Closing Thoughts

In my humble opinion, a good day on vacation is when you do something you've never done or see something you've never seen, eat a good meal, and have a good night's sleep.  Using that yardstick, our Kenai Peninsula vacation was near-perfect.

Sure, we had a couple of disappointing experiences.  But the view from Mount Aleyska easily outweighs the boring Kenai raft trip.  And our memories of Teddy's Inn the Woods far overshadow the ordinary Kiana Lodging cabin.

On the beach at Homer - ready to go back













A playful polar bear at the Alaska Zoo.  A trotting grizzly at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  Grabbing a chunk of glacier ice.  The calving Portage Glacier.  Leaping humpback whales in Resurrection Bay. Finding gold in Cooper Landing.  Eating fresh-smoked salmon on a balcony in Moose Pass.  Putting my hands in the salt water of the Kachemak Bay.  Enjoying a late-night pizza on the Homer Spit, then strolling the beach at sunset (at 10 PM!)  Flying into a remote Alaskan village - and eating a meal with good percentage of the population at the dinner table!  These are just a few of the memories I take from my Kenai Peninsula trip.  I will keep them forever.

I get to retire from the Florida education system in two years, and we'll likely move to another state where I will continue my teaching career.  We've considered a move to Alaska for many years.

I will return to Alaska.  Maybe next time, to stay.