Anchorage and onwards...........
I joined the McKenzie family in their travels around the world on the 11th August 2009, I had promised when they left England, on July 14th 2008, that wherever they were in the world in August 2009 I would visit them. As I arrived in Anchorage airport I had been travelling for 17 hours as I had to fly from New York to Seattle then onto Anchorage. As I came out of the airport I saw the RV disappearing out of the exit of the car park, with ‘MACSWAY ROUND’ clearly visible heading over the horizon. I checked my phone no signal, help I didn’t know anyone, I had nowhere to stay, this trip was beginning to look like a bad idea. As I started to panic the RV came into sight again, I waved, legged it to the taxi rank pink case in toe and met the family. They all had a giggle about my pink Barbie case, but it was a great reunion. Phil then drove us to a nearby broad walk so I could settle in to ‘Nessie’. I had not been camping for a long time and proceeded to break the toilet within the first 5 minutes of arriving, but Phil and Sharon were very understanding and gave me the guided tour of ‘Nessie’ which they have very much made their home and it felt very welcoming. Ben and Jemma were then keen to show me the wildlife and they have learnt an amazing amount in their travels about the natural environment, the animals and their habitat. After an entertaining walk we then headed for Seward, setting up camp for the night at Chugach National Forest at Granite Creek campground. Ben and Jemma showed me where to get the best fire wood and what to do if we saw a bear. They also told me about the pepper spray I needed to carry in case we came across a bear. It was like being on tour with two young BBC wildlife presenters!! After some much needed sleep we then travelled to Seward. Ben and Jemma then managed to complete the Kenai Fjords Junior Ranger booklet which involved many activities which entitled them to become junior rangers. They have been collecting these badges in all National Parks around the USA, they now have quite a collection of which they are very proud and rightly so!! The next part of our journey in Seaward took us to ‘Exit Glacier’ this was just outside of Seward and this gave us the opportunity to walk to a glacier which was just amazing. It was enormous and really brought the process of glaciation to life. I hope that if Ben and Jemma study geography in future years they will have more of an appreciation of this phenomenon than I did at school having only been able to look at a book, as it really was truly spectacular. There was great excitement in ‘Nessie’ the next morning as we prepared to board ‘Kenai Star’ which was the boat which would take us right into the heart of the Kenai Fjords National Park. We had been promised we would see a variety of marine life while we were on board and we were not disappointed. We had been on board approximately 20 minutes and we saw a sea otter, lying on its back very chilled out watching the world go by. Soon after we spotted the hump back whale, which was amazing to see. Ben informed me at this point that the Blue Whale’s tail is the width of a small aircraft. Who needs David Attenborough on tour when you have Ben McKenzie ?? Capturing this magnificent creature on camera was however a different matter and it became a game of whale waiting not watching but we all got some excellent shots including Jemma. Hunger by now had set in and we were all very glad to see lunch was being served it was salmon and steak, with salad as much as you could eat. It was delicious and comes highly recommended by us all. Soon after lunch the boat was buzzing once again, as the captain had informed us that he had spotted a killer whale. This was music to Ben’s ears I will never forget the look on his face as he ran to get the best view. The Killer Whale was better than we could have imagined and we were all in awe of this glorious mammal. Holgate Glacier loomed on the horizon as we sailed further into the Kenai National Park. We waited in anticipation as we heard the glacier cracking to calve ice bergs into the fjord, we were lucky enough to see some small pieces of ice slip into the sea. The cruise had been a huge hit with all of us and as we travelled onwards towards our next stop we spent many hours reminiscing over what we had seen on that journey. Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre was to be the next destination and although all the animals we saw were not in the wild they were in very large open spaces. The grizzly bears four of them had 18 acres so we were lucky to see them, along with moose, bison, caribou, black bears and elk. We were then heading for the Denali highway and we set up camp alongside a river, unknown to us on a Friday night it was a local spot for bikers, however they were very friendly and interested in the family’s adventure. Wherever we go people are always keen and eager to know where the family have been and why they have embarked on the journey, and why Phil is travelling with two women. (He has given various replies!!!) Unfortunately that night I had a nightmare about the RV flooding and woke the whole family with a loud shout. Phil then decided to put on a night light on each night for me, how embarrassing a grown adult having to sleep with a night light – but it keeps Phil happy !! Denali Highway was an experience it is over 100 miles long with only 25 miles with a tarmac surface the rest is rough track. Driving Nessie on this road was both challenging and tiring but Phil did a great job. We unfortunately did not see any bears but we did spot caribou and moose in the wild. We also camped in the wilderness which was a great experience. Denali National Park was a beautiful national park we also visited and once again saw more of Alsaka’s wildlife along the Savage River. This included a marmont, ptarmigan, wild grouse and a coyote. Once again I was amazed at the family’s knowledge about the wildlife we saw. We are now heading for Anchorage as my trip draws to an end and what an inspirational trip it has been, the McKenzie family have allowed me to join them for a short time on what is an evolving journey in which destinations are only a small part of the world they are living in. They have found great happiness in all they have done and I thank them greatly for having given me the chance to be a part of this fascinating exploration into the unknown. Chelle x PS – If you have not yet made a donation to the Devon Air Ambulance which is the fund raising element of this trip, I would encourage you to do so. This is a way you can recognise the achievements of the family and celebrate their success to date !!
Friday, 21 August 2009 09:20:59 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Alaska