Day 17 -- Long Drive to Anchorage -- July 27, 2014

Day 17 (Sunday) Scenic Drive to Anchorage

Arlen woke up on Sunday to celebrate his 60th birthday in Alaska. Since we had an over 200-mile drive to Anchorage, we had an early breakfast at McDonalds in Homer. The sunrise was spectacular. The goal was to get to the Crowne Plaza motel by 5 p.m. to enjoy free snacks and drinks. Surprisingly, we only arrived half-hour late. 

The Sterling and Seward Highways connect the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage. We traveled 142 miles on the Sterling Highway from Homer to Tern Lake Junction. At the start of our drive, we could view a distant volcano. At the junction, we drove on the Seward Highway. The Seward Highway has been recognized as a National Scenic Byway. The highway parallels the shoreline of Turnagain Arm and is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in America, but also one of the most dangerous. The Chugach mountains jutted up to the left.

We ate lunch at  Sunrise Cafe in Cooper Landing, near the Russian River. We stopped to view the Kenai River at Soldotna. It crosses the road in Soldotna, and flows into the Cook Inlet in Kenai. At the Soldotna visitor center, we were able to see the world's record sport-caught king salmon on display. It weighed 97 pounds and 4 ounces!

One of the birthday boy's request was to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Girdwood, Alaska. It is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife. It takes in injured and orphaned animals and provides quality animal care. Some of the animals are then released into the wild, but others stay at the center.

Orange Highlight -- route from Homer to Anchorage

Arlen smiles on his 60th birthday on the deck of our Lands Resort room

The morning sunrise view from behind the McDonalds in Homer

Planes surrounded by fog

Another sunrise view

Moose crossing signs were everywhere along the Sterling Highway

Moose crossed the road and went up the hill

Volcanoes across Cook Inlet

View on the road north of Homer near Anchor Point -- Mt. Iliamna,
 a 10,016 foot glacier-covered stratovolcano

Wood-carved sculpture outside the store, Wishful Thinking Enterprise

Volcano in the distance

Notice the sweatshirt matches the fireweed 

Justin, Arlen and I sit on the hand-carved bench at Soldotna Visitor Center

World's record sport-caught king salmon displayed at Soldotna Visitor Center

Stairs led down to overlook of Kenai River, Soldotna

Cooper Landing

Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures, Cooper Landing in Chugach National Forest

Arlen posed for his picture on the welcome sign of
Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures, Cooper Landing

Russian River

Group picture

Quartz Creek

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Girdwood, Alaska

Musk Ox

Waterfall along the road to Anchorage

Sunset to end our day