're in for a treat!  There are 4 villages of OBs within 25 miles of Homer.  The more orthodox villages do not allow computers in their homes, so the OBs come into town to use the library's free computers.
We further explored the spit, tried to buy halibut at the recommended Coal Point Fish Market, and discovered they only had fresh halibut when a commercial ship had come in.  We could buy frozen, but I had that in the RV.  So we came home and had clam chowder.
I stayed up very late reading my library books and learning about the OB culture.  They consider non-OBs to be "unclean".  They are very hospitable if they invite you to their home (which happens rarely, and only after a prolonged friendship). However, they will serve your food on a paper plate with a plastic fork, or they will have special dishes and utensils that they wash separately and are stored separately for "Americans".  They try to raise as much of their food as possible via greenhouses and gardens.  They have over 200 "fasting days" per year when they don't eat meat, eggs, dairy, fish, or anything that came from an animal.  On the 8 weeks of Lent at Easter and the 6 weeks of Lent at Christmas there are more dietary restrictions, such as not using oil.  And that is current, in practice, today. 

Temperature:  high 50's, sunny

July 3, 2009 Day 42 Homer

We started off earlier today to go see the Pratt Museum (buy one/get one in free coupon, total cost $6).  It is a 3-story, museum that is chuck full of information, videos, a video cam set up on Gull Island so you can see kittiwakes nesting and zoom in on any particular area, also a video cam on Kodiak Island by the best waterfall for the bears to catch salmon.  This museum is small, but rich in content.  And it has Katya!
Our highpoint of our visit to the Pratt was going into the gift shop and meeting Katya, an OB.  Both of her parents are teachers, which is very unusual in this culture.  She has just graduated from high school, has had a back-and-forth education between the village school, extension classes, and the Homer schools.  Her dad is a convert-hence her last name of White instead of a "strong Russian name".  Initially when he converted 25 years ago, he became ultra-OB, having her mother make peanut butter from raw peanuts so no "Americans" had touched the food.  Gradually, he has liberalized.  Katya is going to the University of Alaska in Anchorage in the fall to study pre-med, which is very unusual for an OB.  Her boyfriend is a fisherman.  She expressed dismay that one of her friends, a 13-year-old, is engaged to a 15-year-old boy and will soon be married. Girls are forbidden to ever cut their hair, and Katya has long bangs.  She is debating if she will cut her hair when she goes away to school.  Yet, she considers it a priority to come home every 2 weeks (a 3-hour, one way drive) I wish I could follow her life as she tries to blend two such different cultures.
We hurried over to the Alaska Islands Oceans Visitor Center & adjoining trail because it was now getting late (and cooler).  The volunteers there are quite knowledgeable, and we had questions.  Big oil tankers come all the way deep into Kachemak Bay to pick up pilots who will guide them into the port of Valdez.  Dean and I both thought, "Why don't they just radio, and the pilot could come out in a small boat?"
Two trails lead out of the AIOVC, and we chose to take the boardwalk.  It led out into the mud flats where two Sand Hill cranes are raising two of the cutest chicks.  We really enjoyed watching the parents supervise the little ones.  One of the chicks was adventuresome, and the other literally followed in his father's footsteps.  While we were observing, we met a couple from Israel.  We've met lots of people from Germany.  Alaska draws from everywhere.
By now it was after 6:00, so we decided to use our $5 coupon at the Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery & Cafe.  I had Dungeness crab; Dean had a hamburger on a freshly baked sourdough bun.  We enjoyed our meal, and we were disappointed to see a "For Sale" sign by the register.  Many of the places where we have eaten have been for sale, and we have been told that tourism is down 40-60% this year because of the economy.  On the news, they tell of how many fewer cruise ships are being scheduled for 2010.
I overheard another customer who was raving about the highlight of his trip at the Exit Glacier, so I'd like to correct my earlier posting.  He got to walk all the way to the glacier and go on the Ice Fields Trail to the Harding Ice Field, which is an enormous ice field that extends from Seward to Homer.  He said it was just amazing.  So, for future travelers who are physically capable, it sounds like it is a "must see".
We came back to the RV and talked with Reve, our neighbor, who told us about Dry Wash (his coach sparkles) and let us try the California Duster, both of which we will buy.  We learn so much from others.

Linda

Many libraries leave their computers on all the time so you can sit in the parking lot and pick up the wi-fi connection there.

Thanks for bringing back so many memories of our trip.

July 4, 2009 Day 43 Homer, AK

We started off our day with a visit to the Farmers' Market.  It was small, but we bought a lot!  We got the crispest lettuce I've ever tasted, "green lettuce" (a type of romaine), a photo of two eagles, lots of frozen halibut @ $8/pound to take with us when we leave, and cheddar popcorn.  We sampled their cranberry jelly.  Random people in the crowd were trying to make a human pyramid and were having great fun-a nice community feel.  This was followed by 3 musicians who played lively music.
I had stayed up late on the 3rd to read another 130+ pages about the Old Believers before we set off for the Samovar Caf? in Nikolaevsk.  We had heard that having a meal there and listening to Nina, the caf? owner, would give us a rare glimpse into the Russian OB culture.  However, Katya, the OB at the Pratt, had explained to us that this village is not "true" Old Believer.
Historically, 5 OB brothers and their families purchased 160 acres in this valley 22 miles outside of Homer in the early 80's.  They loaded up their old trucks with their belongings and left Oregon because they felt there was too much pressure on their children to become "Americanized" (reject the OB ways).  This village was accessible only by dirt road and provided the isolation they craved.  Many other OBs from Oregon followed them over the years. Around 1986 there was a great disagreement over whether to have a priest, which some rejected as not being the OB way of doing things.  So, many of the people left and formed 3 new more conservative villages.  One of these villages is accessible only by ATV and requires going down a steep cliff and crossing a beach.  It is also posted as private property.
As Dean and I drove into the village (on paved road now), we saw males wearing T-shirts without the woven belt they are always supposed to wear, TV antennas, satellite dishes, and a very ornate Russian-looking church.  We knew that we shouldn't photograph it, so we have no photos of that.
When we arrived at the caf?, no one was there, but there was a sign that said to call Nina and she would come right down.  We had been forewarned that she would try to sell you everything on the menu and in the gift shop, but that she was a very interesting character-and she was!  You need to put on your suit of mental armor to deflect all her sales pitches.  Nina came here from Russia in the early 90's, and she was an electrical engineer.  When she came here, she taught Russian K-12 for about 12 years.
As Russian music played in the background, she tried her best to sell us red, gold, and black lacquered dishes utensils to eat our special meal with.  We had a delightful Russian tea made of fireweed blossoms, black currants, and raspberry leaves with cinnamon sprinkled on top.  Dean and I decided to sample many things by sharing each dish.  We asked for borsch (soup made of beets, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and celery with a swirl of sour cream and lots of dill floating on top), pirozhki (dumplings filled with cabbage, meat and vegetables or potatoes), pel'meni (Siberian dumplings filled with beef and boiled in chicken broth), and a delicious cream puff (topped with cherries, chocolate, and whipped cream).  With each course came a few minutes of oral history, a teaser, because if you wanted to know more, you should buy her history booklet for $18 (which she dropped down to $15, and I'm sure would have been reduced further if we'd been interested in buying).  In the true OB way, women are submissive, quiet followers.  That is not Nina!  Before we left, she had tried to get us to move our RV to her new "RV park" (a bare dirt lot with 50 amps, FHU, but only $29/night) and to get us to buy an apartment in Thailand, where no matter what ails you, you can throw away all your pills and be in great physical shape.  At the end, she tries to sell you her very expensive, but very delicious tea, with all the profits going to support orphanages in Russia (maybe?).
We spent a little less than 3 hours there and missed the 4th of July parade.  There were no fireworks because it doesn't get dark enough to see them.
However, we totally enjoyed the day.

High temp-low 60's

Wildlife:  a group of 3 bald eagles flying together (always before we have seen solos) and one long bald eagle, several magpies and kittiwakes

July 5 Day 44

"Twas a lazy day of doing chores, listening to TV hoping to find out more about Sarah Palin's resignation, chatting with our neighbor, and Dean working on our Motosat.  He's so stubborn he should have been born in Missouri.  I hope he succeeds.
Interesting fact for future travelers-many of the gas stations are unmanned, and take credit card only, so don't pass them by thinking they are closed.  Another fact-those who say to fill up when your tank is half-full are right.  But they should add, don't travel by car with bladder more than half-full, because sometimes restrooms are very, very far apart.  (In the RV, you have your own facilities.)

High temp-mid 60's 

Betty Brewer said:

in Homer (my all time favorite Alaskan city) I was able to attend a couple of city community theatre plays, (on my own as it was not Russ or Terry's' thing)  The theatre was near the POND.)   Give it a look.  BTW I missed your days of no posting.  My first trip to the Forum each day is to look at your adventure.   Be sure to  visit the Thai restaurant we mentioned in our log.

We took the  day trip to Seldovia from Homer and saw the bear swimming in the water.  It was a fun day but it did involve a bit of walking.
Terry did his halibut fishing charter from Homer and  we ate his fish for months  afterward.  YUM .

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Betty, thank you.  I had forgotten about the Thai restaurant, but I will go and get food to-go, as Dean is not gastronomically adventuresome.

As for favorite city, so far mine would be Valdez.  I think our favorites are determined by the experiences we have there, and in Valdez we had the Stan Stephens Cruise, and the highlight of our trip so far, seeing bald eagles fly and pick up fish within feet of where I was sitting.  We really enjoyed the view over the mud flats and seeing the birds fly at all times of day.  But, Homer would be my second/third favorite tied with Seward.  We've been lucky with weather, and we have met so many people.

We went to Pier One Theatre to check is out, but they had a one-man show giving his "musings" on the 3 & 4.  It didn't sound like a good evening.  But...when we went to the Russian village, we bypassed our turnoff.  I think I was probably watching those 3 bald eagles flying together.  It was a nice big sign.  But, just like with the Motosat, Dean didn't give up.  He drove for a LONG WAY  past Anchor Point, where the turnoff was, and on my third, "We need to make a U-turn," we did.  But, I needed to find a restroom, so we stopped by a souvenir shop with moose carvings.  While I used the outhouse, Dean talked with the mother/daughter proprietors.  It turns out that the daughter is in a 6-person musical at Pier One debuting on July 7.  It turns out that is the same night as the new "Star Trek" film, so they expect small audiences.  We thought we'd go support them.

We really looked at Seldovia, which does have ferry service, so I could take my scooter.  But, the ramps are steeply inclined because there is currently more than 17 feet differential between high and low tides.  We picked up a tide chart, and just decided to skip Seldovia as too risky.  Seeing the robust lady next door with her pelvis broken in 2 places has made me much less daring.

I'm glad you are enjoying the log.  I try to give the details that fascinate me without being too wordy--a delicate balance. 

Hi Dean and Linda. Have enjoyed all your reports. Thank you.

Just curious... How many ruples, dineros, $ did you leave behind at the Samovar Caf??  

 What an interesting place.

carson FL