Meet the Berzowskis Alaska Adventure: Kenai & Homer

Jim and Robin are heading to Alaska! The Honda CR-V is packed and their trusty GO, L.E.O. (Low-Earth Orbiter), is ready for adventure. Follow along and get a taste of #myGOlife…Berzowski-style!

Back to civilization! Anchorage is a nice-sized city, with the Alaska Mountain Range on one side and the Cook Inlet on another. We were welcomed to stay with new friends, Joni and Rick (they are old friends of our friends Cindy and Fred, who also happen to be Tanner’s [see Denali post] parents!) They have a lovely house, in which they made us feel right at home. They prepared a superb dinner of fish tacos – it was a feast!

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We ate dinner sitting on their deck, overlooking their beautiful gardens. I asked why they have vegetable planters on the deck, instead of in the garden. The answer is moose! The next morning, we observed first hand. Unfortunately, the moose do not take direction for what to trim and what not to trim!

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

Rick and Joni showed us around the city a bit and we took them out for ice cream – a luxury of civilization. We took advantage of their hospitality offered, to do laundry (and, of course, take showers) – more luxuries of civilization ?

The next day Jim and I hiked Flattop Mountain trail. It’s a nice hike (although tricky at the top), which provides a great view of the mountains, the city, and the harbor – that is, if it is clear. We had pretty good views, somewhat obscured with haze due to smoke from fires.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We took off the next day for Homer, on the Kenai Peninsula. We made a quick detour down the Alyeska Highway to Girdwood and then down the Sterling Highway. The drive down was somewhat smoky, but the beauty was undeniable. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Soldatna Creek Park and strolled along the metal boardwalk to the Kenai River. The water was running very high and fast. There were many people fishing and the gulls were also lined up looking for lunch.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

The end of the road is the Homer Spit, the thin peninsula that is the ‘end of the road’.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We were generously offered to stay at the ‘Hutte’ cabin, more friends of Cindy and Fred, Bruce and Toni. After 6,000 miles, our GO, LEO, got a break, resting in this magical vortex of a hillside overlooking the Kachemak Bay.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

If you can imagine taking a vacation while you are on vacation, this was it! For our first full day, we booked a kayaking trip with Rick and Dorla of Sea Adventures, friends of Bruce and Toni. This was not your average kayak trip. They arranged a water taxi to take us across the bay to their home. We loaded up the 3 kayaks (in addition to me and Jim and Rick and Dorla, there were 2 student helpers). Their philosophy is ‘the slower you go, the more you see’. It was phenomenal. We observed otters swimming, resting, and eating (they cracked clam shells to open them!)…and they watched us ?

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

Bald eagles soared around us and posed majestically…and we were able to see 2 eaglets in their nest (no pics).

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We visited a sublime grotto and some peek-a-boo rocks.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

There was a very calm little bay that was our lunchtime destination. Dorla made a fish (salmon) soup to which she added different seaweed picked up as we kayaked and land plants from our picnic beach. Rick showed us how the seaweed changed color from brown to bright green when added to the hot soup.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

At the end of the day of paddling, we were excited about all that we saw and learned, yet calmed, as if we had been meditating. It felt that we had met new friends and kindred spirits.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We started the next day with a very early flight with Sasquatch Air.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

On our way to Katmai National Park, we flew around several volcanic mountains. It was eerie and beautiful because we were on top of a very thick layer of clouds, flying (very close) around the peaks of these majestic mountains.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

Then, after finding a gap in the clouds, we landed on a beach in the northern section of the park.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We walked across the delta area where bears were looking for fish in the streams. We watched grizzly bears in their natural habitat, as they fished, ate, scratched, and lounged!

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure Bear
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

After that, Jim was inspired to go fishing himself! He caught his Dolly Vardin in Anchor River.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We had another early morning for a day long halibut/salmon fishing charter. Personally, I think I needed more prep time at the gym, because it is a real workout to pull up line from 200 feet deep with a 4 lb weight – and that’s just to check the bait; when you hook something, it is REAL work!!

Jim caught 2 nice halibut and I caught an octopus! We each caught a shark and 4 salmon.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We slept in a bit on Sunday and enjoyed the view from the deck.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

Jim wanted to make a fish buffet for dinner for Bruce and Toni, who were coming down to the cabin that night, so in addition to halibut and salmon from the charter, we went back out to Anchor River for some beautiful Dolly Vardin.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

We had a wonderful dinner with Bruce and Toni, and were joined by their neighbor, Fred. It was like being with old friends. After a delicious salmon frittata the next morning, we left our friends and our Homer home, the ‘Whiskey Shack’, guest cabin of the ‘Hutte’.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure
Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

As we drove back to Anchorage, along the Sterling Highway, we again passed areas of forest burns and could see smoke from active fires. Fortunately, rain is in the forecast.

Berzowskis Alaska Adventure

Next Stop:

Seward, AK

7 thoughts on “Meet the Berzowskis Alaska Adventure: Kenai & Homer

  1. Hi John,
    Sorry about your mobility issues, but glad you’ve found a way to continue getting out to nature!
    The kitchen is from SylvanSport – it’s called the Over Easy Kitchen and collapses down to 8″ x 40″ x 19″, so it doesn’t take up too much space. You can see more details on their website: https://sylvansport.com/shop/over-easy-camp-kitchen-2/
    The BAL is a device used to level the trailer, side to side. You can find it online through multiple vendors.
    We plan to continue “GO”ing!
    We’ll be in the south again in March/April, and are starting to plan for another long (10+ weeks) trip, this time to the Canadian Atlantic provinces.
    Have fun camping,
    Robin

  2. Hello Jim and Robin,
    This is John who you met in Ocala, FL at Gander Outdoors. I sold my GO because I couldn’t bend anymore and bought a used 16′ Airstream Bambi, but I always go back and look at your trips which are really adventures. You do an excellent job of telling a story so much so that it captivates my attention all the way to the end. I hope you folks can keep traveling in your GO for many more trips and continue to tell about them. I couldn’t believe all the items you carry with you and wondered where you keep the kitchen. It appears that you must lay it down inside the deck of the trailer (?). The only other item that I wonder about is the BAL. What is it? An option? For leveling the trailer? I hope to run into you in the future as I learn how to find places to stay at respectable distances from my starting points. Regards, John

  3. Love yor adventure. I am lucky to live in Alaska. Everywhere you look there is beaury. The fall colors are here now and it is gorgeous.
    I onky ask you that if you come and fish again, let the octopus go. They are incredibly i teigent and beautiful creatures. It breaks my heart that they are cut up and often used for bait ot eaten for dinner.

  4. Vicariously traveling and enjoying the trip with you!
    Can’t wait for the next episode.
    Thanks so much for sharing and keep safe among the bears, they love fishing too!

  5. The mountain range behind Anchorage is the Chugach Range. The Alaska Range is on the other side of Cook Inlet.

Comments are closed.

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