May 31 -- Disembark and Go to Kenai


Disembark and Go to Kenai
Today we disembark the ship at 9:00 am as group Green 2 and begin our land phase.    We are docked at Whittier, AK, which has a population of 180 inhabitants.  Whittier was formed as a port during WWII to bring supplies into Alaska for building the AlCan highway.  We got ready by 7:30 am (must vacate the room by 8:00 am) and proceeded to the Wheelhouse Bar where we could get coffee and pastries while we waited for our group to be called.   

Whittier

Docked in Whittier
Sharply at 9:00 am they called Green 2 and we disembarked and proceed directly to the K-2 motor coach for transportation to the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge.  The drive around Whittier was very brief and we lined up to go through the 2+ mile tunnel through the mountain to bring us to Portage, AK and the highway. 

In the 2 mile tunnel

First, we made a stop at the Wildlife Conservation Center where rescued Alaskan wildlife is rehabilitated before being released or taken to other places for the rest of their life.  There was quite an assortment of wildlife – wood bison, grizzly bears, caribou, black-tail deer, etc.
Grizzly
Lake Kenai

Then off on our 1 hr drive to the lodge.  The lodge is located in Cooper Landing, AK on a beautiful stretch of land along the Kenai River with great views of the river and surrounding mountains.  Cooper Landing was the site of Alaska’s first gold discovery in 1848.  Another beautiful day with clear blue skies and a temperature of around 70o.  Five days ago, the area had snow.  The trees have just acquired their leaves, which gives the surrounding forests that unique light green color among the dark green of the pine trees.  Rooms are like cabins, have a porch, and are equipped with a wood burning stove.  



We had lunch on the lodge deck and took the Kenai River hike to the river and walked to the several observation stations along the river.  The views were gorgeous and we saw several rafters going down the river.  As you can see from these pictures, all was very picturesque.  






Relaxing back at room before dinner
The welcoming dinner for the land portion of this trip was at 5:45 pm and gave us a chance to meet people from Tennessee, Ohio and Australia at our table.  Dinner roasted brie and salmon for appetizer; a buffet of fresh spinach/strawberry salad, asparagus, potatoes, baked salmon, and beef tenderloin; and dessert of sticky toffee cake.  The evening was still very warm and we had nice views of the surrounding area.



Sunset is after 11 pm with a 3 am sunrise.  Tomorrow we have a morning nature hike.

Comments

  1. TheChemistryOfBeerJune 1, 2017 at 6:26 PM

    Nice pictures. Looks like you have had good weather. Would rafting require a wetsuit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Larry KrannichJune 3, 2017 at 2:28 PM

      No wet suit required, because only class 2 rapids.

      Delete
  2. EmilyJune 2, 2017 at 4:35 AM

    Looks like the start of another great phase of the trip! Can you see the Northern Lights?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Larry KrannichJune 3, 2017 at 2:27 PM

      No Northern Lights. Actually we have only 3 hrs at most of darkness.

      Delete

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