Thursday, July 31 - Driving to Wasilla

Homer in the fog

This morning Lori served a giant puffed pancake with apples and wild blueberries that she and her husband had picked yesterday across the bay.  She told us that she used to be a cook on a ship in the Bering Sea, and her daughter is a deck hand who goes off four day at a time on some kind of commercial boat.  Pretty tough people, these Alaskans!  We said our goodbyes and left the Bay Ave B&B and Homer.  Next time we’ll stay another day in Seward and several more in Homer and there is so much to do and see.

Lori's Pancake

This morning Homer was filled with dense coastal fog and as we climbed to the overlook we got a lovely view across the fog-filled bay.  We continued up the west coast of the Kenai Peninsula on the Sterling Highway, retracing our path of Tuesday.  We did finally see a young moose after passing many “Watch for Moose” signs.  Passed lots of fishermen out in the Kenai River casting for salmon until we reached the Seward Highway and turned north for the road back to Anchorage.

We have been following our copy of The Milepost, a large book that is published every year and gives, in minute detail, everything you might see on any highway in Alaska.  The Milepost pointed out several pull offs from which we might see Beluga Whales in the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet.  I managed to swerve left into one and we saw several people looking up at the inland mountain rather than at the water - and we finally saw Dall Sheep!  A female and a young one were grazing way above us just close enough to make out legs and movement - but nothing else is that white!

Dall Sheep in there somewhere!

We stopped at the Potter March again and birded a bit to stretch our legs, and then drove through Anchorage and north 43 miles to famous Wasilla.

We checked into the Lake Lucille Best Western and lucked out by getting a room right next to the laundry room as I was having laundry issues.  I got the laundry done while Bob tried to find out where to eat which is not easy in Wasilla.  Finally we looked in Fodor’s and the top recommendation was the Cadillac Café, located in a gas station!  It sounded unlikely but turned out to be quite charming and served us a very nice pizza and a juicy hamburger.   We’re now back in our room trying to drown out the motorboats droning back and forth in the scenic small lake, as it’s still 70 degrees and will be light for quite a while!

Thursday, July 31 - to Wasilla

Cadillac Cafe