Seward Alaska Day 14 Summer Road Trip 2016

After a wet, dreary introduction to Anchorage, we were hoping Monday would offer just a tad bit of sunshine since it was the only day we had the bikes. It dawned overcast, but we could still see the mountains that rim Anchorage, and it is only a 20% chance of rain. Fingers crossed.

Motoquest isn't located just a mile from the hotel so we decided to stroll there...exercise has been sporadic since I left home. A possible snafu was pending with rental of the bikes since I lost my drivers license somewhere back towards Missouri. Identification hasn't been a problem since my debit/credit cards have my picture on them and I always travel with my passport. I filled out the paperwork for the bike rental back in March, including my drivers license number...which I assumed was for checking to make sure I was motorcycle endorsed...not so. I had a copy of my paperwork from the order I placed for a replacement license, but the head guy at Motoquest wasn't satisfied that 'I knew how to ride a motorcycle.' I showed him my motorcycle insurance ( not possible to obtain in the state of Florida without an endorsement on your license), and the paperwork from the shipping company who had my motorcycle...not impressed. Paul started relating all the miles I've rode, and the guy was unmoved. Bottom line, he had me sign a waiver that said if I break it I buy it. No problem. I didn't travel all this way to ride bitch on Pauls rental!

I had a Heritage Softail (same model as my first bike), Paul had a big Indian cruiser, didn't have a Harley. We were required to do a 'safety loop' of the parking lot then we were off! I had forgotten how small the Softail was...after wrestling my Road King, I felt like I was on a baby bike! We headed south on the Seward Highway and just a few miles outside of the city, the landscape changed dramatically; mountains rising up out of the Turnagain Bay, the highway hugging the bay. There is so much to see on the Kenai Peninsula, we decided today was about riding, we would return to Anchorage next week when we have a car and can revisit some of the sights. 

Our destination was the port town of Seward; Kenai Fjords National Park headquarters, Exit Glacier, and the yearly Fourth of July Mount Marathan Foot Race...which is the day we were there. Along the way, we saw the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Area, Tern Lake Junction, Moose Pass ( stopped just outside of Moose Pass to layer on another jacket), and the Chugach National Forest. Round d a curve next to Summit Lake and there's a Momma moose and her baby! I came to a screeching halt, luckily there was no one behind me except Paul...but a state trooper was shooing gawkers off the overpass, so I didn't get a photo. 

The town of Seward was packed with the Fourth of July festivities; a wacky foot race that involves running up a mountain, then sliding down a patch of snow, finally running the remainder of the way down to cheering crowds that line the Main Street. There is music, food vendors, and an overall festive atmosphere that according to locals, is the biggest event all year! Paul and I enjoy the stroll along the bay, watching the locals, and are mesmerized by the tiny dot like figures we can see going up and down the distant mountain. Helicopters from three different tv stations constantly buzz the mountain, broadcasting the event. The temp has been 50-57 all day, yet locals are in shorts, tank tops, and flip flops! 

Although there is 20 hours of daylight during the summer, Paul and I headed back towards Anchorage around 6p. I made a mental note to come back to Beluga Point when we return next week, to watch the whales!