It was another rainy day in Alaska, starting out at 49 degrees but ending up being sunny and 61 degrees by the end of the day.
We drove 150 miles from Williwaw Campground in the Chugach National Forest (Girdwood, AK area) to Edgewater Lodge & RV Park in Soldotna, Alaska. As we left the Girdwood area, we entered into what is known as the Kenai Peninsula.
Along our journey today we also passed by Bertha Creek Campground.
Following the Seward Highway South, we saw many beautiful mountain ranges. It rained on us a little along the way. We crossed Canyon Creek.
And continued working our way toward Homer, Alaska (which would be our destionation in a few days).
We drove by Thunderfoot Campground in the Chugach National Forest passing snow-covered mountains and beautiful lakes.
Next we came to the junction of Seward Highway (Alaska Hwy 9) and Sterling Highway (Alaska Hwy 1). This is where we turned to follow Sterling Highway.
Continuing on we went by Quartz Creek and Crescent Creek.
Next we drove by Cooper Landing that has a population of 250 and an elevation of 450 feet. This small town is situated along the shores of Kenai Lake and meets up with the Kenai River. Along the way we were graced with the striking beauty of the towering Kenai Mountains and the fiercely blue Kenai Lake. The breathtakingly beautiful glacial waters of the world-renowned Kenai River left us gasping for air.
Cooper Landing is the heart of the Kenai Peninsula, both literally and figuratively as it is located in the middle of the peninsula. This small town also sits at the intersection of the Kenai and Russian Rivers, making it an especially fertiale fishing spot.
Cooper Landing was originally settled by prospector Joseph Cooper. Joseph was a miner who discovered gold here in 1894. A school and a post office opened in the 1920s to serve miners and their families living in the area. Cooper Landing stretches along several miles of the Sterling Highway. Its nickname is "The Emerald," because of its waters tinged a unique blue-green due to the suspended ultra-fine glacial silt.
We drove by Salmon Run Lodge in Cooper Landing.
We also drove by Eagle Landing Resort and the Lodge at Grizzly Ridge. There appears to be lots of fishing areas and places to stay in Cooper Landing.
We caught a glimpse of some rafters on the Kenai River.
We then drove by Cooper Creek, which was another beautiful body of water.
We sailed by the Russian River Campground, and past the entrance to the Kenai-Russian River Ferry.
We continued along Sterling Highway and went by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
Then we came to the area of the Swan Lake Fire created by a large lightning-caused wildfire in 2019. This wildfire burnt approximately 170,000 acres between Sterling and Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula from June 5, 2019 until the autumn of that year.
Driving by the Skilak Lake Road, we soon arrived at Sterling, which has a population of 6,011 and an elevation of 150 feet. It is located on Sterling Highway at the confluence of the Kenai and Moose Rivers that makes for excellent fishing or canoeing through nearby lakes for magnificent scenery. The name Sterling was formalized in 1954 when a post office was established.
Shortly thereafter we arrived at Soldotna, Alaska where we will be camping for the night.
The cities of Kenai and Soldotna are located ten miles apart and are often referred to as the "Twin Cities" because they share an integrated economy while maintaining their independent characters. Soldotna has a population of 4,376 and an elevation of 115 feet.
The city of Soldotna took its name from the existing Soldotna Creek that empties into the Kenai River. Some say "Soldotna" came from the Russian word meaning "soldier," while others say it is from an Athabascan Indian word meaning "the stream fox." Soldotna, a supply and fishing town was established in the 1940s because of its strategic location at the Sterling-Kenai Spur Highway junction. World War II veterans were among the very first Soldotna homesteaders. The area opened for homstead filing in 1947 and veterans were granted a 90-day preference over non-veterans in choosing and filing for land. Soldotna was incorporated as a first-class city in 1967.
Soldotna is one of the fishing hot spots in Alaska. The Kenai River enters Cook Inlet a few miles northwest of Soldotna and it's a very popular place to fish. Fishermen in Soldotna often fish from boardwalks when the salmon are running in the Kenai River, which flows through town, and in nearby Kasilof River.
Our campsite was site #58, and it cost us $19.08 for one night of camping with full hookups.
After getting set up, we took Kalifornsky Beach Road to Kenai Visitors & Cultural Center. And an interesting yellow sign along the way told us how many moose had been hit along the road since last July (235 moose).
It was once again sprinkling as we crossed the Kenai Spur Highway.
Our first stop was at the Kenai Visitors & Cultural Center in Kenai, Alaska.
There were many interesting things inside -- including the old cash register below.
One of my favorites was the "rock concretions" collection shown above. Rock concretions are a geological occurrence formed as sedimentary minerals solidify around a nucleus as in the formation of an oyster pearl. These rocks were found on Cook Inlet beaches north of Kenai at Otter Creek. Glacial silt along with the action of water in the intertidal zone contributed to their unique shapes.
Above is some of the artifacts from the Tustumena 200-mile Sled Dog Race, while below is greater detail about this particular race.
Below is another of my favorites in the museum -- the 1791 to 1991 Kenai Bicentennial quilt.
Above and below is a model of the St. Nicholas Chapel in Kenai.
There were numerous display cases highlighting artifacts from the Holy Assumption Church replicated in three-dimension below.
Above is information on Cook's Voyage, while below is artifacts from that voyage.
After we were through looking at everything in the museum, we started our Old Town Kenai Walking Tour.
Above is the CWF warehouse door at the old Columbia Wards Fishery Cannery in Kenai.
Below is a Steam Donkey from Kenai Landing (with information listed above).
Above is information on the K-6, an original wooden hull commercial drift fishing boat built in 1949, while below is what remain of it.
Above and below is the Burger Bus we came across in Old Town Kenai.
Above and below is the Moose Rangers Headquarters.
Fort Kenay was orginally constructed in 1869 by the U.S. Army. It was the first military installation in the area. Fort Kenay was a series of barracks where more than 100 soldiers were stationed. These soldiers were the men of the F battery 2nd Artillery. Some of the soldiers stationed here were veterans of the American Civil War. After 17 months the fort was abandoned and the soldiers were sent back to Idaho and Oregon to assist in the quelling of an Indian uprising.
The Parish House Rectory was built in 1881 and is believed to be the oldest original building on the Kenai Peninsula. This is the home of the priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. Hand-hewn logs, joined with square-notched corners, are covered by wood shingle siding and painted the original colors.
Below, the Chapel of St. Nicholas was built in 1906 as a tribute to Father Igumen (Abbot) Nikolai, first missionary in the Kenai area. With the aid of his two assistantants, Father Nikolai was responsible for bringing the smallpox vaccine to the Kenai Peninsula and vaccinating many people in the fight against this deadly disease.
Below, the Dolchok/Juliussen Cabin was built in Kenai in 1922 by Mike Dolchok. He sold it in the late 1940s to Julius Jiliussen, who moved it near its present site of the Peninsula Oilers ballpark and lived in it with his family for many years.
Below, the Holy Assumption of Saint Mary Russian Orthodox Church was established in 1849 with the current building constructed in 1894-96. In 1970, the church site was declared a National Historic Landmark. The church is one of the oldest Russian Orthodox churches in Alaska. As a whole, with three onion-shaped domes, it is considered among the top and most lasting icons of Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska today.
Before continuing on our walking tour, we went into the Erik Hansen Scout Park. It was very interesting.
It provided us information on the Cook Inlet that is a large tidal basin extending 200 miles from the Alaska Range to the Gulf of Alaska. Below are views of Cook Inlet.
We also learned about the Kenai River that flows 150 miles from its origin high in the mountains of the Kenai Range and the Harding Icefield to the east.
Returning to our walking tour, we are now at the Showalter House. Originally the Miller Cabin that was built by Pioneer Emil Ness in 1910. In 1930, its logs were numbered and then disassembled and barged to Kenai where it was pieced back together again. In 1937, the family of Emil's brother, Gust Ness sold the cabin to Ward Showalter.
Another look at the Cook Inlet.
Below is the Kenai Historic Cabin Park with the historic Kenai Cabins.
Below is Moosemeat John's Cabin. It was given the name of "Moosemeat John" for hunting moose to feed his thirteen children. John Hedberg homesteaded with his family in Nikiski, often sharing the success of his efforts.
Below is a Bristlol Bay Double-Ender Drift Boat.
Above is information on a Russian that is accredited with being the first to discover gold in Alaska.
Next we went to Kassiks Brewery in Kenai. Mel tried a few craft beers there.
this
north Kenai brewery features 20 quality ales on tap, including their signature
brews, Moose Point Porter and Caribou Kilt Scotch Ale.
We then drove by Nikiski, Alaska on our way back to Soldotna.
Nikiski has a population of 47,616. One of the main reasons to drive north from Kenai to Captain Cook State Park on the Kenai Spur Highway is to view the "Ring of Fire," five active volcanic mountains across cook Inlet. Nikiski, also referred as "North Kenai" or "The North Road" was homesteaded in the 1940s and grew larger when oil was discovered nearby in 1957.
We then stopped at Kenai River Brewing Company that opened in 2006.
It was a good choice to stop at as they had wonderful home-brewed root beer for me.
We decided to have tater tots covered with chicken alfredo sauce as an appetizer. And boy were they delicious! Afterwards we went home and had blackened black cod for dinner.
Tots to you and good night!
Shirley & Mel
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