7-30-2013 Cook Inlet

On our last day in Soldotna we decided to do some exploring so we took off to drive along Cook Inlet.  That’s Capt. Cook by the way.  This dude got around.  We have also visited one of his spots in Hawaii.  One of our goals is to travel all of the paved roads in Alaska, so we had to see what was at the end.  When you reach the end of the road at Captain Cook State Recreation Area, you are there.  You can explore further only if you have an off road type vehicle.  I mean off road.  The path heads out into no man’s land.  If you survive the bumpy road and the potential for bear encounters you have accomplished something.  We decided that they ended the road for a reason and would not challenge their decision.  We stopped at the lookout to see what it had to offer.  There was a 60 foot drop off to the beach so we enjoyed the view from our vantage point.

Along the way we stopped at several roadside lakes.  The lakes are so inviting, with the brilliant blue cloudless sky the lakes radiate there beauty.  It is very serene  and peaceful, a place that you could spend the day finding your purpose in life and being thankful for all the blessings that God has provided you.

We spotted a moose basking in the sun and feeding along the side of the road.  There have been 9 moose killed along the highway in July alone in the Kenai area.  They have been clearing an area along side of the road to allow the drivers better visibility to avoid a collision with the animals.  The moose is very unpredictable and skittish so when they get scared you do not have a clue which way the will take off.  We are very vigilant when we travel the roads to be on the lookout for them.  They are not easy to see even though they are as big as a horse.  They blend in so well.

After leaving the inlet we headed down to the mouth of the Kenai River to walk the beach.  You have to pay $20 to park and have access to the beach (this is mainly for fishing).  When we arrived at the pay station we must of have that “deer in the headlights look” about us and the attendant leaned out the window and said “ I suppose that you want to look at the beach?”  Maybe it was the Texas license plate but the long and short he let us in for free.

The beach is littered with fish carcasses from the salmon run.  They recommend that when you clean the fish you are to throw the remains into flowing water.  Well the flowing water ends up at the mouth of the river and consequently on the beach.  The seagulls are having a field day with all of the fish parts that have washed ashore.  We did not see any eagles or bears but they too would be attracted to the area.

On the way home we spotted a caribou in the marshes, feeding on the lush grasses that are so abundant.

There was a farmers market along the side of road so we stopped to buy some of the locally grow vegetables.  Fresh vegetables are hard to come by due to the short growing season here in Alaska. We picked up some radishes, turnips and swisschard.  What a strange combination, but then again look who you’re dealing with.

 It was a fun day and we will have many fond memories of the Kenai and Soldotna area.

When the going gets tough the tough get going! What’s your excuse? Make it happen and enjoy life. It’s not something to be wasted on concerns that we have no control over.