Camp Wally World In Anchorage!!

Our plan was to leave Girdwood first thing and head to Anchorage for Gracie kitty's vet appointment.  Instead, I'm beginning to understand the jello word!!!  I've had my FIRST mechanical problem since purchase in April 2012.  The rear jacks have been becoming more and more slow in retraction ... this morning, the right rear refused to retract the last two inches.  D A N ! ! ! !

It really is nice to have a level headed man around ... maybe one day I'll find one of my own.  In the meantime, I borrowed Patty's mechanical engineer to help.  He tried putting a car jack under it, just to give it enough pressure, thinking it was the springs.  No go!!  After listening to the bell "ding" in my rig for WAY too long, Dan suggested I called the service department to see if they could suggest something.  Ten minutes later, I had a Tiffin motorhome technician on the phone, who told us how to release the jack.  I'll have the service department check it out when I return.  In the meantime, I just LOVE that there's something else I know how to fix.

On with the story ... leaving Homer, Dan caught that big rock ... well actually he missed it and it broke his windshield big time ... but while I waited for him to duck tape it together, I took this image of an oil rig.  This is the only one we have seen so far.  The mountains behind it are the Aleutian Islands that extend a thousand miles south.

When we arrived in Girdwood/Alyeska Ski Resort, they had us move up on the pavement because a helicopter was landing.  The ski resort is replacing one of it's lifts, using the helicopter to lift the towers.

He kicked up a huge amount of dust, but the winds were in our favor.  When we returned later in the day, no towers were there.  Something must have delayed the project.

From Girdwood, we drove to Whittier, a little known town with a big World War II secret.  Apparently, worried that Seward was too vulnerable, a train line needed to be built from the tracks on Turnagain Arm, to the other side of the mountain where a more protected cove could be utilized in the war.  Instead of going over, they went through ... 2.5 miles of one way tunnel.  A system of stop lights and message boards allows cars to traverse, one way at a time, and when needed, all cars are stopped and the train goes through.  Not very wide and I think 20 feet tall, I sure wouldn't want to drive my RV through here!!

Whittier then became a military town.  Today, the harbor is large for such a small town, and of course fishing is number one!!  A cruise ship or two may stop here, but only to put passengers on the train.

This small Prince William Sound Museum is one of the best I've seen.  If you make the drive here, be sure and stop in.

Each exhibit describes a small part of the history here, from the Japanese invasion to Americans taking over, the sinking of the Yulon, General Jimmy Doolittle's childhood, Russian intervention ... lots of GREAT stuff!!

Being a military town, one large building was built that housed everything you could possible want.  A bowling alley, theatre, barber shop, library, restaurant, living quarters ... and much more, all in one building.  Here is what it looked like when the war was over and everyone left.

Here's what it looks like today.  Not much different, except the insides have been badly damaged by vandals.  They want to eventually restore the building, but with all the water, sewer and electrical lines damaged, it will cost a fortune!!!

On the way back, just south of Girdwood, is a wild animal park.  For $9.00 you can drive or walk around the entire park.  They have a huge herd of bison, including a baby whose mother had just died giving birth.  They are bottle feeding her now .... hope she makes it.  

First sighting of Alaskan Elk ... 

And then came the big guys!!!  Patron (sponsored by Patron Tequila) is in the water, Joe Boxer (you can guess his sponsor) is on the left and the biggest.  These two are siblings and brown bears, usually living by the ocean eating lots of fish.  The one on the right is a Grizzley and would be found higher up in the mountains, eating more meat and berries.  She was found as a youngster who tried to eat a porcupine ... very thin from malnutrition, she has recovered, but never regained her size.

Then of course we have the sleepy black bear!!  Resting on his arm, he couldn't be less concerned with the visitors.  A couple big stretches and he was out like a light.

Since my repair this morning, we drove all of 50 miles to Anchorage so Miss Gracie can see the doctor.  Yes, we are aware that overnight parking in THIS Wally World is NOT allowed.  We will be heading for Tok soon, where we will stay a couple of days catching up on laundry and mail.