the queen travels

If I can't see them, they can't see me.

August 7, chasing grizzly bears

Hobbs and I rode out of Anchorage Monday morning, about 10 (Aug. 6). We were heading to Homer. I'd bought a bear viewing trip on Groupon (two for one), and we were to check in and fly out Tuesday morning, into Katmai National Park.

We stopped for lunch, and finally I ate Mexican food again, Acapulco's in Soldotna. It tasted pretty good. Glad I got my taste back for it since I'd some really bad stuff more than a month ago and hadn't eaten Mexican food since.

The blooms aren't to the top yet. There must be some more summer out there somewhere.

The Spit view from our hotel.

A great place to stay. Nice rooms, nice people.

On to Homer where we checked into our hotel, the Ocean House Inn, near the Spit. The room is very nice, cozy and with a huge bed that promised to be very comfortable. The bathroom is up a little set of stairs, and there's a chair and loveseat, making for a nice little nest for a few days.

Ocean House Inn.

The entrance to our room.

Off we went to the Spit to check in at Alaska Bear Adventures, get weighed and get our instructions for the next morning and where to report. No glass, no plastic bags, NO FISH!!! That let out the tuna sandwich I wanted for lunch. And just to be safe, I wasn't going to take my fish oil vitamin.

The airport is just up the Spit so we figured to locate where we'd be reporting in the morning. Hobbs made me lead, so I turned where the sign said to for the airport, right into a parking lot. I should have turned just up a little. There's a reason I don't lead, and that's one of them. But I found my way out of the parking lot.

Since we'd had a big and late lunch and weren't hungry, we went to the store and picked up food for a lunch, a few snacks and oatmeal for the morning before leaving. Don't want to go hungry.

The room from the doors. Notice the bed model, showing there's enough room for both of us and four Beagles.

The bed was more than comfortable, and we both slept like rocks. We'd gone to bed by 8 p.m. and I slept until nearly 6. Hobbs was already up and showered, the coffee was made and I even got served in bed. That must be a Hobbs first, and I felt pretty special.

Then it was time to get ready to go, and off we rode, heading for the airport and our small aircraft chauffer, Tom. Three planes would be flying out, Cessna 206s. There were four of us and our pilot. We were paired with a young couple from Holland. Others on the other planes included a family of five from Quebec.

We got fitted for hip waders, were given last minute instructions on what NOT to carry … NO FISH!!! We were given personal flotation devices, a safety briefing and then to the aircraft.

I rode the co-pilot seat going out. The cockpit was a little familiar. I gave up my pilot's license years ago, but it's nice to know I still remember a few pieces of the gear.

The flight was a little more than an hour, smooth but not much to see. There was a lot of cloud cover so we flew up above it.

As we were descending, we flew over a spectacular glacier, with spikes and peaks, streaks of dirt and deep-hued blues that you hardly see anymore. It was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

I don't remember the name of the glacier, but it was spectacular.

The ice formations were beautiful up close, rugged and not a place I'd want to do glacier walking.

The colors and the way the glacier has eroded is like none other I've ever seen.

Tom set us down on the beach, we unloaded, gathered our gear and received another reminder to always obey what our guide would tell us to do. Stay in single file, if confronted stay behind the guide, if he told us to do so, spread out next to him and act big!

Getting our gear and heading out along the beach.

Here she comes.

The weather wasn't bad, cloudy, but beginning to clear up. I was still wearing my rain jacket, though, just in case. We wandered down the beach, toward a sow and cub. She had been fishing and the cub was just being a young one, chewing on a stick. They came up the beach and laid down, the cub to feed and then both laid down to take a nap.

Momma and baby.

This youngster was all about hamming it up for the camera.

Momma was keeping an eye on her offspring. She'd had two cubs earlier in the spring but it was suspected a boar killed and ate one of them.

Chasing fish. Hobbs spotted a lot of different bears off in the distance, near the edge of the river. The little gal from Holland was amazed before he told her he was using binoculars.

Just having a little fun with mom.

This momma showed love for that baby, and I just kept snapping photos. Film is cheap.

After a little nap it was time to play.

We'd seen three bears flying in, and now we'd seen 10 more, some closer than others. The bears didn't pay too much attention to us. We walked out through the stream toward two other bears, and they didn't seem too concerned about us either.

Even the beach washed by the tide was like nothing I'd seen before. The ripples left by the waves had patterns of all their own, beautiful but to be changed with the next tide.

When walking back, one decided we were worth a second glance, and he came toward us, bluffing, to see what we'd do. Tom stood tall, telling the bear not to come closer, then using more firm language. I never felt that the bear threatened, and we figured later he really just wanted to get by us, but didn't want to pass up a chance to maybe see if he could be in control over us. That did not happen.

I could have watched the bears all day.

Just sitting in the water relaxing.

Then curiousity.

We went back through the stream, and the sow and cub were quite relaxed after napping. The cub was even more wound up than he'd been, jumping up and down, running back and forth on the beach, charging his momma. Momma bear even got into the act, playing with her youngster, and even taking a stick and chewing on it, tossing it. It was one of the most amazing interactions I'd ever seen … and it was just for us … I felt privileged to be able to participate in the bear viewing and more so to see how some of the bears behaved. It was so much fun, and our guide, Tom, was great. (Alaska Bear Adventures, if you're interested.)

The little guy was just being goofy.

Pawprints in the sand.

The flight back was awesome as the clouds had mostly moved out, and we had clear views of small turquoise-looking lakes at the tops of mountains, snow-covered mountains, glaciers, emerald-green grass and brush. The scenery was some that you only dream of seeing when you're in bush Alaska, and Hobbs and I were seeing it all. What a day …

While we'd had lunch, it was time for FOOD. Starvin' Marvin's is the place, pizza, pizza, pizza. We ate a whole one, with salads. I was hungrier than I'd thought, and devoured more than my share.

Back to the hotel, where we sat out in rockers, drinking tea, looking at the scenery, relaxing in the sun, enjoying each other and talking about what a wonderful day we'd had.

Just relaxing.

The fireweed just outside the door is beautiful. But don't step back too far; it's a drop off.

Contemplating a walk on the beach ... or going into the hot tub.

Just a walk on the beach.

Then we decided to walk the beach, and down the steps and ladder we went. We walked for maybe a mile and a half, then returned, only to find we were just in time to get back up the ladder as the ocean was lapping at the bottom. We had another route as a backup plan. But we got back up safe and sound, then back to the rockers again. What a great day … seems like we did so much, and we've had several days of vacation.