“USA 🇺🇸 ~Homer to Anchorage We had QUITE the Ordeal”

• July 12, 2023
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

✅ 7/9/23

Chelsie arrived in Anchorage from the East Coast, by 8PM-ish

Got Chelsie set up at a hotel near the airport. The plan was for the next day to pick her up, after we drove up, from way down south in Homer, on the Kenai Peninsula. 

Motel 6 -Midtown
5000 A Street, Anchorage, AK 99503

✅ 7/10 We were pleasantly surprised that Chelsie’s three planes from N Carolina, to Anchorage, Alaska happened on time. With the time zone change, it all happened in one day. A very long day for her. Since we were a long ways from Anchorsge with terrible weather and roads, we left nothing to chance, just in case Chelsie’s planes were delayed. The night over for her in Anchorsge was so there would be some wiggle room, till we got there.

So much for planning ahead. It worked smoothly on Chelsie’s end, but our end was a disaster!

While still in Homer; our third and final stop on the Kenai Peninsula, I was up at 5:30AM to begin AAA phone calling, to get our VW (Jonah) towed to Anchorage. This garage was closed till Tuesday, but they arranged for us to get it dropped today, any way. We were grateful.

We had not had a car, the entire week in Homer, since it was towed to a Homer shop, the day after our arrival.

When we checked out of the KOA, after getting it towed again; this time to Anchorage, we headed to the Safeway in Homer, in The Whale. Many dollars later with our fridge full, we headed for Anchorage to pick up Chelsie!

We were a little behind schedule to meet Chels, but she was fine and entertaining herself, very well. She was like “Mom, I’m in Alaska. I’m good!”
(that’s my girl).

On the way, to meet Chels, I ended up canceling our Palmer, Alaska RV reservation and lost our deposit, because it would be another hour, North, after picking up Chels in Anchorage, to get there. With a tow car this was very doable. Without our tow car, it was not. All of our excursions being South of Palmer, have us needing to be closer to Anchorage, so it was the right call. The only call.

We had no desire to stay in Anchorage, but that’s how it went down. I have a lot to figure out, yet.

Earlier in the day, after a night in Anchorage, Chelsie stored her luggage at the hotel and (for what it was worth) got out and explored Anchorage on this day. Crap weather, but I warned her, so she was prepared.

We really don’t care for Anchorage, but we have a flight to Katmai National Park, and back, then a Helicopter ride to a Glacier to go Dog Sledding, on another day, and Anchorage was the best hub for those plans.

Chels noted sooo many people wearing ankle bracelets, and some very strung-out individuals. Once at Walmart, where we agreed to meet, there is a sign that nobody is allow in the store wearing a backpack. This policy is in place since the statute on the theft dollar amount was raised to like over $5000, before charges could be filed by stores, against the shoplifter. Anywho, Chels had a suitcase and a backpack! What could she do? Stand outside with the junkies? Being a Marine, I wasn’t super worried, but it was getting late…..

We had a five-plus hour drive from Homer to Anchorage and beyond that, no plan for where we would find an RV place with vacancy. Chelsie is Military, so there is a Military base with a campground, 20 minutes from Airport. Nobody was answering the phone on base, so I could not get particulars. That didn’t work out.

Then it really fell apart, about 42 minutes from our pickup place with Chels in Anchorage.

Whilst coming in on the Seward Highway, traffic suddenly came to a complete halt. We were not expecting that. Maps said a 12-minute delay, and we thought it was just construction (since we had already driven from Denali, down, the same way with that going on).

We would (eventually) learn, the highway would be closed for almost five hours, total. There was a very bad accident which happened at 3PM. It was a terrible; multiple RV Motorhome wreck with a fatality, and about six injured passengers.

I had no signal for maps or internet. It all just disappeared. Luckily, the phones worked, so Chels and I could communicate. Chels had a signal, so she started looking for someplace to spend an unplanned, second night in Anchorage. We hadn’t seen each other for two years. I’m a mom, and this was such a drag!

Her first call was to the same place she spent the first night, near the Airport. Interestingly enough, they were booked, and it wasnt by tourists. The hospitals are overflowing, so they have sent patients to hotels in Anchorage to be cared for. No room at hospitals!!! EGADS!!!

Chelsie was back in a taxi and got to another motel for the night. That motel is also an RV Park. So maybe? 🙏

With Chels safe and tucked away, and no longer sitting at the Walmart, waiting for us, and us being on hour 15, since we began our day in Homer, we called it. We were done! There was a nice big pull-off, along the Highway, that was now a parking lot, so we happily pulled out of the line, parked, got slides out, jacks down and blinds pulled.

Going to sleep early, by 9PM was easy, and we knew we would be up early, to head to the place where Chels was. The RV Office at the location, opened at 8AM; it was only 30 minutes away, too.

No matter how frustrating it was for all travels like us on this dreadful day, it was obviously far worse for those in the collision. In total, it was almost five hours, since the accident happened, and three hours for us, since we arrived where the Seward Highway was closed; both directions. Having been a police officer, I knew there had to have been at least one fatality, to close a highway for that long. Vehicular Homicide has to be carefully investigated. Had there been no fatality, the collision would have been cleared away, and lanes back open, much quicker.

After three hours of waiting, we  were so relieved to be done. We got horizontal in our comfy bed, and out of the driving and riding chairs. There was NOTHING better at that time, than having a home on wheels, for this situation we found ourselves in…..and the traffic had only inched forward by mere car lengths over the hours, continuing North, and that’s only because people were turning around and heading back, South; not because lanes were cleared and opened.

✅ 7/11

The highway opened up, sometime after we were asleep, so by morning, we were good to go.

I eventually would read, two Motorhomes collided, head-on. In actuality, it looked like it was more of side-on collision, according to pictures. One man died and approximately four others injured. So tragic.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/07/11/seward-highway-closes-over-four-hours-after-fatal-motorhome-collsion/?outputType=amp

I called the Creekwood Inn and RV Park where Chels was, to leave a voicemail, since it was only 6AM. Somebody answered. They had a spot for our RV and we got our military discount! We got penciled in, as the phone person did not understand English very well. We arrived, but had to wait till noon, for people to check out. A side road was wide opened, so we parked it, had our family reunion with Chels in the lobby of the hotel, FINALLY, then we grabbed a taxi and went to breakfast.

We got into our site, later, and we have a place for now. The people at Creekside RV were super nice and very accommodating, and we were grateful!

We got to fly out to King Salmon and the Katmai National Park for Brooks Falls Bear viewing, right on time, in spite of the challenges, and from this RV Park, we are 11 minutes from Airport and six minutes from where our Jonah is, in the shop at Culmination Motorsports.

We are only short two nights availability, for the length of time we reserved in Palmer, but we will figure that out, too.

I did end up moving our LuLu Belle boat trip by three more days, for when we got into in Valdez, just in case we get delayed in Anchorage, due to VW. We know nothing yet, there, on our fix, but hope to by a few days.

Back to 7/10

Creekwood Inn and RV
Chelsie was in a room

We were:
Boondocking (free)
Seward Hwy, just South of Anchorage.

I have photos from our drive up from Homer, but have had no extra time to process them and get them uploaded, here. I will try, soon.

We are completely overwhelmed and rolling with all the punches that keep happening, the best we can! 

My daughter is the priority, and she’s my main focus now, so I have less time to blog, but I will get to it all, eventually…….and I did. ⬇️

Rainy Scenic Drive from Homer on the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage ⬇️

When we drove from Denali, down to the Kenai Peninsula, we did this same Seward Highway, after leaving the Sterling Highway. It was terrible weather and I thought for sure, when we returned, three weeks later, the weather would be so much better to take photos.  It was not.  Oh well, it’s just a wet Summer we are having in Alaska.

A mama Moose and one Calf