After Denali, I headed south to my new home on the Kenai Peninsula, which has been called "Alaska in a nutshell." All of the quintessential images that come to mind at the word "Alaska"--bears catching salmon in a river, glaciers crashing into the sea, snow-streaked mountains standing over lakes, cruise ships beside whales, bald eagles in the midnight sun, moose on the roads--most of those images probably originate (or at least can be found) on the Kenai Peninsula. For reference:
There I am in Soldotna. As you can see, it has the beautifully turquoise Kenai River running through it and every summer it fills up with salmon! The world record salmon was caught right here in Soldotna: 97 pounds. And just down the road in the Cook Inlet, the world's largest halibut weighed in at 466 pounds.
To give you a flavor of the town, here are some businesses and signs that I drive by everyday: Sportsmans Warehouse, Alaska Tackle, Antler and Horn Carvings, Fish Processing, Taxidermy, Harley Davidson, Talon Air Charters, Hooligan's Saloon, Maverick Saloon, Caribou Restaurant, RV Park, Brewery, Lots for Sale, Lakeside Cabins and Lodge, Fly-out Salmon Guides, "We Ship Fish!," and, of course, Good Time Charlie's "Showgirls."
To soften the edges of this rough caricature, there are also multiple churches and a decent amount of preaching on the radio. Plus a smattering of automotive stores, truck stops, pawn shops, fast food joints, hole-in-the-walls, and a trailer park. And at least one really good bakery.
More statistics, derived from my observations:
8/10 vehicles on the road are trucks or all-terrain vehicles-- a percentage even higher than Texas.
3/9 people on my recent group hike carried guns (for protection).
2/6 of my experienced rowers own planes and occasionally hunt bears.
I'll keep you appraised of further trends. But for now, here is the beautiful home in which I am staying:
It's lovely, with a master suite in the loft (open for visitors!), big windows looking out onto trees, and a sunny wrap-around deck with a grill (one of my favorite features). You can see my little old Subaru Legacy in front... she's running like a champ so far and I even bought an Anne Murray cassette to listen to in her. Very blessed in my temporary home.
The house looks beautiful. How close is your nearest neighbor and are there running trails nearby where you feel safe from bears to run?
ReplyDeleteWho knew that a salmon could weight 97lbs?
ReplyDeleteWho knew? Who knew a halibut could weight over 400 lbs?
ReplyDeleteMy nearest neighbors are pretty close, I can almost glimpse a couple houses through the trees and I hear trucks going by on the gravel roads. No running trails immediately out my door, but back dirt roads that are secluded enough; low probability of bear, high probability of moose and recluse people.