The Great Alaskan Duck Race 2022

BB and I were running errands a week or so back when a truck pulling a trailer carrying a BIG yellow rubber duck passed by.  Oh, did I get excited!  Another addition to our list of record holders!  We need to follow that duck!

"No, no" says BB.  "That is nowhere near the largest rubber duck."
"Has to be!" I exclaim.
"Nope." She said.  "Look it up."

Turns out it wasn't the world's largest rubber duck. The World's Largest Rubber Duck, sometimes called Mamma Duck, is 6 stories or 61 feet high and weighs 31,500 pounds.  Her motto?  The world is her bathtub. Mama Duck travels a lot, but she wasn't in Anchorage that day.

I estimate the duck we saw to be about 12 feet tall.

Soon after our duck siting we started seeing posters for The Great Alaska Duck Race 2022.  The race, scheduled for Saturday, September 10, would be held in Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage.  Ticket sales help out Alaska non-profits while giving the purchaser the chance to win some awesome prizes.

BB and I bought our tickets.  My purchase supports Alaska Trails.  Alaska Trails' vision is 'to create a world-class trail system connecting 500+ miles of Alaska's iconic terrain and diverse communities from the Pacific to the Interior..."  something like the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail, but in Alaska.  I definitely support this!

BB and I woke up yesterday (Saturday, 9/10) to a clear blue sky and temperatures in the mid-50s.  The weather was as perfect as we have had so far in Anchorage.  

We got to the race early enough to check out the creek and the racecourse.  We took pictures of the big ducks; there were 2, one at the start and the other at the finish line.   At the starting line we saw many black net bags full of yellow rubber ducks and 1 red net bag of yellow rubber ducks.  (I've read too many spy, action, thriller books...why 1 red bag?) waiting to be spilled off the bridge and into the creek.  A race worker advised the best place to watch the ducks enter the water.  Off we went to claim our spot.

We cheered for our ducks as they went by and offered encouraging words for those caught up on the rocks. 

Although our ducks didn't place in the race, we thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Local news covered the event.  I watched the recording and got a surprise...stop it at the 1:03 mark.  Do you see us?  Look for my red purse...  

https://www.ky3.com/video/2022/09/11/great-alaska-duck-race

BB and I with a Big Duck:

Bags of ducks (1 red?)

Racing down the creek

A few were left behind

Cleanup crew

Here is a screenshot from the video in case you need help finding us

Sal

Another Record Holder Added to Our List

This morning the Palisade was at Lithia Hyundai for routine maintenance.  We wanted something to do while waiting for the car.  BB noticed that Alaska Wild Berry Products was nearby.  Several people mentioned that wonderful chocolates and fudge were found there.  They also talked about a big chocolate fountain.

We left the car at Hyundai and set off for Alaska Wild Berry Products.  It was about four blocks and a five minute walk to the store.  It was raining, but that didn't stop us! 

Alaska Wild Berry Products is the largest candy manufacturer in Alaska.  While chocolates and fudge were my main interest, the store also has wild berry jams and jellies, and a wide selection of Alaska souvenirs and gifts.

We entered the main door...and there it was ... the CHOCOLATE WATERFALL.  Over 3,000 pounds of chocolate drop through five copper candy kettles before falling into a chocolate pool.  This 20 foot chocolate waterfall is said to be the largest one in the world. 

Our list of record holders encountered during this adventure increases by one.  The updated list:
  The largest Buffalo, Moose and Beaver statues
  The largest gold pan (maybe) 
  Just missed seeing the largest golf ball (used to be here, they took it away a while back)
  The largest Chocolate Waterfall

We got chocolate and maple fudge.  We are saving them to have for a treat after supper.  We'll see if they last that long.

Sal

It’s official. I’m the best.

Alaska, long known for its taste and high standards, recognizes and awards as Virginia never did.  

I do enjoy treats, but “cuddles?”  I prefer a hair ball to cuddles, but in a contest, you say what the judges want to hear.  

My competitive juices are raging.  Denali, mayor of Talkeetna, I’m coming after you.

But first, a nap.  Being fabulous is tiring.

My sourdough hopes are on the rise after a flat start

 Sourdough breads were to be my thing here in Alaska.  I’ve never been much of a baker.  Cornbread, a caramel cake for Sal’s birthday and an occasion dessert pretty much sums up my baking experience.  But Alaska and sourdough seemed a natural pairing, and it was an inside activity requiring little, none really, physical activity, so right up my alley.  But baking is a science, and I’ve always been kind of a wing it cook.  Do you see problems I didn’t anticipate?

First off, I cheated.  I was gifted a fabulous book, Alaska Sourdough, which took you through all the steps of making the sourdough starter, maintaining it and recipes from breads to ginger cookies.  That would be my guide.  However, at the State Fair there was a woman, award-winning author Laurel Downing Bill, selling sourdough starter that had originally come to Alaska in the 1890’s with her gold-mining great-grandfather.  How cool was that, I thought.  Upon discussion, I learned that the starter was actually freeze dried, but still, ok.  I purchased it, bought a special non-metal container, the distilled water and unbleached flour required, and started my sourdough journey.

First off, wow, it was stinky.  Maybe the term “sour” should have alerted me, but no.  But I stirred it and fed it and it responded with bubbles and growing and it seemed happy.  Now I’d make my bread.

Cheat number 2.  I read that sourdough can take longer to rise than yeast bread, like maybe 8 hours or more.  Come on, that’s ridiculous.  I started my loaf for that evening’s dinner around 2:00.  And it was to go through two proofs.  With very little rise I baked it at 6:30.  Bread fail.

Nice color and crisp bottom, but absolutely no rise.  As Paul Hollywood would say, “It’s a shame.”  Sal gamely ate one slice, I ate two.  

Discouraged but flipping through my book for a second attempt, I found the perfect recipe, Sourdough Hotcakes.  Who cares if they rise or not?  Who would even know?

Yum.  Success.  I am back on my journey.  I have a jar of starter in the fridge and we’ll enjoy pancakes until I’m ready to attempt another bread.  And I will sometime, now that I know the bread rise will require an early rise from me.

Day Trip to Kenai Fjords National Park

 BB and I realized two things Friday:

• It was Labor Day weekend and we didn't have any plans
• Most things we want to do seem to be open or available for 'the season'.  The season seems to be Memorial Day to Labor Day.  Thinking we have a year to do all we want to do is a false assumption.

So we planned a daytrip.

We decided to take a daytrip to Kenai Fjords National Park.  BB found that the Park offers Ranger Led walks during the summer season, which ended yesterday, September 5.  We decided to get up early Monday and arrive at the Park in time to take the 10:00am Ranger Led walk to the Exit Glacier Overlook.  

We were up and out early.  Kenai Fjords NP is located 2.5 hours south of Anchorage near Seward.  Driving down the Seward Highway alongside Turnagain Arm at sunrise provided us one amazing view after another.  The sunrise generated color that reflected off the clouds and mountain tops.  Once we turned inland the road followed valleys and was fog covered.  We wondered what views and sights were hidden behind the fog.

We arrived at Exit Glacier in plenty of time for the Ranger Walk.  We couldn't have had a better morning for it, blue skies, a nice temperature and no humidity (I don't think Alaska knows what humidity is).  Ranger Araya led the walk.   She told us how glaciers are formed and how scientist determine how big it was in the past.  She also told us how the native people in the area lived off the land and were influenced by the climate. 

Visiting Kenai Fjords was definitely worth getting up at 5:30am!

We brought a picnic lunch with us, peanut butter and pickle sandwiches.  It is a great combination.  These sandwiches were on untoasted multi-grain bread.  Take this sandwich up a level by grilling it (grill as you would a grilled cheese - the pickle goes on after you grill it).  We enjoyed these sandwiches at a pull off with a scenic view of Exit Glacier.  We noticed another family having a picnic lunch at the pull off.  They also had peanut butter sandwiches, but with banana instead of pickle.

More spectacular views on the drive home as we saw all the views that were obscured by the morning fog.  Also got a look at a small community named Moose Pass.  We didn't stop; however, we will on a trip to Seward we plan to make in a few weeks.  The Alaska Mile Post book says the Moose Drop-In Trading Post in Moose Pass is home of Morris, the Talking Moose. I definitely have to meet Morris!

The Seward Highway on the drive back to Anchorage was one long line of traffic.  Traffic moved at posted speed or slightly below and everyone behaved.

On the drive to Kenai

Us by Exit Creek

BB Crossing the creek

Our picnic lunch view

Along the drive view

Sal

Will it ever stop raining? / Updated

 It has probably rained every day since we got to Anchorage on August 12.  Not all day and usually more of a light rain or drizzle than a downpour, but still, you know?  I’ve been googling those Jennifer Gardner red rain boots I see everywhere on social media and am tempted.

This chart was in the paper today.

I read somewhere that this is typically the rainy season here.  And when does the rainy season stop?  When it starts to snow.

But at least it’s not Richmond humid hot. 

Friday Update

I wrote the above too soon.  Today is beautiful.  Sal and I went downtown to our favorite brewery, 49th State Brewery, sat on the deck overlooking the Cook Inlet and the mountains, enjoyed our favorite brew (Raspberry Wheat) and split a pizza.  Perfect afternoon.

Fur Rondy — Can’t Wait!

 Oh my goodness, did we enjoy John’s visit.  We saw, ate and drank a lot and relished (a nod to the numerous hot dogs consumed) every minute.  And we laughed.  A lot.  I think we are pretty good tour guides.  All we need is more visitors!

Today Sal and I went downtown to the Fur Rondy Headquarters.  This may sound crazy, but I can hardly wait until February.  (This despite the nice man at the Visitor’s Center explaining winter is not as bad here as people think.  It is not a constant -5 degrees in Anchorage; it might be -5 for a week, then warm up to +5 for a week, then down again, etc.  Hmmm.  Not as reassuring to me as he intended.)

The Fur Rondy (Rendezvous) “is our nation’s premier winter festival,” per the Mayor of Anchorage.  2023 will be the 88th year of the festival, and while dates and events for 2023 have not yet been announced, wandering the headquarters, speaking with an event rep and scouring the 2022 Festival Guide has me so excited.  It’s a multi-day event; last year dates were February 25-March 6.  And the events are many and sound fun and thrilling.

The ceremonial start of the Iditarod takes place in downtown Anchorage the first Saturday in March.  After our visit to Husky Homestead, we are big Jeff King fans and would love to cheer him off if he competes next year.  Another big race, the Open World Championship Dog Team Race, held over three days, is part of the festival.  In contrast to the roughly 1,000 mile Iditarod, it’s a sprinting competition that has  continuously been voted the “Best Event” by the International Sled Dog Racing Association.  The 21+ mile trail goes through town, down highways (even down our street) and through dog parks before heading back downtown.  The team with the fastest total time wins.

Those events I think will be really exciting.  But other events sound so much fun.  The Running of the Reindeer.  We’ll watch, although I am a bit tempted to try it.  I know I’d love to try ice bowling.  Snow Sculptures. Frostbite Footrace.  Scavenger hunts. Curling events; they will teach you.  A talent show.  Strap skis to a porta-potty for the Outhouse Races.  Hockey.  Fireworks.  Concerts and more.

See why I am so excited?  I imagine by February people here are ready to play and party.  Winter, even at only +5 degrees, is bound to be tiresome by that time.

This husky statue is outside the Fur Rondy headquarters.  The plaque on the statue reads:

Each winter the City of Anchorage, Alaska is host to two of the world’s greatest sled dog races, the Fur Rendezvous World Championship and the Iditarod.  This is the starting line for these two great races.

This monument  is dedicated to all dog mushers and their heroic dogs.

Jeff King said there are dog sled races in Argentina, New Zealand, France, Norway — all around the world. But he compared it to country music.  You can sing country music anywhere, but if you want to be great, you go to Nashville.  If you want to be a great musher, you go to Alaska.