Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Off to the Kenai Peninsula

I was hoping this series of photos would come out better. Alas, it was a gray day on the Turnagain Arm when I motored through from Anchorage. We stopped at this turn-off because a big crowd was gathered, watching beluga whales in the Sound. Alas, I couldn't catch any of their silvery backs or spouts on film (we saw one spout), but you'll have to trust me that they were there, and spectacular, as were the zebra-striped peaks of the mountains across the way.

About every 30 miles or so, there's a "Pan for Gold!" concession along the road on the Kenai Peninsula. Traveling with a 9-year-old means you stop for such hokey attractions, but I have to say, I'm glad we did. Yes, we paid $29 for a bucket of dirt that yielded about 25 microscopic specks of gold. But doing that took a good hour and a half, during which we learned about the history of gold mining in the area, the properties of gold (heavier than the rest of the silt) and the different ways prospectors went about getting the loot over the years. All in all, a very fun activity and highly recommended for those traveling with little ones.
Finally, we got to Homer. Here's the view from my nicely secluded (and near to the pit toilets) camp site. Though the photo doesn't show it, the mountains looked as if they were being lit by black light, their blue was that electric in color.  Homer is simply stunning and darn groovy too, with a real laid-back hippie vibe.

I'll post more on the Fifth!

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