Day 17 -- Alaska

Cook Inlet in Ninilchik-----------------------------------------Tuckers new travel chamber

Today is July 21, 2010. We traveled today from Anchorage to Ninilchik which is on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula. Ninilchik sets on the Cook Inlet and has a population of about 300 residents. It is a little fishing village and the primary source of income is Salmon fishing. We took a drive down to the beach where all the fishing and charter boats come in each evening. The water is ringed by mountains, four of which are active volcanoes; Augustine, Iliamna, Redoubt and Spurr. Looking out from the beach you can see at least two of these volcanoes that are billowing smoke from the top. The Cook Inlet has the second highest tidal changes in the Northern Hemisphere. The local beach is an excellent place for clamming for Razor Clams. When we arrived this afternoon, we met another couple just coming in to the RV Park as well and we ended up parked next to them. There names are Barb and Jim and right away they told us they are planning to go clamming tomorrow. We are considering going as well but I will have to invest in rubber boots if I go. The local general store I found sells them at a reasonable price and I assume Larry will wear his hip waders. It sounds like a fun time. The resort where we are parked rents the claim digging shovels and gloves. We also met the couple that is parked on the other side and their names are Craig and Marylou and they are from New Hampshire. We were all outside this afternoon chatting and the couple we were parked next to in Anchorage pulled in and they ended up joining the conversation as well. Everyone is so nice and you learn so much information from the conversations. We learn about the good RV Parks, the best fishing places and the places they have been that they recommend.

The weather today was beautiful. We have dealt with rain for many days in a row. The sun was shinning and it was about 65 degrees. It does not take long for the temperature to drop at night. It is 10:00pm and the sun is still shinning but it is very cool outside and there is a good wind blowing tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as nice as I think Larry is going to try fishing for a while. The fishing licenses are quite expensive. They have various license running from one day to a year so it all depends on how much you figure you will be fishing, I guess.

The cats enjoyed the weather this afternoon. When we got parked, I let them all out on their leashes for awhile for a change of scenery. I think they were all going crazy being inside for so long with the nasty weather. Tucker has left his post next to the passenger chair in the motor home and taken to lying flat out in the windshield. He loves being up there because if the sun is out he is soaking it in. He loves laying in the sun at home and when I let them out on the deck, he refuses to come in as he spends the entire day laying in the sun.

I took some pictures down on the beach of the mountains and fishing boats but they did not pick up on the beauty as usual. Each day here is just another unbelievable sight. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Each day you feel you will never see anything more beautiful and then the next day you see something that either equals or tops the day before!