Our Alaskan Adventure

Well we're back and had a grand time... The weather was sunny and bright the day we arrived and we spent time on one of the decks with wine and cheese... Then it started to rain and poured until the day before we left.  It certainly didn't  dampen our spirits though.  It was so pleasant to sit there and enjoy the view.

Just across the inlet are two active volcanoes... Mt. Illiamna which last erupted in 1876 and is still constantly spewing steam and fumes and  Mt. Redoubt which last erupted in 2009 and wreaked havoc with air travel for some time.  Both volcanoes are visible from the lodge on a clear day.

My son's  lodge is magnificent and it is like a natural history museum as it is  filled with every Alaskan animal imaginable... and my son does not even hunt.  But hunters do kill these animals and have them mounted.  When they arrive in an ordinary house some wife says "No way in my house!" and they end up giving them to the lodge.  It is hard to imagine the size and power of these animals until you stand next to one.

One afternoon we drove to Homer and another we went eagle watching.

There is a large staff including a chef and a masseuse.  We ate a LOT of food.  This 3-foot-tall seafood tower had the appetizers for one evening.  There was every seafood imaginable... salmon, cod, shrimp, oysters, clams, scallops, etc. and even sea urchin. There were containers of dry ice billowing ice fog...very dramatic.  I especially loved the large prawns.

Each night had a fabulous menu and the last night was prime rib and lobster.

One night there were huge tubs of king crab and we enjoyed every bite.  I meant to save DH's bib as there are days when he is grouchy I could hang it on him.. He's looking pretty happy here though.

Each night had a theme and one was cowboy night.  When they have that dinner it always ends with Mom's Apple Pie made from my recipe.  My son always complains that it never really tastes as good as mom's.  So when I am visiting I bake the apple pies.... real Mom's Apple Pie baked by the real mom...

And then there is my son... who if had lived  in 1900 would have been in vaudeville..... he is always "on" and there was no way I could make him look normal for a proper mother/son picture.  This was pirate night which starts out with a whole roasted suckling pig as one of the appetizers... The entire staff dress as pirates and wenches and put on a quite a show.

He is now approaching 60 but was just as funny and wacky when he was 6.

I did get to spend time stitching when everyone was busy and also on the plane.  I did almost finish basting all the laces I took.  When there was any quiet time I spent it with my lovely daughter-in-law... who keeps the entire operation running smoothly.  And she is as beautiful inside as outside and made a very fetching wench.  I wish I had taken a picture of her costume..  My oldest granddaughter did get down from Anchorage for a couple days and I loved that.




DH did get to go out one day and caught enough halibut that we brought it home frozen and will enjoy it this winter.

This particular week there was a lot of fly outs as the water was really too rough for the boats.  On the last day there were four helicopters ready to take the fisherman across the inlet to remote rivers full of fish.  At the end of the last day we were treated to a long flight across the inlet...right up the side of Mt. Illiamna

 

 

 

 We saw bears fishing in the river, moose grazing, lots of seals and incredible scenery.... and was I having fun...I think so!!!!

 

And for more pictures and more information about the lodge go to http://alaskafishinglodge.com/