Our Trip to Girdwood, AK
Trip Start
Aug 16, 2008
1
10
14
Trip End
Aug 29, 2008
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Girdwood,
Alaska,
United States
Sunday, August 24, 2008
We began our day with, of course, our breakfast at the Caribou Restaurant. We chose it because there were many cars in the parking lot. It was ok, not great. We were then off to Girdwood, passing through some of the same towns we had passed getting to Homer.
We stopped for gas in Soldotna, at the same Fred Meyers, where gas was still $4.42 with our gas card. We bought our necessary provisions from Fred's (see picture), and we are on our way to find our first moose or bear. Ron was designated as our primary moose scout, (see insert), we fired him after he feel asleep at the helm.
We found a 17 mile nature refuge where we were certain we would find some animals of any sort. We concluded our trip without any sightings. We were one minute shy of seeing a moose and her two calves, but they escaped when they knew we were in the vicinity. We continued on the main drag again and Ron identified a bear crossing the road --- or so he thought --- but to our dismay it was a big black dog --- not a bear. We stopped a few times during our 5 hour trip and took some great pictures of the Alaskan Kenai National Park.
We arrived at our destination in Girdwood, got the key to the Davos Chalet and continued to our home away from home for the next two nights. After unloading the van it was dinner time and we decided to try the Double Musky Inn a popular restaurant of the locals here in Girdwood. It was going to be a 45 minute wait, so we were shown the bar to wait out the time.
While sitting there you won't believe what I saw, not a bear, not a moose but a BENGAL Tiger . No not the real thing, but a guy with a Bengal windbreaker on. We asked him if he was from Cincinnati, and he said yes. He said he was from Monfort Heights. His name is Howard Mees, President, of Mees Distributors, Inc. (Pete, he was the guy you bought your tile from). He was there with his wife, daughter and some friends. What a small, small world.
We left the restaurant for our chalet, and some of the folks went for a hike around the neighborhood.
Tomorrow we have scheduled a trip to the Portage Glacier and a trip to the Alyeska Resort, and possibly a trip up the mountain on the ski lift to the Seven Glaciers Restaurant.
Well good night from Girdwood. We'll be checking in with you hopefully tomorrow. (There is no internet around here, so we'll have to tap into the wireless some where, possibly in the ski lodge tomorrow).
