ANCHORAGE ALASKA – 8/13-17/14 & 8/22-24/14

It took us several days to recover from the 5000 mile drive to get here.  We adjusted to Alaska Time quite well (4 hours behind Georgia time).  Our daughter-in-law has to work M-F so we spent most of those days resting, catching up on the laundry, and playing with our dogs in our son’s backyard.  One evening we drove into Anchorage hoping to find some reasonably priced seafood at a local restaurant.  We ended up eating at a Japanese restaurant because the dinner prices typically start at $30 per dinner at the seafood restaurants.  Anchorage is very colorful in the summer with lots of flowers and street vendors.  We were surprised when we made purchases in a gift shop…there is no sales tax (unlike Georgia that adds at least 7% to all non-food purchases). 

There was a fellow talking about the Iditarod Race held each year and had one of his “retired” dogs that has done the race several times.  The sleds they pull are quite large.  Just a few blocks from downtown, Ships Creek (that drains into Cook inlet) is a place where Salmon can be caught swimming upstream.  There are quite a few restrictions on who is allowed to fish.  Unless you are a native or a resident, it’s recommended any fishing you do should be with a fishing guide to avoid any issues with the fishing regulations.

One evening while visiting, we went to my father’s favorite store – Cabela’s.  They had items that stores in Georgia or Florida wouldn’t have, such as Snowshoes and Gold Panning equipment.  My daughter-in-law who recently moved from Florida to Anchorage tried on some hats (Alaska style) and was surprised at how soft and warm they were.  Our kids will have to be making some wardrobe adjustments as the weather starts getting colder.     

Anchorage has a very nice museum downtown.  There was a section about the 1963 Earthquake and how it compared to other recorded earthquakes in history.  The Alaskan earthquake devastated Anchorage and many surrounding villages and communities.  The art work on display by local artists was beautifully done.  The museum covered 4 stories of displays with different themes and aspects of Alaskan history and life.

One evening our kids took us to the Eagle River Nature trail not far from where they live.  The area is located on top of one of the hillsides that surround Eagle River.  It was a nice walk with the dogs.  There was one area that was roped off because of recent Grizzly Bear activity feeding on Salmon.

We visited Earthquake park that provides a local reminder of how much damage an Earthquake can cause.  There were several nice trails around the area in addition to historical markers.

After spending the weekend with our kids, we headed to the Kenai Peninsula and visit the town of Homer, AK followed by Seward, AK.  (See the Kenai Peninsula posts)  We arrived back in Anchorage on Thursday, 8/21/14 (a day earlier than expected) due to our dog needing to get some antibiotics for an infected foot.  The big event scheduled for the weekend was to attend the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, AK with Mike & Monika.

The fair had some interesting exhibits, a midway with lots of rides, and all types of food.  I was more interested in seeing the crafts and farm exhibits.  The different kinds of “food on a stick” were interesting (moose on a stick, rhubarb fritters, crab cakes, etc), but when you are 5000 miles away from home, you don’t want to try something that might cause an upset stomach.  

This was an interesting quilt that was pieced together in the shape of a moose.

There were a lot of farm animals on display along with a petting zoo for the kids.  What fascinated me was the Giant Cabbage and turnips.  The cabbage weighed 103 pounds and rutabagas next to the cabbage were 72 pounds.  The turnips were 14 pounds.  With the long days and short growing season, these vegetables are started early in the spring in a greenhouse then transplanted outside for the summer sun to do it’s magic.  Amazing.  

We saw a lot of other things at the fair you don’t typically see in Georgia.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying the pretty weather – 62 degrees and the sun was shining.  It was a good day.  This was the view of the fair as we were leaving.

It was a quite day with Mike & Monika on 8/24/14 due to the rain and overcast weather.  We went out to eat with them and visited at their home.  It was another good day.  Our trip south begins on 8/25/14 with boarding the Alaska Marine Highway ferry in Whittier, AK.  We should arrive in Bellingham, WA on 8/30/14.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can see more glaciers and possibly some whales.