Coming onto the "arm" from Anchorage is Potter Marsh. This wildlife refuge is a great stop if you like to do some birdwatching.
I remember when there were only dirt pull offs to view the marsh. Now, there is over 1500 feet of boardwalk that allows you to walk over a portion of the marsh.
This time of year isn't an ideal time for birdwatching, but the kids loved walking the boardwalk!
My kids learned quickly that if they needed to use the restroom on our little road trips that they were going to have to use one of these. Their first introduction to outhouse use!! Ha!
Two stops that we frequently made on our summer halibut trips to Homer was usually Portage Glacier and sometimes Alyeska.
The Portage Glacier has shrunk quite a bit from what it once was. I remember seeing lots of large chunks of glacier ice in Portage Lake. I think that's one itty bitty one in the center of the picture.
You can see a glacier in the center of the picture nestled in the mountain, but that's not Portage. I'm not sure of it's name. The Portage Glacier came down from the right and below the glacier in the center. I remember when it was once visible. Now it's necessary to take a boat to see it.
The Begich/Boggs visitor center gives a great overview of the glaciers in this area. Of course, just about everything was closed except a little gift shop cafe.
Jerry had told me that I should pick out some Alaskan jewelry. What girl wouldn't take up an offer to buy herself some jewelry?! I hadn't found anything I liked until we stopped for some lunch at the gift shop/cafe at Portage. I found some beautiful handmade jewelry made with ivory that was just my style.
I love it!!
If you are a down hill skiing enthusiast, Alyeska is the place to go in Alaska.
The sky was putting on a show for us while we were there.
There were a few things that I had mentally said to myself that I wanted to see while in Alaska. One was fireweed, which is a plant with purplish/pink flowers. However, it was already September and I really didn't think I'd see any blooms left this time of year. But, I was ecstatic when I came across this.
It's not Alaska's state flower, but it's just as popular and I was SO excited to find some with blooms on it. Then I walked a bit further and actually found Alaska's state flower, the Forget-Me-Not also in bloom! What a treat!
This resort town is such a pretty little place and is booming with business during ski season.
Girdwood, as stated on the fire truck below, is a neighboring town to Alyeska.
I highly recommend a trip along the Turnagain Arm. So many beautiful things to see and do!! Like the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. I've heard it's a treat to see with Alaskan animals such as caribou, bison, coyote, moose and eagles.
I am sure you know that you can make jelly from fireweed . That is what we did last year. The plan is to make rosé hip jelly this year, but we shall see.
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