It’s time to start planning for the gathering of the Moeck/Fuller/etc. clan.  The picnic has been scheduled for July 21, 2001, near Anchorage.  We know Alaska is a long way to travel but hopefully a good number of you will be able to join us.  We assume that most who travel this far will want to extend their visits and see some of the state.  There is plenty to see including Denali National Park, Prince William Sound, and the magnificent Kenai Peninsula.  Generally there is wildlife viewing, hiking, water and air glacier tours, fishing galore, white water rafting, and more – it is all here.  Check out some of the Traveler's Links for more ideas and refer to the Southcentral Alaska Map map for locations.

The details of the reunion are tentative and your ideas welcome.  The picnic will be at Karen’s daughter’s cabin at Nancy Lake. This is about 80 miles north of Anchorage in the Susitna Valley.  It is right on the lake with swimming and water skiing for the brave, and the Bartenstein’s always have beautiful flowers and a garden.  We plan to barbecue fish and do some tasty summer salads and thought the travelers could provide the drinks and junk food.  The lake is only a couple of miles off the direct route to Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.  The route from Anchorage is through the Matanuska Valley -- home of the world-famous monster veggies, as well as musk-ox (Arctic Buffalo) and reindeer farms.

Jack and Carolyn/Jo will be at the Ninilchik house the week before and the week after the picnic.  The first week should be good for fishing (halibut and king salmon), the second excellent for clam digging and sight-seeing.  No matter how the fishing is, the view is always fantastic.  Lupine and fireweed should be in full bloom so bring your camera and if you have hay fever, your pills.  Weather permitting, the boat will be ready to launch with four fishermen per tide.  For the more intense anglers, hired charters are readily available in the village.  Housing can be a problem because this is an area of heavy tourist traffic and there is no real hotel/motel, but numerous B&Bs.  Motels in the area are 15 miles away in Anchor River, or 35-40 miles away in Homer or Kenai-Soldotna.  With notice and advance planning lodging should work out fine. 

Ninilchik is 185 miles south of Anchorage.  The entire drive is beautiful and the road brings you along the Turnagain Arm (a U.S. Scenic By-way), past Alyeska Ski Resort at the old mining town of Girdwood, then past Portage Glacier.  After traveling through Turnagain Pass you come to the Seward-cutoff where it is just 38 miles to the community of Seward on Resurrection Bay.  Continuing toward Ninilchik from the cutoff takes you past the famous Russian River where “combat” style red salmon fishing is the norm, and then on toward Alaska’s twin cities of Soldotna and Kenai and along the world-renown Kenai River.  The king salmon fishery in the Kenai will be at its peak and red salmon should be in the area.  Just 40 more miles south and you’re in beautiful downtown Ninilchik (700 full-time residents in the “greater” Ninilchik/Deep Creek area, and thousands more on holiday weekends).  Another 40 miles south of us is Homer -- “the end of the road” -- with fishing, water tours, sea kayaking, a real supermarket, dozens of gift shops and art galleries and, of course, more fishing opportunities.  It looks as if our son Dan will be in Homer again as a halibut boat captain for Silver Fox Charters.  Check him out at the Silverfox site. Karen and some of her family and Grace will be in Anchorage at this time for those who might be tired of traveling.  

Hotels, motels and B&Bs are all over Alaska, but sorry to say they are rarely inexpensive and should be booked well in advance.  We will try to get some information for those interested.  There are also RV rentals -- even one ways to or from Seattle for someone who wants to experience the Alaska Highway.  Alaska Airlines, Northwest, United, Delta, etc. fly into Anchorage and Fairbanks but lots of flights are sold out with summer tour groups so, again, it is best to plan ahead and/or fly the red eye.  Commuter flights from Anchorage are available into Kenai and Homer and there are rental cars available in all towns.  The Alaska Railroad runs from Anchorage through Denali and to Fairbanks as well as to Portage, Whittier, and Seward.  There are regular seats and some of the tour companies like Holland America and Princess have their own cars.

I’ll try to have more of the family history together by July for all to see but I make no promises.  I have made contact with several more distant relatives this year and am trying to sort out their information and add it to the tree.  I even got an original photo of what seems to be Nancy Walton -- our great great grandmother -- courtesy of a half cousin many times removed. 

Don’t hesitate to write or call with questions or ideas and check back occasionally for updates to the plan.