When we arrived in Cordova on June 15th we were picked up by Jeff from Orca Adventure Lodge (907-424-6722, 907-424-7249). The Lodge is in a renovated section of a (formerly) huge fish cannery located about three miles north of the center of Cordova. It faces the beautiful Orca Bay Inlet. The rate is $145/person/night, double occupancy (although I think a couple of the single members of our group got the $145 rate for single occupancy private rooms). Includes pickup from the airport, a nice room, three good meals a day, guided walking and kyaking tours, internet access. Well worth the price. Great way to start an Alaskan vacation. Really got us up and moving. Locally lots of eagles, sea otters but no orcas - but they have been observed in the inlet. First night at the Lodge the special hors d'oeuvres were oysters provided by the local Windy Bay Oyster Farm. I love raw oysters on the half shell and these were the best I have ever tasted.

The Lodge is a pretty good hike from the center of Cordova, but the road is beautiful - and flat. About halfway along this road is Hippy Cove with a little pond and a stream that runs underneath the road. A little later in the year (July and August?) silver salmon swim up this stream, and they are very easy to catch. In season lots of natives and visitors stand next to the road and catch their limits. When we were in Cordova, late June, it was too early for silvers. June is the time for red salmon, but they are very difficult to catch on a hook and line.

There are a couple of little museums in Cordova. Also a marine science center. During Cordova Phase I and Cordova Phase II we spent about 5 full days in and around this town. We never ran out of things to do and see. There are plenty of hiking trails. If you want to spend a little more money Orca Lodge can arrange for flightseeing trips, boat trips and even fly-in excursions to a remote fishing lodge. The Copper River delta and Childs Glacier are accessable via "the road". Jeff drove us out to Childs Glacier one particularly warm and sunny day when it was actively calving. As we approached Childs through the woods we could hear occasional cracking and roaring as enormous chunks of ice fell off the face of the glacier into the Copper River. During the couple of hours we sat on the opposite river bank we observed one particularly large fall that generated a substantial wave and a misty breeze. Andi captured the whole thing on her video camera. Maybe someday she will put it on the Web.

On our last night at Orca Lodge, our poets Marianne and Patric gave a reading of their work. This may have been a first for Orca Lodge. Maybe the lodge will continue poetry readings as a tradition.