Tuesday, July 20, 2010

All good things

When we left Valdez we took the Glenn Highway back to Anchorage.  It was a very misty, overcast day so the view with four mountain ranges was something we couldn't see, but it was still a beautiful stretch of road.


These are the Chugach Mountains in the background.


I think these poles are guides for snow plows in the winter?  How deep does it get???


It was so foggy and green that it looked like the northwest, except for the vegetation.  There were supposed to be lots of moose through here.  Uh-huh.


Here you can see the Matanushka Glacier and the valley it carved out plus another example of a braided river.


We camped in the Matanushka State Recreation Site.  There were only 12 camp sites and none of them had hook ups.  The campground wasn't even full!


We took a little nature hike to see what we could see.


Another shot of the glacier.


Raindrops on Long Lake.

The next day we drove in to Anchorage. This is the last picture I took in Alaska.  We unloaded the RV and went to a motel for the night.  I wish I would have taken my camera in to Anchorage that night because there was an arts festival with lots of great photo ops.  I'll just have to remember how fun it was and how diverse the population was and how tasty the fresh halibut was for dinner.

It's hard to believe that I am at the end of our trip, 41 posts later.  It's been a pleasure to relive our adventure and read all your great comments.  Thinking back I believe that Ketchikan, Seward and Valdez were my favorite places.  I especially loved seeing whales, otters and eagles.  I think it's a marketing hoax that Alaska is full of bears!  For those of you dreaming of Alaska some day, consider a cruise, it's actually pretty inexpensive these days.  Or consider renting an RV and explore the Kenai Peninsula.  Make that dream come true, it is so worth it!  If you can't make it come true, then I hope you enjoyed our trip instead.  And if you are heading there soon, have a wonderful time!

8 comments:

Jann said...

Wow, where have I been, missing all your Alaska posts?? You've done a fabulous job of journaling your exciting trip! I don't know if I'll ever make it to Alaska, but I love traveling and seeing new sights, and your blog posts really are inspiring in that way.

Poopers AKA 2Ply said...

Those are some great pictures. I especially think the first and the last one. The snow guides look pretty funny in the summer.

Poopers AKA 2Ply said...

Oh, didn't finish that sentence. think the first one and last one are gorgeous I was going to say. :)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Thank you SO much, Loran.... I cannot express my appreciation enough for sharing your adventures with us.... Your kids have received such an education when you travel... I got an education also!!!

Thanks again.
Hugs,
Betsy

Janie said...

You certainly saw a lot of beautiful sights. I'm glad you shared it all with us.

Gaelyn said...

I have SO enjoyed your trip and continue to dream of my own one day to Alaska. I can't believe it's over. Thanks so much for taking us along.

George said...

Thanks for taking us along on your Alaskan adventure. I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every photo and I hope to have some Alaska pictures of my own in the near future.

Frostbite and Sunburn said...

Well, I have belatedly found your blog - just as you finish this trip! But I shall take some time to go back and read about Alaska - your photos draw me in immediately - it looks like you've had a wonderful time.