Captain Cook State Park, Kenai

Saturday, June 16, 2012

We decided to make today a low-key one, but that did not in any way diminish our enjoyment.  We drove north from the city of Kenai until the road ended at Captain Cook State Park.  We parked on a bluff above a wide beach and, armed with insect repellent to deal with our first significant encounter with mosquitoes, we headed for a walk along the shore. 

We saw several bald eagles, perched on the boulders uncovered by low tide, flying overhead, and nesting in trees on the bluffs above us.  In the distance, across Cook Inlet, were the snowy peaks of the Aleutian Range, including the four resident volcanoes, and we picnicked on the bluff enjoying the view. 

Back in Kenai, we visited the exhibits at the Cultural Center, sampled a reindeer hot dog at the Saturday Market, and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon on our decks/napping/shopping/walking, according to personal preference.

After happy hour, we had halibut (local catch) at a nearby Greek-Italian-Mexican (!) restaurant and made a stop at the local wildlife viewing area in search of caribou, moose, or anything remotely resembling wildlife, but found not a creature.  They must have needed an early bedtime even more than we did!

This was not a day of “guidebook” activities or sights, but one that we thoroughly enjoyed.