Soldotna & Kenai

Yesterday while I did my last day at work on the Ranch, Ian traveled to Anchorage to pick up Sheilagh & Michael Duncan at the airport. They had flown in from Scotland to do some traveling with us in Alaska, which we will begin Tuesday. Sheilagh and I go way back – we met as pen-pals when we were 16, and first met in person when we were 18. Over the years we maintained a very special friendship, our families fusing when Ian and I became god-parents to their oldest child. Sheilagh’s parents and my parents even became great friends, visiting each other from time to time. Anyway, once they became empty-nesters, as we had, we started taking the opportunity to travel with each other whenever we got the chance. This year, seeing Alaska, was an ideal opportunity to continue the new tradition.

Since they arrived late yesterday, we decided that today we would stay close to home and not wear them out. So, after Sheilagh and I attended the last church service at the Diamond M Ranch for the year, we all went to Soldotna, the town about 5-6 miles from the ranch. After exploring Fred Meyer’s (Alaskan style K-Mart) and getting a few things, such as a new throw rug for our entry-way (when I was frantically cleaning the 5th wheel yesterday on my lunch break, I knocked over a large bottle of olive oil. The oil spread nice and evenly over several feet in all directions, soaking into the throw rug at the doorway. Well, I figured the best way to get the oil out of the rug was to wash it in hot water, which is what I did. Didn’t think about the rubber backing, which didn’t disintegrate like I would have thought if I’d been thinking, but rather, rolled up on all four sides. I don’t know why the hot water would cause it to roll up, and it was as if starch had been put in the water, as I couldn’t get the rolls out. I did trip over the rug several times, though, so decided it had outlived its life span and would need replacing.) Mike bought a pair of Dockers trousers, which he always does when in the States, as he loves the pants, but cannot get them in Scotland. We got a few food items, then sat and had some mochas at the Starbucks in the store.

Re-energized on caffeine, we headed to the settlers museum, where they have several original cabins built and used by the original settlers of this area. The 89 year old woman named Kathy, who gave us a lot of history, came here all by herself in the early ‘60s when there wasn’t much here. She told us how the few people who were here traveled to Seward to see the doctor, the dentist traveled with his dental equipment and floor-stand drill on a boat, stopping when he saw a white flag on a stick, the sign that his services were needed in that area. She said that when Alaska was opened for homesteading just after WWII, you could claim land after being on it for 7 months, and military veterans were not only given first chance at a piece of property, but their wait was usually chiseled to about 5 months. Homesteading ended in Alaska in 1986 – much later than I’d have imagined. The cabins, including the one-room school house, and the two fishing boats, looked like things from the 1800s, yet they were built in the ‘50s and ‘60’s. It’s amazing to think that while we were living in normal houses with plumbing and electricity, people up here were just forging the first lines of modern civilization. Here on the Kenai Peninsula, there were no indigenous peoples, it was just all wooded land. So, these hearty homesteaders began what now are world-renown tourist destinations for fishing enthusiasts.

From the homesteaders’ cabins, we drove to Old Town in Kenai, about 4 miles on the other side of the Ranch. Ian first drove us to Beluga Point, high on a cliff overlooking the Cook Inlet. It was a beautiful sight with the sun bouncing off the water, the snow peaked mountains peaking above the clouds that clung to the shoreline. I had picked up a walking tour guide from the Visitor’s Center, so we quickly found our starting point, the Russian Orthodox Church. I’ve been there several times with other visitors, but it’s never been open. Today, however, we were lucky. Not only was it open, but the priest or bishop, or whatever he’s called (Sheilagh would remember, but she’s asleep) who has been assigned to that church since the ‘60s was on hand to answer questions. Because the inside décor resembled a Catholic church, I asked him what the difference is between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox. He said there are only two differences – the fact that Orthodox does not believe in the Immaculate Conception and they do not believe in the infallibility of the Pope. After we left, I wished I’d thought to ask him how they believe Christ was conceived and if they recognize the Pope as head of their church even though they think he could make mistakes.

We wandered around a bit, seeing homes built by settlers no more than 100 years ago, already on the National Register of Historical buildings. Most are still being used as privately owned homes, but one is now a cute, little coffee shop called Veronica’s. We did stop there and get iced coffees and Cokes. One building was the original post office for Kenai, but now is someone’s home. Some of the buildings are situated right on the cliff overlooking the Cook Inlet, and the rest are within a few blocks. In the lower 48, it would be very prime property,and would have the condos and hotels blocking the wonderful, free views. But here, even the new houses are pretty utilitarian, the American Legion sits a couple blocks from the cliff, and nothing looks like the resort area it would down south of here. It's kind of nice, though, knowing the normal, every day people can afford to live near the water. Granted they can't swim in it, but at least they have the million dollar view without spending a million dollars for it.

Anyway, by the time we got home, the day had turned into a lovely, sunny evening, so we ate dinner at the picnic table outside. This morning I had put a roast in the slow cooker, and we picked fresh lettuce from the ranch’s garden (even that tasted so much better than store-bought). It was a nice meal to come home to.

In the morning we’ll head to Homer. The weather report says it will be another beautiful, sunny day, so that should make for a good day trip. I sure hope we see some moose and maybe even a bear on the way down, for Sheilagh & Mike’s sake. Oh, when we were at the settler’s houses in Soldotna, the guide told us that a camper had been mauled just up the trail the previous night. Then, on the 10:00 news this evening, they said that bear maulings have increased this year. We do need to get something to make a lot of noise in case we come upon a bear, rather, if he comes upon us. Actually, the chances of that happening are just about nil since you have to be out walking in the first place. We just don’t do those things! As Sheilagh related a comment made by one of her students, “If God meant for us to walk, He wouldn’t have let us invent cars.”