Introduction to Kenai and Soldotna

FROM HOMER TO KENAI

We moved away from Kachemak Bay and Homer to go up the Kenai Peninsula to the village of Kenai on the Cook Inlet--it runs on up to Anchorage.  The great explorer, Captain Cook, was here a couple of times trying to find the Northwest Passage, which is why the name!
There are two small communities about 7 miles or so apart--Kenai and Soldotna.  Both are around 5,000 inhabitants, so they are small "towns".  But there is shopping here, as you will discover later in this blog!  "Chez Moi", for one!
Both villages are located on the Kenai River which is one of the more famous rivers in Alaska.  Of course, the river has runs of salmon in the late Spring and Summer--we had intentions of fishing for salmon, but that may not happen because we only have two more days left here and there is more to do on our list than we will accommodate, most likely!
Some pictures of the river:

Kenai and Soldotna are down at the first big loop near the ocean.

At the Visitors Center, the river is fairly wide and swift with a pretty big current!

Note all the walking docks of the private homes on the banks:  these are salmon fishing docks!

Our campground in Kenai has an as yet unexperienced parking arrangement:  a square around which four coaches/campers can be parked, thereby sharing a large common space!  We all have remarked how unique this is and how effective for folks traveling together.  Here is a shot of our three coaches parked in the campground--called Diamond M Ranch and RV Park:

This arrangement made for very convenient "Cocktail Hours" and cookouts!

One of our observations about Alaskans has to do with temperature and clothing:  we have not experienced but 3 or 4 days above 70 degrees F.!  Mostly, we have been in the 50s to low 60s, which has us in long sleeves and jackets.  Not the Alaskans!  Hey, the calendar says it is now "summer", so they are in shorts and t-shirts!!  It is pretty easy to spot the natives and the touristas walking down the streets!

THE MOOSE IS LOOSE!

Ron Jones, this is for you!!
One of our Monaco coach owner friends has traveled to Alaska by motorhome several times.  He has written a book about it, and all of us have read it...and have referred to it at least weekly on this journey!  He wrote about this bakery in Soldotna--The Moose is Loose!  One recommendation he made is to try the "ROAD KILL CINAMMON ROLL"!  You got it right, Ron:  it was excellent! 
Essentially, they made a very good cinnamon roll, then squashed it very flat, like "road kill"!  A little bit larger than your typical "Elephant Ear" in the lower 48, but thin, thin, thin!  The word is "squashed"!  And, as Tam said, "No need for any more sugar today--if this doesn't give you a sugar high, nothing will!"  So, if you are ever in Soldotna, Alaska, look for this sign and building:

Note the signage featuring their famous Road Kill Cinnamon Rolls!

Ray is watching Jack trying to get the "perfect shot" of the road sign in front of the bakery!

ANOTHER RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE

As most of us know, the US purchased Alaska--in Russian, Alyeska--from the Russians.  Known back then as Seward's Folly at a price of $7 million, it turned into a bonanza for the US, of course:  first, gold, then oil!  As you know from a previous post, we wandered up into the hills above Homer to find a Russian restaurant that Jack had discovered reading menus in the Homer Visitor's Center.  NO, we didn't go off in search of another Russian restaurant!  But Kenai did have a heritage reaching back to the Russian days:  we found a quaint Russian Orthodox Church in the Old Town section of Kenai, and a small chapel just about a block away.  Some photos:

The Russian Orthodox Church in Old Town, Kenai, Alaska--still holding services!

Interior of the church

And just across the street, up into the grasslands, was this chapel.  There was explanation about the uses of both the church and the chapel, but I didn't pay enough attention to note the differences!

Note the deteriorating shed in the foreground...not an uncommon site in Alaska!

Just beside this shot, and across from the church, was Veronica's!  We didn't venture in for fear that this might be a sister or cousin of Nina's--from our "gravel overland" adventure up into the hills above Homer and Anchor Point.  We were, after all, in the center of the Russian community of Kenai!!  We took note of the cars in the lot at 10:30--when we passed by again at 1:00, the lot was crammed full!  We may have missed another Russian lunch experience!

A bit more run down looking than Nina's place...but unique!

ANOTHER "JACK-ISM"!

Ok, so we were all giving Jack up the river for saying, "Hey, there's Veronica's!"  No, Jack, we are here in a Russian enclave, and she might be related to Nina.  We ain't goin' there!  So we wandered on down to Soldotna, and as we were coming out of the driveway of a restaurant, Jack, in the back seat, noticed a sign across the highway in another strip center, "Chez Moi".  He is prone to read signs of businesses as we drive along..."Oh, there's a Starbuckies!"  Or, "We just passed Arby's!"  So looking across the highway, he sees the Chez Moi sign and says, "Hey, there's Cheese Mooi!  What do you suppose that is?"  NO KIDDING!  "Cheese Mooi"!  The car erupted in laughter, and giggled all the way back to the campground!  Sorry, Jack:  just had to post this...hope you won't be too upset because you knew this would show up here!

HAMBURGER DINING EXPERIENCE EXTRAORDINARE!

Ok, so we passed on Veronica's--thanks, Jack, but not!  But whoa now...not on the Burger Bus!!  While Ray, Jack, and Ritchie sat in a sports bar to watch the US-Belgium World Cup Soccer game, Tam and Betty went exploring Kenai and came back to report on their findings...many of which we acted upon.  Not the least was The Burger Bus!  An enterprising fellow, or whomever, parked a school bus on a lot with parking, converted the interior of the bus into a kitchen with a grill and fryer stations, and started selling hamburgers and fries!  Tam and Betty found it, and of course, my Hamburgerology Degree demanded that I have a look!  We went there for lunch, stood in line for 10 or 15 minutes, got to the window, placed our order, and were told they would call us back up to get the goods in 20 minutes!  Hey, we weren't dealing with fast food here, eh?  However, it was, as Ray said, "An experience!", and it was that.  The food was good, though, and the people watching was fun!

This is the Burger Bus...with an enclosure for standing in line in good or bad weather!

It is now 20 minutes past our ordering...hey, how long does it take to fry a hamburger??

One last photo from the shoreline....the tides up here are strong and high.  When we were in the museum in Homer, there was a display depicting the tides...normal at Homer was 18 feet!  Unusual was above 24 feet!  After a drive out along the west coast of the peninsula, we stopped at low tide to walk down to the "beach":  I stayed up near the dunes, but the folks walked on down the tide line to the edge!  A long walk, wouldn't you say?

Check out the mud flats stretching well off to the low tide line!

A SPECIAL EVENT

On the 4th of July, our little group will celebrate Tam and Ray Murley's 50th wedding anniversary!  Because so many restaurants and businesses will be closed, the Ehlenbergs and Ritchie will take them to dinner on the 3rd.  Oh, and by the way, Tam's birthday is also on the 4th!  So happy days to our great friends and Alaska Odyssey Caravan Companions!  We so do enjoy our travels with you!


Stayed tuned....we are going to the Kenai 4th of July Parade...expect a lot of "Small Town America"!
More to come from the Alaska Odyssey!!
All our Best!
Ritchie, Betty and Jack, and the 50th folks, Tam and Ray