I've always thought it would be cool to visit Alaska. A few months ago Brandon and Jared started planning a trip. Unfortunately the timing didn't end up working out for Jared and Myca. At the last minute we invited Greg and Becky Linton. Greg was one of Brandon's scout leaders back in the day. They hunt together each year. Our reception when we got married was in their back yard. Even though it was very short notice (and they have four kids) they decided to come.
Brandon and I arrived late Wednesday night. Our friend Tisha picked us up and brought us back to her house in Palmer. Tisha and her husband, Ryan, grew up in Alaska but lived in California while Ryan was serving in the military. Tisha worked with Brandon down in Aliso Viejo. Thursday morning we ate breakfast and got caught up. Then Brandon and I picked up his uncle's truck in Wasilla. Desmon and his family lived in Alaska 10 years and just moved to Texas a few months ago. When we arrived at the house we found out he was still in town with his two oldest boys. They gave us a tour of the place and directions down to their cabin in Kenai as well as places of interest to see. Brandon and I headed down to Anchorage and stopped at my friend Ash's house. Ash and I were in flight school at Big Bend together. The lake by Anchorage International Airport was our next stop. The lake is one of the busiest float plane water ports. I have obviously been exposed to aviation but this was definitely something unique to Alaska. I have never seen so many float planes in one place. We tried to find another place that Desmon mentioned but with no luck. We picked up Greg and Becky from the airport and headed to dinner. We decided on the Fancy Moose at the Millennium Hotel so we could sit on the patio next to the float plane lake. Ash Clement as well as Jodin and Davina Owens met us there. I met Jodin and Davina when I flight instructed at Flight Safety in Florida. They just happened to know Ash too. Dinner was a lot of fun. That night Greg, Becky, Brandon, and I all drove down to Kenai. It was really late when we arrived and boy were we all tired.
Brandon and I arrived late Wednesday night. Our friend Tisha picked us up and brought us back to her house in Palmer. Tisha and her husband, Ryan, grew up in Alaska but lived in California while Ryan was serving in the military. Tisha worked with Brandon down in Aliso Viejo. Thursday morning we ate breakfast and got caught up. Then Brandon and I picked up his uncle's truck in Wasilla. Desmon and his family lived in Alaska 10 years and just moved to Texas a few months ago. When we arrived at the house we found out he was still in town with his two oldest boys. They gave us a tour of the place and directions down to their cabin in Kenai as well as places of interest to see. Brandon and I headed down to Anchorage and stopped at my friend Ash's house. Ash and I were in flight school at Big Bend together. The lake by Anchorage International Airport was our next stop. The lake is one of the busiest float plane water ports. I have obviously been exposed to aviation but this was definitely something unique to Alaska. I have never seen so many float planes in one place. We tried to find another place that Desmon mentioned but with no luck. We picked up Greg and Becky from the airport and headed to dinner. We decided on the Fancy Moose at the Millennium Hotel so we could sit on the patio next to the float plane lake. Ash Clement as well as Jodin and Davina Owens met us there. I met Jodin and Davina when I flight instructed at Flight Safety in Florida. They just happened to know Ash too. Dinner was a lot of fun. That night Greg, Becky, Brandon, and I all drove down to Kenai. It was really late when we arrived and boy were we all tired.
At Tisha and Ryan Saunders Home 
Tisha's dad restores old cars and this is what she picked us up in this Buick
The view on the drive from Wasilla to Anchorage.
Lake Hood by Anchorage International Airport. It's the busiest seaplane lake in the world.
Dinner with Ash Clement, Jodin and Davina Owens, and Greg and Becky Linton
We took Greg and Becky to have a closer look at the Float planes. 
This is a chocolate fountain at Alaska Wildberry Factory. They make chocolates and have souvenirs.I was told by Brandon's uncle that it is a bad idea to go running in Kenai. Apparently people get attacked by bears and moose. Friday morning I suggested that after we went to pick up groceries from Wal-Mart that we go for a hike since running wasn't an option. I should have known that Brandon and Greg would have a one track mind. They headed straight for the fishing section and started strategizing. We wanted to do things as inexpensively as possible but we also wanted to catch fish. They decided that they would try fishing on their own the first day and that if they didn't catch any fish we would get a charter the next day. So without a shower, breakfast, or hike we were off. We stopped by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office to get some information about canoeing the refuge waterways. We also picked up information on fish charters. While we were there Greg and Brandon met a charter guide named Todd. He told them if we decided to fish he would give us a great deal. After our stop to the refuge office we drove to Cooper Landing to rent some fishing gear. These towns felt like towns that would have existed years ago. For instance, when we rented the gear the clerk didn't take down any personal information or make the guys fill anything out. When we asked when to have it back she just told us anytime the next day. She also mentioned that if she wasn't there to just drop it off in back of the store. That would never happen in the "lower 48." Our next stop was Hope. It had little log cabin shops like something out of a movie. It was definitely old Alaska. They guys fished while Becky and I took in the scenery and talked. They caught a couple of pink salmon but threw them back. Apparently pink salmon are not very desirable. We later fished in two locations by Cooper Landing. At the second location we met Frank and Phyllis Dotson from South Carolina. They have been married over 50 years. They had caught tons of salmon throughout the summer and were pressure cooking, smoking, and freezing salmon. Our favorite Phyllis line is "Oh yes." We asked a lot of questions and she used that phrase very often. They had a big motor home and a truck. They suggested another fishing location in Soldotna (which is right by Kenai where we were staying) where they had caught a lot of fish. That was our next and last fishing spot of the day. Did I mention that we had only had trailmix and fruit to eat all day. Can you say one track mind? It is not for lack of mentioning our hunger. By the time the guys were done fishing it was after 11:00pm so we had to settle for Taco Bell for dinner. The light is so deceiving. It feels so much earlier than it really is. By the end of the day we had driven a lot of miles and had thrown back all the fish we caught. We decided to call Todd to do a charter for Saturday. He told us to meet him at 1:00pm the next day. 
Cooper Landing
Hope
By Cooper Landing on the Kenai River where the Kenai and Russian meet
By Cooper Landing where the Kenai River and Russian River converge.
Frank Dotson gutting his fish. He caught a male and female sockeye from this pool.
The location that the Dotson's suggested in Soldotna
Can you believe how light it is after 11pm?
After 11pm in Soldotna on the Kenai River
Uncle Desmon's cabin in Kenai.
Views from a hill in Cooper Landing while we waited for Todd to call us back.
A moose by our fishing spot in Soldotna.
You can barely see it but there is a bald eagle on the tree.
Our charter was bright and early the next morning. 5:00am in Alaska is cold. You should have seen all my layers. Our guide was Skip Dove. He is in his mid 60's and such an interesting man. He actually grew up in Washington. He was in the military, at one point a pool shark, the head janitor for the school district, fishing charter guide, an artist (he does pottery like mugs and bowls etc.) and he makes wine. We had such a great time on the charter. The limit is two Silver Salmon per individual. If you haven't fished much a charter is the way to go. Skip put the bait on the hooks and taught Becky and I what to do. Plus they really know where on the river you need to be to actually catch fish. Greg and Brandon each caught 3 Silvers and Becky and I each caught 1. We all also caught some pink but we toss those back. I really thought my Silver was going to pull me out of the boat and into the water. We caught our limit by 9:30am and headed back to Joe's house. The one funny thing that happened is that Skip said something about Mormons and then said "You guys aren't Mormon are you?" We all started laughing and Becky shook her head yes. I honestly wish we had just done the charter the first day. That would have freed up more time for other things. Brandon convinced Greg and Becky to stay an extra night. After getting cleaned up we headed to Exit Glacier just outside Seward. It was another long drive. It seemed like we had to drive a great deal to see anything. The glacier was breath taking. It is phenominal how much diversity there is on the earth. It rained on us while we hiked around. There are hiking trails all throughout the Kenai Penninsula. It would have been really cool to hit some of those up too. We just didn't have enough time. That night we had fresh salmon at the cabin for dinner. 
Out on the river with Fish Magnet Charter.
The canal from the river to Joe's place.
Joe's place
All our fish; Silvers. (Coho Salmon)
Skip Dove, Brandon, and I with the fish.
Fish are so slimy.
Joe with Megan from Visalia filleting up the fish.
On the way to Exit Glacier.
Exit Glacier
The glacier close up.
Water coming from the bottom of the glacier.
The town of Seward
Monday morning we didn't really have a plan. I think the guys were really interested in seeing more wildlife. Joe told us about an area to go check out. I'm not really sure where all we went. I was just along for the ride. We'd drive to a spot, check it out, and leave. At one point we saw this guy fishing off a bridge. It was amazing to watch him in action. He had a net attached to some really long ropes. He would catch a fish, get it over to the net, and haul it up. He didn't have to get muddy or wade into the water...kind of genious. We also stopped by to pick up our fish that we had flash frozen and vaccum packed. Greg is a fire fighter for LA city so we stopped by a few fire departments so he could pick up a t-shirt. We eventually headed back towards Anchorage. When we were almost to Anchorage I started checking flight loads back home. It didn't look good for Greg and Becky. I spent the rest of the evening trying to figure it out. Even when we stopped for dinner I was checking options. We drove to Wasilla to drop the truck off and grateful Tisha took us back to the airport. I had to check some fish and a gun. It took forever for someone to help me. I had to run to the gate to make the flight. It seems to be a small world in Alaska. I recognized the lady behind me. She had been on the boat next to us when we were out on her charter. It looked like she was on a first date with the guy Chuck that she was with. I didn't know whether to say anything but of course I did. I told her that she looked familiar and asked if she had been out fishing the day before in Soldotna. Of course she had. My suspicions were right. She didn't really know Chuck but he invited her out to go fishing. How random! I took a direct flight to LAX. Brandon flew through Salt Lake to Boise. Greg and Becky flew to Denver. They got stuck there. Luckily Greg's sister lives there. She came to pick them up. I always feel so terrible when flying stand-by doesn't work out smoothly. Greg and Becky were such good sports about it.
We had such a great time in Alaska. I'm so grateful we had the opportunity to visit there. If I did it again I would do a few things differently like getting a charter the first day so there would be more time for hiking and canoeing. I would also make lunches the night before so I wouldn't starve. Because everything is so spread apart it would be worthwhile to plan what order to see things to be most efficent. It was great having Becky there because we had so much fun talking. We couldn't have asked for better travel companions.
Cooper Landing
Hope
By Cooper Landing on the Kenai River where the Kenai and Russian meet
By Cooper Landing where the Kenai River and Russian River converge.
Frank Dotson gutting his fish. He caught a male and female sockeye from this pool.
The location that the Dotson's suggested in Soldotna
Can you believe how light it is after 11pm?
After 11pm in Soldotna on the Kenai RiverIt was kind of a late start Saturday morning since we got to bed so late. We headed to the river in Soldotna to fish but decided to head up to Copper Landing so we would be a little early for our charter. Todd told us to call him and he would tell us where to meet him. We called before we arrived and he didn't answer. We proceeded to call and wait for him for the next 2 hours. He never called us back. Because we were counting on fishing with Todd we didn't have a back-up plan. We called a few charters in the area but it was a little late in the day to be accomadated. Basically Todd messed up our day. We went back to the Fred Meyer in Soldotna where the guys asked in the fishing department about charter companies. They recommended a few outfits and more phone calls were made. Eventually we decided on Fish Magent charter in Soldotna. Joe, the owner, wanted us to leave at 5am. Brutal. He also wanted us to swing by that evening so that we were sure how to get there and could be fitted for some rain gear. It was quite the experience visiting Joe's house. He had a log cabin home right on a canal that led to the river. His living room had taxidermied heads of several animals hung all over the walls. He welcomed us in, offered drinks, and shot the breeze. There was another couple there from Visalia, CA and some of Joe's guides as well as a neighbor or two. I think Joe had had a few drinks because we witness the funniest phone conversation with a perspective client. The place was like a serious bachelor pad. The bathroom was discusting. We went up in his room to print out fishing license on his computer and his room was a mess. He had a few funny one liners. On the way up the stairs to his bedroom he said that the women in Soldotna call it the stairway to heaven. When he got out of the restroom he said that he tried to "shake hands with the unemployed" as quickly as possible. Becky mentioned that the carpet in the bedroom was really squishy. He jumped all over that and said that isn't something you should tell a single man in Soldotna. We were all laughing. It was classic watching Becky's reaction. Due to the early show time in the moring we had enough time to fish in Soldotna grab a bite to eat and get to bed. Did I mention we hadn't eatten all day again?
Uncle Desmon's cabin in Kenai.
Views from a hill in Cooper Landing while we waited for Todd to call us back.
A moose by our fishing spot in Soldotna.
You can barely see it but there is a bald eagle on the tree.
Our charter was bright and early the next morning. 5:00am in Alaska is cold. You should have seen all my layers. Our guide was Skip Dove. He is in his mid 60's and such an interesting man. He actually grew up in Washington. He was in the military, at one point a pool shark, the head janitor for the school district, fishing charter guide, an artist (he does pottery like mugs and bowls etc.) and he makes wine. We had such a great time on the charter. The limit is two Silver Salmon per individual. If you haven't fished much a charter is the way to go. Skip put the bait on the hooks and taught Becky and I what to do. Plus they really know where on the river you need to be to actually catch fish. Greg and Brandon each caught 3 Silvers and Becky and I each caught 1. We all also caught some pink but we toss those back. I really thought my Silver was going to pull me out of the boat and into the water. We caught our limit by 9:30am and headed back to Joe's house. The one funny thing that happened is that Skip said something about Mormons and then said "You guys aren't Mormon are you?" We all started laughing and Becky shook her head yes. I honestly wish we had just done the charter the first day. That would have freed up more time for other things. Brandon convinced Greg and Becky to stay an extra night. After getting cleaned up we headed to Exit Glacier just outside Seward. It was another long drive. It seemed like we had to drive a great deal to see anything. The glacier was breath taking. It is phenominal how much diversity there is on the earth. It rained on us while we hiked around. There are hiking trails all throughout the Kenai Penninsula. It would have been really cool to hit some of those up too. We just didn't have enough time. That night we had fresh salmon at the cabin for dinner. 
Out on the river with Fish Magnet Charter.
The canal from the river to Joe's place.
Joe's place
All our fish; Silvers. (Coho Salmon)
Skip Dove, Brandon, and I with the fish.
Fish are so slimy.
Joe with Megan from Visalia filleting up the fish.
On the way to Exit Glacier.
Exit Glacier
The glacier close up.
Water coming from the bottom of the glacier.
The town of Seward
Monday morning we didn't really have a plan. I think the guys were really interested in seeing more wildlife. Joe told us about an area to go check out. I'm not really sure where all we went. I was just along for the ride. We'd drive to a spot, check it out, and leave. At one point we saw this guy fishing off a bridge. It was amazing to watch him in action. He had a net attached to some really long ropes. He would catch a fish, get it over to the net, and haul it up. He didn't have to get muddy or wade into the water...kind of genious. We also stopped by to pick up our fish that we had flash frozen and vaccum packed. Greg is a fire fighter for LA city so we stopped by a few fire departments so he could pick up a t-shirt. We eventually headed back towards Anchorage. When we were almost to Anchorage I started checking flight loads back home. It didn't look good for Greg and Becky. I spent the rest of the evening trying to figure it out. Even when we stopped for dinner I was checking options. We drove to Wasilla to drop the truck off and grateful Tisha took us back to the airport. I had to check some fish and a gun. It took forever for someone to help me. I had to run to the gate to make the flight. It seems to be a small world in Alaska. I recognized the lady behind me. She had been on the boat next to us when we were out on her charter. It looked like she was on a first date with the guy Chuck that she was with. I didn't know whether to say anything but of course I did. I told her that she looked familiar and asked if she had been out fishing the day before in Soldotna. Of course she had. My suspicions were right. She didn't really know Chuck but he invited her out to go fishing. How random! I took a direct flight to LAX. Brandon flew through Salt Lake to Boise. Greg and Becky flew to Denver. They got stuck there. Luckily Greg's sister lives there. She came to pick them up. I always feel so terrible when flying stand-by doesn't work out smoothly. Greg and Becky were such good sports about it.
We had such a great time in Alaska. I'm so grateful we had the opportunity to visit there. If I did it again I would do a few things differently like getting a charter the first day so there would be more time for hiking and canoeing. I would also make lunches the night before so I wouldn't starve. Because everything is so spread apart it would be worthwhile to plan what order to see things to be most efficent. It was great having Becky there because we had so much fun talking. We couldn't have asked for better travel companions. 
1 comment:
looks like a gorgeous place to visit....and look at you being so outdoorsy!
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