This is a picture of me taken on August 2, 2002 in front of an apartment building on Eagle River Loop Road in Eagle River, Alaska. I lived in the upper right apartment from May, 1966 through June, 1967. The detached two-story garage pictured over my left shoulder was added after we left.
This is the playground of Eagle River Grade School. At the time I lived in Eagle River, this was the only grade school, and the houses shown in this photograph weren't yet built. We used the small(!) hill for skiing practice. Very near to the point I was standing when I took this photograph, we had a ice skating "rink". As I recall, we had no asphalt paving or grass on the playground; my recollection is that the playground consisted of gravel.
This is the intersection of Eagle River Road and Eagle River Loop Road. The view is looking up the Eagle River valley. The structure at center right is a WalMart(!). Thirty-five years ago, these roads were two-lane gravel and dirt roads, and the site (and accompanying road) that contains the WalMart was a forest.
This view looks up Eagle River Loop Road toward our house. The land on the right side of this street was graded for subdivision and development when we lived in Eagle River.
This view looks back down Eagle River Loop Road toward the position from which the preceding picture was taken. None of the structures on the left side of this road existed. As I recall, there wasn't anything on the right side, as well.
Looking up Sun Beau Drive. The apartment (and newer, detached garage) are on the left. The stairs now have a cover, which I do not believe was installed when we lived there. I have a picture of me with my oldest sister Kim, on a sled, at the intersection of Sun Beau Drive and Whirlaway Road (pictured at center right). Note: I don't recall these streets being named, or having any street signs. I believe all of that was added when the houses started going in.
Note the geometry between the balcony and the stop sign at the right of this picture....
This picture was taken late in 1966 or after the thaw in 1967. Based on the geometry, I believe this picture was taken from the balcony of the apartment building. This is further confirmation of my suspicion that the cover was not on the stairway leading from the second story down to the ground.
Another view of the apartment house.
It's funny how little I remembered about the topography of Eagle River. I have very strong memories of the physical layout of the town, but forgot the vertical elevation gain between the area that contains the Post Office, Eagle River Grade School, and the other buildings that constituted the "town", and the location where we lived. This photograph shows the lower end of Baronof Road. Baronof Road was a one-and-a-half lane gravel road, that led from a point near our apartment house to a position just up the road from the grade school. I used to walk this road frequently, as it was the most direct route from my house to "town". Baronof Road is now a paved, two-lane road that abruptly ends just before it connects with Old Eagle River Road (which is now bypassed by a much wider, and paved Eagle River Road). This is the road, much like it would have looked 35 years ago.
This shot looks back up the hill where the previous photograph was taken. Note the steepness of the road at this point. This would not have been the route of choice during winter months.
Exit Glacier, within Kenai Fjords National Park.
On the road to Chena Hot Springs.
Shhh!!! Be quiet! Turn around real slow....
The rest of the story of our Alaska 2002 trip may be found here.
Last updated Sunday, 02 November 2003 17:22:37 -0500