There's Hope

When I was a kid, my dad would take us on a drive (mainly for mom) to see the fall colors in rural Maryland and Pennsylvania. I guess that's where I get it from. The fall colors, especially in Alaska, are breath taking. A few years ago, the color change seemed to last quite a while, but this year it's happening fast.

So a friend of mine who just moved to Alaska and I decided to take a day trip to Hope, Alaska and see what is on the way. The fall colors and bird migration was in full swing. It was hard to decide where to stop and take it all in. Above is Bird Point. There we saw a pod of Beluga whales feeding. They we fare enough out though that I couldn't get good photos.

Swans and a duck along the highway with a gorgeous background as we went trough Girdwood. There were actually 3 immature and two adult Tundra Swans, some were behind the tall grass. We saw them again on the trip back, but they had moved along to a larger pond.

These 2 were alone just south of Portage. I can't get over their gracefulness along with the stunning fall colors.

 There was plenty of highway noise, so they moved further away.

 Don't jump Susan! You'll see the view in the next photo. This is kind of a hidden spot outside of Hope, but not too hidden. A few people were pulling up as we left, cameras in hand.

After this short breath taking hike, we headed into Hope. Click the link below for more photos and a look at a Alaskan town in no hurry. It was a good day with good company and a good dinner at Fire Tap after we got back to Anchorage.

 

For more photos  of our trip, click here.