I think you are all getting the point that we are not real good at making plans and sticking to them.  Our Monday plan was to pick up the mail in Seward and do some last minute shopping, you never know what stores were in our near future, then on to Soldatna for a free overnight at Fred Meyers or in an out of the way gravel lot with room for 100 RVs just outside of town. 

We didn’t make it quite that far.  As we approached Coopers Landing, on the Upper Kenai River we noticed that we had a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free at Alaska Rivers Adventures for a 3 hour float trip down the river.  I called and learned they had room on the 2 PM trip and room for us to park the coach for the time of the trip. The float was pleasant with only one class 2 rapids to moisten us about the ankles. The wild life was exciting with multiple eagles circling to pick up salmon and lots of fishermen one the banks and in the stream, especially where the Russian River joins the Kenai.  Our guide told us that they were nicely spaced out with little crowding, a light day. 

In the midst of the fishermen were three bears also fishing. Most of the fishermen ignored them and they also seemed indifferent to the competition. A couple of the fishermen, on hearing our warning about the bears stopped fishing and walked over to see them! Further down river we saw an apparently solo bear checking out the river for dinner, or maybe mid afternoon snack.

We rounded out the day by retracing the down river route to the take out and then following the Skilak Loop (19 mile dirt side road that returns to Sterling Highway eventually) to seek out free camping in the woods.  None of the sites we passed were suitable to we pulled into Upper Skilak (pronounce the “i” as a long “e”) Campground, a National Fish and Wildlife property which meant that the $10 fee was only $5 for us “old” folks.  Nice spot in the woods with plenty of room for coaches up to 40’ of course no hookups at all. 

Tuesday we did make it to Soldatna, but by now we had decided to continue on to Homer directly and stop in Kenai and Soldatna on the return.  The highways in Kenai are all down and back, there are no alternate routes.  Actually much of Alaska is like this so if you miss a turn going one way you can pick it up on the return.  We drove through Homer out on to Homer Spit which extends four miles in the Kachemak Bay.  Homer is actually divided between the main land and the far end of the spit.  We are camped at Fishing Hole about 100 yards from an active fish cleaning station and about 30 yards from Pier One Theater.  No hookups but the dump is just beyond the fish cleaning station.  We do have plenty of gulls and a few Bald Eagles observing the action and helping themselves to anything not put into a cooler.  The gulls seem to have targeted our solar panels and the front of the coach, oh and Carol’s shoulder as well.

The whole Alaska Album can be seen by clicking here.