August 19, 2008: Denali National Park to Anchorage to Soldotna, Alaska

Started off this morning at Carlo Creek, and made the longest drive of our trip, all the way back down through Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula and Soldotna again (Forest View Lodge a second time on this trip!). We made a few brief stops along the way but it was mostly driving.

We had dinner at the famous "Gwin's Lodge" near Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula, it was pretty decent... (location)

Nice mountain view as we left McKinley Creekside cabins in the morning

Our first great view of Mt. McKinley - it was wide open in the clear! More shots of North America's highest peak below...

More great mountain scenery around McKinley

We spotted a wolf along Parks Highway

Above: Male and Female White-Winged Crossbills (Rest area MP 136 on the Parks Hwy)

Another stop at Anchorage's Potter Marsh:

Above two: More spawning salmon

Above three: Red-Necked Grebes (top picture is a baby)

Greater Yellowlegs (above two)

Short-Billed Dowitcher

Photos from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Girdwood

Above three: Grizzly bears at the center
The Black Bear (below) had a beehive in his enclsoure (above) to make honey for him!

Above and Below: Elk

Above and Below: Black-Billed Magpie

Moose at the Center

TODAY'S LOCATIONS (INTERACTIVE)

TODAY'S ROUTE

August 13, 2008: Kenai Peninsula - Anchorage - Glenn Highway, Alaska

We left the Kenai Peninsula today, drove back through Anchorage, and to the Northeast, to Sheep Mountain Lodge, halfway east on the Glenn Highway. Some great scenery and bird shots today!

Lunch was in a nice deli in Anchorage called "Sweet Basil Cafe". Pretty good.

We stopped for the evening at Sheep Mountain Lodge, around Milepost 113 on the Glenn Highway, right in the middle of nowhere! It was kind of near the Matanuska Glacier but nothing else, which we liked! The restaurant attached to the hotel was great and the rooms fantastic. Another great place that we highly reccomend! (Link)

Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula

Above and Below: Spruce Grouse

White-Winged Crossbill

Spawning Sockeye Salmon near Tern Lake (Kenai Pen.)

Trumpeter Swans on Turnagain Arm

Bald Eagle along Turnagain Arm

Above Two: Dall's Sheep on the cliff, along Seward Highway near Girdwood

Our Alaska rental license plate!

POTTER MARSH BIRDING - ANCHORAGE (info)

American Widgeon

Above and Below: Red-Necked Grebe (above is a juvenile)

Greater Yellowlegs

Wilson's Snipe

Mallard Duck

Above and Below: Salmon coming to spawn

Herring Gull

A view from Potter Marsh

Merlin along the boardwalk

White-Crowned Sparrow

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Northern Pintail

Now we have driven north of Anchorage

View from Eagle River Nature Center (http://www.ernc.org/)

Little Sustina River

Arctic Ground Squirrel

Hoary Marmot

Above Two: Independence Mine State Historic Site

Matanuska Glacier

Matanuska River

Mountains along the Glenn Highway

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TODAY MAPPED (INTERACTIVE)

TODAY'S ROUTE