Alaska --

May 2009 Headed North To Alaska

The entire Terrell clan - including Karen and Gene headed North to Homer, AK to visit Gene's brother and his wife (Hardin and Joan). They graciously allowed us to crash at their place, kids and all! We left beautiful weather to land in Anchorage to rain. It sort of looked like Washington.
We drove from Anchorage around the Turnagain Arm and down to Homer, AK. Everyone told me I would see a moose but I didn't see a one! I was starting to doubt that I would see a moose.
We arrive in Homer and had a wonderful dinner and settled in so that we could get ready for fishing. The kids had a hard time going to sleep as we were in the Land of the Midnight Sun but they finally closed their eyes and were sawing "zzzz's" around 10pm.

5:30am came quickly and we were all up for a day of fishing.....We headed out into Kachameck Bay and towards Cook Inlet and did some Halibut Fishing. As we were trolling for Black Sea Bass Hayden caught a nice 30ish lb Halibut that he reeled in himself (with the help of Grandpa who helped hold the rod). We picked up a few more "chicken buts" that day but no salmon.


After a long day of fishing we returned to Joan and Hardins' house and I finally got to see my Moose. I worked in Alaska but I never saw a Moose in Bristol Bay - I saw Grizzly Bears, Swans and Cariboo but never a Moose. Hayden spotted this one in the neighbors yard. That kid, has the "eye" for spotting wildlife. This was the same day we watched a yellow lab chase a little black bear cub down into the gulley on the side of the yard. Hayden and Shannon really wanted to go find the cub in the gulley but I wisely reminded them that it was a baby and his / her Mommy was probably close by ... Fischer was totally freaked out and he was in the house the rest of the night.






The next two days consisted of more fishing. I was able to take off one day and stay in town and explore. That of COURSE was the day that they were EN FUEGO with fish! Oh well, I found the Time Bandit Store (from the Deadliest Catch) and chatted up the gal for a while and found out all the 'scoop.' The boys came in a few hours later and spent $100 in about 30 seconds!

Time Bandit Sweatshirts with Homer Spit!

We had a real Alaska experience -- no salmon but I have seen my fair share of Alaskan Salmon but I have a freezer full of halibut. The boys saw a Grizzly on the way home on the Kenai Peninsula, we saw a glacier, we drove through a tunnel, we ate the best fish and chips, and we were together as a family. So all in all it was an awesome trip. I think that the boys have gotten the Alaska bug. Shannon has decided that he does not want to live in Homer...I think that he thought maybe he did...and we are working on a trip to Sitka, AK next year.

Fred the Eagle that came to eat at Joan's house everyday around 2:30pm. But we didn't feed him, that is against the law and we would never do anything against the law.

A family picture...and look I'm in it!



In the words of Hayden "Yo Griz....waz up?" He made eye contact with the bear when he yelled at it and that freaked out Fischer who screamed "ROLL UP THE WINDOW and DRIVE DAD!" uut Hayden just had a rolling converstation with the bear.

Alaska rocks because it is the only place I know that you can totally get away with wearing jeans, a hoodie and your Sitka Slippers (aka Extra Tough rubber boots) EVERYWHERE and EVERYDAY and you are totally in fashion. Next year, SE Alaska here come the Terrell's!