We flew into Anchorage and drove down to Seward to pick up our Catalina 36 charter boat from Sailing Inc. www.sailinginc.com From there we took out for two weeks of solitude exploring the Kenai Peninsula.

Barbara fished to supplement our store-bought provisions. First it was rock bass, tasty baked in butter or in fish chowder. Then we hit the mother lode . . . our first salmon was around 10 pounds, our second was around 12 pounds. Grilled salmon, baked salmon, salmon w/eggs, salmon salad . . . you get the picture. We ate lots of salmon.

Our next challenge was replenishing our water and ice supply. We gathered water when it rained, and plucked ice from the waters around the glaciers. When the sun was out and we were on open water, it could get up to 65 degrees. When it was cloudy or raining and we were sailing close to the glaciers, it was in the 40s. We were the king and queen of "layers."

We snuggled into the West Bight of Taroka Arm off of Two Arm Bay for three days of nasty weather. It was windy, cold, and there was no communication with the outside because we were out of range. We ate, slept, read, and watched the bears on parade. They were visible on the beach, on the side of the mountain, and on the little peninsula that served as our shelter from the outside. (See the black dot right above my finger in the first photo below. Yep, that's a bear!)

Mel insisted on climbing the mountain. I insisted on staying on the boat! I am so glad I stayed onboard because he encountered a bear on the way up. After a stop and sniff at very close range, the bear took off towards the woods. Mel snapped a picture as he was walking away. The photo from the highest point of his climb shows our sailboat as just a dot in a sea of blue. Those three days were the high point of our Alaskan adventure.

After two weeks on the water, we were ready for some sightseeing in Seward, and I was really ready for a double dip chocolate ice cream cone! We walked from the marina district into town, taking in all the sights. From the unique Russian influence in the homes and churches, to the primo views of the recently built vacation rentals, this little town of 3,000 swells to 15,000 during the summer months. You will see by our attire that the temperature goes up when you are away from the glaciers. That day in Seward, it was in the high 70s.

We said goodbye to Seward and our friends Deborah, Randy, and Pat at Sailing, Inc. After hopping on board the Alaska Railroad, we settled in for a five hour ride through the glacier-laced mountains on our way back to Anchorage. The scenery was breathtaking, we met two fabulous women at dinner, and shared laughter and great conversation while we watched the sun sink over the mountains. We arrived in Anchorage around 11:pm . . . just as the sun was starting to set!