Kenai to Houston via Anchorage – 13 August 2024

Kenai to Anchorage

Back to Anchorage for a couple days to take the RV into an RV shop to have the second spring on the axle replaced. When the original spring broke after the Alaska highway, it also caused a crack on the equalizer which also had to be replaced. All good now (until we drive back again)

While it was being fixed we went for a nice hike in the surrounding Chugach mountains. Such great views.

Anchorage to Houston – 15 August 2024

We were fortunate to be in Houston for their Founders Day celebration. The Fire Department, across the road from our RV park, put on a great show – Kids’ games and bouncy rooms, dunk tanks, fishing ponds, slides, food trucks, the biggest hot dogs I have ever seen, vender stalls, pie eating contents, music, etc Not many vegetarian options for dinner so I headed for the Mac and Cheese truck for a Mac Wrap. Although not so good for the arteries it was very tasty. Derek had some BBQ. After that we returned to the RV and about 10.30 pm headed back to the entrance of the RV park to watch the firework display, it was great and apparently the best in Alaska thanks to one of the Firemen owning his own pyrotechnic company.

That Sunday we drove through the scenic Hatcher Pass to the Independence Mine State Historical Park, which used to be one of Alaska’s largest gold mining camps. A great sunny day for a visit with lots of people out in the area hiking and berry picking on the mountains.

In 1938, the Alaska Free Gold Mine on Skyscraper Mountain and Independence Mine on Granite Mountain combined to become the second most productive hard rock gold mine in Alaska. At its peak in 1941, the company employed 204 workers, blasted almost 12 miles of tunnels, and recovered 34,416 ounces of gold, today worth almost $18 million. Although World War II interrupted the mining operation, mining resumed briefly after the war until Independence Mine closed for good in 1951. Independence Mine State Historical Park was established in 1980 and since then the State has been working on steadily restoring the buildings and tunnels.