Dip Netting

 Alaska residents can dip-net for Salmon.... Since we aren't Alaska residents and we are such law-abiding citizens, we just went along for the ride.

Rhonda Johnson - she is the manager of Alaska USA Mortgage
in the Kenai peninsula.  I love working with her and we had a blast together!

Robert with Rhonda and Roger

Braden enjoying the view

ok... so I did get to bonk the salmon.
but I used to be an Alaska resident
so that made it ok.

It was a slow fish evening - but I was happy with our one little red salmon

Traditions says you have to kiss the first catch.
tradition didn't work for us since this was our only catch.

Braden took pictures of this young eagle as it took flight...

Then it was back to Rhonda's to clean the fish.
I did pretty good.  If you didn't look close at the finished product :)

Portage glacier, Whittier and Kayaking

On our way from Anchorage to Kenai, we made a 

detour over to the Portage Glacier and then through

a 2 1/2 mile train-track tunnel to Whittier.

Whittier is this strange little place at the end of the road.
But very, very beautiful!

just a couple of small shops and a Chinese restaurant.
go figure.

Braden decided to not go Kayaking.  But we had a blast!!!!!!!!!!
The water is an amazing color and the day was gorgeous.

we stopped at a beach for lunch -
don't you just love my 'Ketchikan sneakers'?

Robert looking handsome in his kayak skirt

we went on a little hike to a waterfall.
The mosquitoes were out to get us....

probably my favorite picture of the whole trip!

Flat Top Mountain - Anchorage

This was one steep, long hike.

I was very, very tired.

That theory that it's easier to beath sea level

is a crazy wives-tale.

we did see a couple of bears down in a valley

Being Tourist-y

Heading back to Anchorage, Robert's eagle-eyes 

spotted this mama moose.....

so of course, we pulled to the side of the road, 

got out the tele-photo lens,

crawled through the bushes and mosquitoes

to get these great shots.

Sunshine, WalMike and Trapper Creek

After Talkeetna, we headed 12 miles south to Sunshine, AK

A train stop where my grandfather was the section foreman.

I felt a connection.

wait... I feel a connection with ALL of Alaska.

We stayed at the Fireweed Bed and Breakfast

 Beautiful.

Lovely.

Serene.

All except the 5,669,221,004 mosquitoes that tried to consume us.

 hiking through the woods

and along the train tracks.

Then we headed up the road to the Trapper Creek Fireweed festival

and got distracted by WalMikes.
I can't even begin to describe.
You must experience to understand.

 The Trapper Creek Fireweed Festival

didn't turn out to be quite what we expected.

But the Egg Loll was great!

Denali Zipline Tour

There was lightening in Talkeetna when we were scheduled to Zipline so we got delayed about two hours.  After watching the train... we decided to go exploring.

We walked along the Susitna River

Finally it was time to zip!!

Nine Zips

a few rope bridges across trees and one rappel down

Can you believe how beautiful this is??????  Those trees and that pond...
oh my, I want to live here.
in the summer.

This is at the end of the ziplines
see the guy behind Braden's head
that was the longest zip.
Incredible fun!!!!

Flying to Alaska

Just looking out my window as I flew into Anchorage made me happy :)

Robert and Braden doing a "selfie"

TALKEETNA

Our first stop was Talkeetna.
Is this a bear?  Nope - just a huge, hairy dog.

Shopping for knives.
and necklaces

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Talkeetna.
Small, adorable and just my kind of town.
(in the summer)

We stopped at the Roadhouse for lunch.
Original roadhouse - VERY authentic!
My mom's cousins stayed here back in the 50's

YUM!!!!
Braden had the berry pancakes and I had the reindeer sausage.

My grandparents lived 12 miles from Talkeetna in the late 30's and early 40's
This picture is my Grandmother in from of the same store

My mom went last year....