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Post by ladybugkids on Jun 12, 2007 12:53:22 GMT -9
Sourdough Sal's in Soldotna is good roadside dinner food...about Good to know the diner is still there. Good burgers and brews with a seat next to the world famous Kenai River. Used to stop there after skiing around the nearby Moose Refuge trails when I lived in that neck of the woods.
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Post by teamcoychev on Jun 12, 2007 13:04:58 GMT -9
Sounds like a few great places to eat. Deffinately Clam chowder right in the town where we will call it base camp.
One other thing we'll be doing is the Major Marine Tour from seward thru the Prince William Sound. A cool all you can eat salmon and prime rib dinner is available for $15.00 on the ship.
Exit Glacier sounds like a place to visist also and the Exit Glaicer Salmon Bake.
I read you can pick up a bunch of clams, but don't know if we have the stuff to cook em with.
While in Homer, we won't be able to afford the charter boats at the $200- $250 for each person so we hope to find a palce to rent all the equipment we need. We will be fishing on the Homer spit(?) if I typed that right. We already will be buying the licenses and extra stamps.
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Post by oleruns on Jun 12, 2007 13:13:55 GMT -9
You can catch fish in Homer off the spit. My parents used to stay at Landsend... Oh, 35+ years ago and I would fish off the beach and I would get a couple if they are running. There is a King hole they made on the spit, you can try your luck there. Best luck will be in and around the town where you are staying, you can fish from shore. Mosquitoes will be hungry!
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Post by NorthWes on Jun 12, 2007 17:40:07 GMT -9
OK - if you're visiting in Homer the best deal for Halibut fishing is the Rainbow Tours' Half-Day Halibut charter. It's a short run aboard a fairly good-sized boat out to the 'compass rose' section of Kachemak Bay (named after where the compass rose is placed on this particular area's marine chart...). A real deal at $95 per person - and every time I've gone the passengers have limited out on 20-40# halibut (THE BEST EATING SIZE!). Here's the website: www.rainbowtours.net/Webpages/Home.htmThis is a long-term business run by year-round residents of the area - an important distinction in the competitive Homer charter business. Since they run a water taxi service to the area communities they also know what whales are around what areas on what day, based on their vessel reports. Good people, and the half-day tour means max fishing time in fairly shallow (less than 200') water with minimum 'running time' to get on-site. Most boats spurn the 'compass rose' while looking for barn-door halibut - and that means a long run to the fishing grounds coupled with water over 200' deep (remember - the fishing weight might be as much as 2# to fight the strong tidal current!).
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Post by teamcoychev on Aug 8, 2007 15:39:32 GMT -9
My daughter wants to fish from the bank on the kenia river and while we're in homer for three days, she wants to try on the Homer spit.
But the prices you gave are so tempting, I may have to get the three of us on a that boat. We have to find a place to rent poles anyway so it still costs us.
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Post by teamcoychev on Aug 8, 2007 16:36:46 GMT -9
Itinerary change, we dropped the Sterling Cabin and will stay in two stays in different cabins.
September 6th arrive at 7:00pm and drive straight to Gwins cabins in Cooper Landing. hitting a couple regular and earthcaches along the scenic turnagain arm.
September 7th, Wake up/check out, and take all day scenic drive to Homer and stay in a local cabin for three days. We will stop in Sterling, Soldotna and other towns along the way. Maybe Clam Gulch to dig for clams.
Wake up on the 10th and take that slow, all day drive, back to the Gwin Cabin at Cooper Landing for the last three days.
On the 11th we have reservations for the Majors Marine 1/2 day tour and paid for the All you can eat prime rib/Salmon dinner from 11:30 to 5:30. We will then explore the sealife center in Seward and hit some caches, before and after and visit Exit Glacier. I also saw a couple caches that say the berries would be great picking near some of the Seward area trails.
On the 12th we may go to Girdwood to hit the cache near some big gorge and take the hand tram across it.
Were game for a little meet and greet somewhere along our path, if anyone wants too. Maybe Girdwood.
Does the Alesha? tram run in September? I saw where it was closed that month.
Am I missing anything special?
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Post by oleruns on Aug 8, 2007 18:33:48 GMT -9
Most all the boats will have all the gear you need if you go on a charter -
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Post by oleruns on Aug 8, 2007 18:36:24 GMT -9
Not sure on the dates for the tram at Alyeska. I am sure you looked at their website just give them a call.
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Post by NorthWes on Aug 9, 2007 5:13:57 GMT -9
Well, there's good reason the tourism folks on the Kenai Peninsula have adopted the nickname 'Alaska's Playground' for the peninsula area. As you can tell from the replies a couple of us have made, that's where we go to play! The drive to Gwin's Cabin takes you along Turnagain Arm on the south side of Anchorage - a long fjord-like extension of upper Cook Inlet. That's where several earthcaches are located, and it's a national scenic highway. You'll see why, no matter what the weather's like it's gorgeous. Near the Dalla Lambda cache you'll often see Dall Sheep on the mountainside right down close to the highway! I'd suggest a side tour to Portage Glacier visitors center (hey - there's a cache inside - Icebreaker) because the road to it at the very east end of Turnagain Arm has several hanging glaciers alongside it as well as excellent opportunities to view bears on the mountainsides (with binocs). Of course, be bear aware on the Kenai River - it's just common sense stuff like not leaving your backpack with food in it on the riverbank behind you etc. I think silver salmon should be running by then... Your plan overall sounds great! I might suggest rather than renting poles you just stop at Sportsman's Warehouse in south Anchorage (just west of a cache called 'Boulder Boulder') on the SE side of the intersection of Dimond Blvd and Old Seward Hwy. to buy their inexpensive 'tourist special' spinning rods - completely rigged for salmon fishing including lures & line - for about $40 - I just bought one for my 23yr old daughter to start on her own. Gwin's has tackle too, but I don't know of anyone who rents that kind of gear. Our church is chartering Rainbow Tours' halibut boat on the 18th of August - they usually get several bookings a year out of us like that - real fun & comparatively inexpensive. Your trip plan sounds like you're allowing plenty of time to look around at each spot. Like Michigan it can rain anytime (although I hear you guys are in the midst of a drought - what's up with that?), and the Deet-laced bug dope is an excellent investment (tho in September they're sometimes nonexistent). Mornings may be chilly... You'll love the Girdwood area, and I have to admit that the trail from the Alyeska Prince Hotel over to the Hand Tram (and back) is a personal favorite. Easy walking thru the northernmost rainforest area in Alaska; I have two caches on that trail too. Currently the Alyeska Tram schedule is only posted for dates through September 16th on their website here: www.alyeskaresort.com/page.asp?intNodeID=10933 but if you call as Oleruns suggested they'll tell you what's happening after that date. Not like they don't run; they just change hours. Stay in touch!
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Post by tankhounds on Feb 5, 2008 11:22:00 GMT -9
Hey! The Tank Hounds are crusin to Alaska in July this year! WOO HOO. Unfortunately we're only gettin to Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, but we'll be there cachin'!
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Post by NorthWes on Feb 7, 2008 11:52:07 GMT -9
Hey! The Tank Hounds are crusin to Alaska in July this year! WOO HOO. Unfortunately we're only gettin to Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, but we'll be there cachin'! There is some fine caching to be done in those coastal towns! Getting out on the cache trail will help you beat the '1.5 pounds a day' weight-gain plan they seem to build-in to your meals on the cruise ships! My wife & (geocaching) 16-yr old daughter & I just did a fast & furious visit to SoCal which included a 3-night cruise to Mexico... a fun way to geocache! You might message our webmaster Scobey directly - he's the guy for inside info on Ketchikan (he's got family there, and I think he's swept the town's hides, plus placed at least one of the caches down that way). Good man for tips on K-town!
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Post by dutchovendelights on Feb 8, 2008 13:08:46 GMT -9
Hey! The Tank Hounds are crusin to Alaska in July this year! WOO HOO. Unfortunately we're only gettin to Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, but we'll be there cachin'! We did that trip last year in July. There are as many caches as you have time for. Don't be afraid to get out of the tourist areas and enjoy the area, its magnificant! I had grand plans of a lot of caching time, but found a lot of other things to do, and beautiful country to explore. Enjoy your Trip!
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Post by blackfishorca on Feb 17, 2008 8:45:56 GMT -9
Hello all, I will be heading up your way mid-late May this year. As I am rather new to geocaching this will be my first major vacation that will include caching. I will be traveling to Anchorage, Denali, and Seward (typical tourist destinations). I think Anchorage will be the place I will have the most time to cache. Any suggestions on where to go to get some really nice and memorable caches? ( you guys have tons to choose from! I thought we had a bunch here in Miami) I like the joy of reaching the destination as much as the cache (I am not really a numbers hound) I lived in Colorado for a while and hiked in the mountains and foothils but living in the flats of Florida has gotten me out of shape for a lot of hiking. I will have a car so getting around will be no problem. Thanks Jenn aka blackfishorca
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Post by oleruns on Feb 17, 2008 18:13:46 GMT -9
Go to the geocachealaska home page and download the map of the Kincaid trail system, it has all the trails and caches on it. If you want numbers, just pick a section of town and boogy in the car.
Good Luck - Ole
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mtboy
Silver Cacher
Posts: 139
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Post by mtboy on Feb 18, 2008 23:56:36 GMT -9
There are a number of can't miss caches....check out any of ridgeseeker and suzaru's caches in Seward...that is a good place to start.
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