RVing in Alaska: Slow Down and Smell the Spruce Trees!

Roger and Ruthanne Jansen, Work Campers at the Diamond M Ranch this summer,
exemplify the fine art of making the most of every moment!

Not everyone has the time to take a leisurely trip through Alaska, but it's important to remember that a vacation is only a vacation in so much as it is a vacation!  If you maintain a fast pace and a tight schedule, hustling from one stop to the next, concentrating on the map and the milage and the next stop, you may be in Alaska but you're missing almost everything Alaska has to offer. 

Don't let the cities and the roadways fool you.  There's nothing tame about Alaska.  It's still a land of rugged wildness---a place where you can breathe deeply, stretch out stiff limbs and remember what it is like to be alive again.  Many RVer's understand this, so instead of scheduling a whirlwind tour of the state (going a mile wide and an inch deep), they pick one specific part of the state to really "get to know," to richly experience and enjoy.  Make no bones about it---the quality of their Alaskan vacation time is unparalleled.

So if there is one piece of advice we could give you, as you plan for your Alaskan vacation, it is this: make it a priority to fully enjoy the piece of Alaska that you find yourself in.  Walk on the spongy tundra.  Breathe in the salty freshness of the river mouth.  Stay up late for a one-of-a-kind "midnight sun" sunset.  It doesn't have to cost money, because it's not about money.  It's simply about engaging with your surroundings and drinking deeply of the richness all around you. 

As the saying goes, a good motto both for RVer's and for the rest of us,

"Wherever you are, be all there."

Alaskan Homestead Cabin

 

On Beautiful Mount Marathon

Ronna, Darius and Sonora pose on top of Mount Marathon in Seward.  We offer free guided hikes to our guests every summer, some on easy terrain and some on more difficult trails.  We usually feature two or three of difficult hikes on this very mountain, a steep rugged climb that is also the stage for an exciting race every 4th of July. 

The Diamond M Ranch would like to thank all the runners who entered this year's race in Matti's honor and ran in his memory.  We appreciate you!  

D.Anne Martin races wearing an In Memory of Matti t-shirt.

RVing in Alaska: July Dipnetting Season Is Upon Us!

It's the middle of July, and for those of us with lodging accommodations next to the Kenai River, that means only one thing  Lots and lots of motor homes!  It seems like everybody and their brother (and mother and uncles and cousins, for that matter) are down from the Anchorage, hoping to get their nets in the water and load up on a winter freezer's worth of salmon.  We're glad to be of service and enjoy the energy that all these guests bring to our busy campground.   

Schools of salmon are making their last pilgrimage, leaving the cold ocean waters and making for the streams of their birth.  My kids and I were at a beach a couple days ago, young faces squealing with delight as we watched salmon make their way past a well-fed seal and up into the fresh water creek where we stood, slippery scales passing between our bare legs, thrashings tails leaving a brief wake of foaming white water before disappearing around the bend.          

God Bless America! Diamond M Ranch Wins 1st Place for 4th of July Parade Float!

Diamond M Ranch Campground Hosts (Ruthanne and Roger Jansen, and Sherry and Jim Diggs) got together, despite the busy summer, and mamaged to put together a float for the 4th of July parade that ended up winning 1st Place for Commercial/Business Floats! 

We had a lot of fun!  Even "Dolly Parton Varden" was there!

Here, two of our most precious float participants took advantage of a lull in parade activities to catch a few winks!  Doesn't get much cuter than this! 

Thank You, Alaska State HOG Rally Participants! We Had a Blast Hosting You!

(Click on panoramic to enlarge)

Some shots from the Alaska State HOG Rally this past weekend... 

 

By Thursday evening, this place was covered with bikers of all kinds.Many were Alaskan residents but quite a few came in from out-of-state to experience the first-ever Alaska state rally!

The deep purring sound of Harley engines formed a constant backdrop during the three day event.

Diamond M Ranch Resort family member, D.Anne Martin, considers whether or not to spend her college fund on a nice bike, instead...  Speaking of motorcycles, I was told that this particular bike was one of the winners of the 500 mile runs! 

...So, okay.  Maybe it wasn't the quietest event we've ever hosted...but at our weekly staff meeting this morning, the entire Diamond M Ranch Resort staff all agreed that we had a wonderful time working with the event coordinators and members of the Alaska State HOG Rally and hope to have the privilege of doing it again next year.  Thanks for a great time, everyone!

Summer Solstice 2010 and Matti's Farm Fest at the Diamond M Ranch Resort!

For more information about Matti's Farm, please see the website.

Summer Solstice is ALMOST HERE!  It is going to be SO MUCH FUN! 

Saturday, June 19th through Sunday, June 20th, 2010.   For more details, the band schedule, activities and more, click here.

Alaska Fishing Guides - Halibut Guides We Love

We are huge fans of Chihuly Charters.  When we have guests who want to go out and experience the delight of fishing for halibut in the Cook Inlet waters, we always see if Mike Chihuly has any available openings.

 Mike and Mark Chihuly have been residents of Alaska for over 40 years while Marvin Nelson was born in Afognak, Alaska.  Doug Blossom, who also guides with Chihuly Charters, was also born on the Kenai Peninsula and knows his way around the Inlet waters.  No other charter service has more experience, nor has fished longer, in Cook Inlet off the Deep Creek/Ninilchik beaches than Chihuly's Charters. 

Happy fishing!