Good-bye Smoke

31 Aug

August 25, 2019

In Seward the smoke did not dissipate overnight so we packed up and drove to Anchorage.

From our RV front window looking out at Resurrection Bay in Seward, AK. Smoke!

We drove The Seward Highway to Anchorage. The two-lane highway curves along the Turnagain Arm and offers magnificent views of Cook Inlet and the snow-capped Chugach Mountains in the distance.  We could not enjoy the views today due to the lingering haze and smoke.

There are not many RV parks in Anchorage, so we decided to utilize Cabela’s hospitality.   Cabela’s offers free overnight RV parking and a free dump station. As we pulled around the store to the RV area, it was nearly full, but, we found a space!  Before settling in for the night, we had a few things to do; shopping in Cabela’s, a quick car wash for the Jeep, and a stop at Costco for some goodies! 

RV Parking at Cabela's in Anchorage
RV parking at Cabela’s in Anchorage, AK

August 26, 2019

We woke up early and drove from Anchorage to Glennellen via the Glenn Highway.  We drove along the Matanuska River and passed the Matanuska Glacier.  Unbelievably, there was still some lingering smoke in the air.  Due to the clouds and smoke, the views of the Matanuska Glacier were not spectacular.  

Near Glennallen we stopped for the night at the Ranch House Lodge RV Resort.  It turned out to be a fun and entertaining place! The place was built in the early 50’s and is one of the oldest roadhouses still in operation.  It was built before the Glenn Highway was paved and the original builders used sled dog teams to haul logs and supplies to this historic landmark.  The current owner’s purchased the property 7 years ago and have restored the roadhouse and made improvements.  They are a very energetic couple!  Every night at 6:30 PM they offer a meal of Chili and Cornbread while telling the history and stories of the roadhouse. There were only 5 of us for dinner tonight:  Me and Ken, a couple from Vero Beach and a man from Mesa!  Besides Roadhouse history, there were several stories about traffic, smoke, road conditions, and things to do. It was a fun way to spend our evening! 

Tomorrow – Tok, AK