PALMER, ALASKA

Palmer was a 2 night stop between Seward and Valdez with a visit to the museum and the colony house as well as a great lunch at the Colony Inn.  Palmer had its beginnings as an American colony during the Depression. The Matanuska valley of Alaska had tremendous potential as an agricultural center so President Roosevelt proposed this relocation effort for destitute farmers from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  After a rough start, it worked and descendents of the original families are still living in the area.  To this day most of the vegetables grown in Alaska come from this region.

FYI - Palmer is very close to Wasilla (home of Sarah Palin) and the group toyed with the idea of driving over to her house for lunch but we ran out of time.  



SEWARD ALASKA

Seward was our next stop on the Kenai penninsula.  We had a great time visiting the Sea Life Center and going on a 5 hour cruise.  The Sea Life Center was started with funds from the Exxon Valdez clean-up fund and was developed because there was no facility to care for the sea creatures affected by the oil spill.  It was a very interesting and educational tour.  The cruise was great and we saw sea otters who literally spend their life in the water.  Their fur is so thick and traps air to insulate them from the cold waters that they were hunted to the brink of extinction when Alaska was owned by the Russians.  The sea otters float on their backs while eating clams and crabs and their babies will sit on the mother's belly.  We had a park ranger on board the cruise and she said their teeth were like a chainsaw but they are so cute!!!  We also saw puffins and other sea birds.

While in Seward, I got to go halibut fishing.  I was unable to go in Homer so Ken and I went on a boat out of the U.S. Army resort in Seward.  It was a first for me and I was told by the captain that tradition was that I had to kiss my first halibut.   So, being the gullible person that I am, I kissed the fish.    

Pictures from Sealife Center Seward Alaska

PORT OF SEWARD NOTE CRUISE SHIP IN BACKGROUND

SEALIFE CRUISE

HI EVERYONE

MOST SUPPLIES COME TO ALASKA BY BARGE FROM THE LOWER 48. NOTE BOAT ON TOP OF CONTAINERS

BETTY'S FIRST HALIBUT

HOMER ALASKA

I believe that the 12 people who went halibut fishing in Homer would agree with the statement below, especially Brenda.  She caught the 2 biggest ones.  At about 70 pounds each they almost outweighed her.  It was also a unique way to launch boats.  Everyone climbed onboard then the boats were taken down to the beach by tractor into deep enough water, no launch ramp hear.  Besides fishing, there were eagles to be seen and, Fred and Marie took Ken and I to one of the few wineries in Alaska.  Bear Creek Winery blends fruit and grapes and makes some fairly decent wines.  We also had some of the best weather we have had on the trip and the view from the campground was phenomenal.  On our last evening in Homer we had a fish fry.  Brenda donated one of her fish which Ken and Fred cut up into chunks then deep fried in our pot.  The recipe for the beer batter was one that Ken had brought back from his year in Alaska in the mid-70's.  Everyone brought something to eat or drink and it was delicious.

VIEW FROM CLEARVIEW RV PARK

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH NINILCHIK

ON THE WAY TO THE BOATS

BRENDA CRANKING IN THE BIG ONE, BEN  ASSISTING

ITS THE BIG ONE

BEN

LARRY

BEN, JAN,BRENDA and DICK

JAN

TO BIG FOR THE BOX

1st BOAT

BRENDA FLANKED BY HER TWO FISH

2nd BOAT

MERCEDES AND JACK

MERCEDES and CAPTAIN

JACK

ELTON

BOB

SAMMY

LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING THE BOATS OFF THE BEACH. QUITE AND OPERATION THEY PROBABLY LAUNCH AND RETREIVE 20 TO 25 BOATS TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY
 

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THE FISH FRY, YUP EATING AGAIN

BRENDA AND MERCEDES

MOM TRUSTED LARRY TO US
WHAT A MISTAKE