Freedom! I got a rental car and drove down the Seward Highway from Anchorage to Seward. Mountains, the sea, blue skies, and white fluffy clouds were my view almost the entire time.
The drive is supposed to take about 2.5 hours…I took six hours because I stopped wherever I wanted on the drive. One of my first stops was the McHugh Creek Trailhead in Chugach State Park (the third largest state park in the U.S.). I really, really wanted to hike here, but I also dreaded a bear encounter. So, armed with the bear spray that the owner of the inn in Anchorage had given me, I ventured a short distance into the woods. I clapped, stomped, whistled, sang, and talked so that I wouldn’t surprise any bears on the path. Success! No bears.
Further down the road, Monkey and I stopped to ride the Alyeska Tramway to the top of the ski resort in Girdwood. It was the shoulder season between the end of winter operations and the beginning of summer operations, so I rode up and explored the top with just a handful of other people.
But, the views don’t take off for the season! This was from the deck of the lodge at the top of the tram. Just imagine a view like this all the way around. The blue skies and the mountains stretched 360 degrees around me.
And then we finally made it to our destination: the Kenai Peninsula. After such a beautiful drive, I couldn’t wait to see what the peninsula had to offer!
We found our way to the Nauti Otter Yurt Village.
Clint, one of the owners, led us to the Halibut Hut, our home for the next three nights.
Monkey immediately made friends with the yurt’s resident halibut.
After we settled in, I wrote, “Now I’m cozy in my yurt. I instantly felt at home in my small space with everything I need. Could I live in a yurt? Short-term, definitely. Things I’m grateful for today: a rental car. Friendly yurt hosts, the Copper Whale owner giving me bear spray. Waterfalls. Water. Big, expansive views.”
After dinner and the grocery store, we cozied in for the night to rest up before exploring Seward the next day.