9 August 2016.
I woke up at 5:00am to pick up camp and drive to the ferry terminal in Valdez. The ferry took me across Prince William Sound to the port of Whittier. In the sound I saw my first orca whale! The fog and cloud accompanied us most of the way.
Whittier is a strange place built in secret by the army in WWII. The only way out of the port by road is through a long tunnel through the heart of the mountain. The single lane tunnel changes direction every half hour to allow traffic both ways. Coming out of the tunnel I was received by Portage Glacier and finally some clear and sunny skies.
Near one of the mountain passes, within the Chuchach National Forest I found more Mimulus, again different from what I saw in Valdez. I kept driving into Kenai with the aim of reaching Homer that night. It was a good drive with lots of mountains, glaciers and the incredible Kenai River full of salmon fishermen. Around 8pm I reached Homer in clear skies. The port town is framed by snowy mountains and glaciers. In the spit, an eclectic mix of people and wildlife hung out together. A couple came out of a grounded boat turned into a house. The beach was full with RVs and tents. Near the shore, some seals or sea lions hung out not far from the fisherman on the other side of the spit. This is my last night in Alaska.
