Remember we were on the Denali Hwy when we decided to go to Inuvik. Well, we had been at Homer, about 150 miles west of Anchorage. So there we were trying to get to Homer Spit one evening. It was about 10pm. The sun ws still 30 minutes from going down, and it was the time that animals are restless. We were running 55 with Doug driving. He likes to drive, I like to look. It works out pretty well that way.

Anyway a yearling moose jumps from the side of the road at full tilt. He's the size of a full grown deer. He's looking at us, and will make it by us with 20 yards to spare......but he ain't watching for cars coming the other way, and that compact car coming from that direction was much closer to him. In fact there was an interference fit on that side of the road.

I saw the whole thing like it was in slow motion. The moose was between strides and the car hit it in the legs, which pushed them out from under it and the body just laid down on the hood of the car, then it was already rotating, and it rolled up the cars windshield and onto the top, then off to the side.

It all happened in a flash. We didn't stop so don't know the damage to the car. The moose staggered to it’s feet and ran off. All I'm sure of, is that, that moose would have ruined my day. We aren't hurrying anywhere anymore.....still....Luck beats good, eh.

So homer is a cool place on 4th of July weekend. A regular spring break type of place, in Alaska. We drove on into Homer that evening. We stopped at a View point about 3 miles before homer and took pictures. Note the sun is still shining.

There was a sign at the view point that said a lot. I divided its message into 4 inserts, and included them as pictures













We drove on into Homer that evening. We stopped at a View point about 3 miles before homer and took a picture.

So we found a place to park on Homer Spit. They would like to make everyone pay for something down there either parking or a campsite. We found a place that was free, of course.

In the morning we drove around and looked for wifi. Homer has it but you need to subscribe. But we found an internet café that let us use their puter/internet for free. The place was called the ‘Spit Sisters’. Run of course by two cute girls, sisters I suppose.

We ran around Homer and looked at the scenery of giant mountains across the bay covered with snow and many glaciers. We talked to one of the Spit Sisters’ boy friends. He was commercial fishing off a 35 foot boat, and had been kind of abandoned by his deck hand. He was looking for another before he could go fishing again., yada, yada, yada……

So we were off then to Hatchers pass and things that we hadn’t seen yet. As we were driving into Anchorage. I started to feel a thump, thump. I asked Doug if that thump was getting worse, and about that time the bubble that had been growing on my right front tire exploded and tread separation began flapping badly. Damn, and it was Sunday of the 4th of July weekend.

The tire hadn’t gone flat so we drove around to a near by Cosco to get a new tire, but the customer in front of us was the last customer that they would take for the day. So we put the spare on and left, deciding to wait till Monday or Tuesday to get that tire replaced. That left me with no spare except the tire separation tire. Well, that tire would have to do. It still held air.

Off to Hatchers Pass for us. Hatchers Pass is a state park, I think,. Its about 30 miles from Anchorage and it is an alternate route to Denali. Its a dirt road only about 30 miles long. It goes from sea level to 5000 ft in no more than 10 miles.

I surprised Doug with this one. He let me do the maps most of the time without question, and his jaw dropped when he got to the top for that breath taking view of the world.

We camped up there, and ate a couple hot dogs for dinner. Do you notice that I’m hardly talking about animal sightings anymore. Oh, just another moose, no big deal. Oh just another bear. Did you see those deer back there, yawn.