Review of Past Week

I am not good at posting every day.  I get tired.  

Here is a review of what we did last week when John came to visit.

1.  Local Breweries - BB and I find that local breweries usually have good food.  They are also a good place to go when you need to sit, relax and gather yourself for the next round of activities.   We visited:

   49th State Brewing - both locations (Anchorage and Healy)
   Anchorage Brewing 
   King Street Brewing
   Ravens Ring Brewing
   Denali Brewing
   Girdwood Brewing

2.  Hot Dogs - John continued his search for the perfect hot dog.  Read about it on his blog ( https://tourdefrankhotdogs.blogspot.com/?m=1).

3. Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center - I LOVE this place.  We got a family pass that is good for a year.   It allows us to bring four guests with us.  Realize that if you come visit us you will end up visiting the Center.  My highlight this trip was the Moose Encounter.  We got to feed a moose!  Reading about the Wood Bison Restoration Project was also interesting to me as we saw Wood Bison on the Alaska Highway in Canada.  The Wood Bison at the Center are descendants from Wood Bison brought to the Center from Canada.

4. Alaska State Fair - A great all day event!  Weather forecast was for all day rain.  It was a drizzly morning but that stopped mid-day.  The food was a hit, also looking at the veggies, animals and the arts and crafts.  BB nixed me getting a goat; but I tell you baby goats are just too cute!  We saw quilts that were amazingly beautiful.  No way should they end up on a bed.   We went to the Amazing Raptor Exhibit and learned about hawks, falcons and owls.  John got a hotdog.  We checked out the rides but didn't take any.

5.  Denali National Park - Can't really get into the park without taking a bus tour.   We took the 6-hour Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour.   The hope was we would see animals...and we did!  We saw BIG animals:
   4 grizzly bears
   6 bull moose (with impressive antlers!)
   1 female moose
     caribou - multiple sightings: singles, groups, and a herd sky lined on top of a ridge
     Dall Sheep - multiple sightings
And LITTLE animals:
   1 squirrel
   2 ptarmigans
   1 grouse
And beautiful scenery.  Fall is starting here so there was lots of color.
We did not see THE mountain (Denali) while in the park.  We did catch glimpses of pieces of it on the drive back to Anchorage.

Not the best pictures; however, look closely and you should see a moose and a bear:

I think Denali is in these:

6.  Husky Homestead - I LOVE this place!  Here is another warning that if you visit us you will likely end up here.  This is where four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King raises and trains his sled dogs.  You step out of your car and are handed a puppy!  You meet Jeff King!  You learn how he trains his dogs (the wheel and the treadmill) and hear Jeff tell adventures encountered running the Iditarod.  His book, Cold Hands Warm Heart, is an interesting and amusing read.

Hard to tell from the picture, but the dogs are on a treadmill:

7.  Lake Hood Seaplane Base - It is fun to watch the planes take off and land on the water.  It is also a nice parklike setting.

  Talk to you later, 

Sal

Alaska State Fair

Friday we drove an hour to Palmer, home of Alaska’s largest event, the State Fair.  It’s biggest attraction for me turned out to be a disappointment.  I had read about the giant vegetables grown in the Matanuska Valley.  (See interesting, I think, historical note below.). Eighteen hours of summer sunshine have produced a 2,051 pound pumpkin, a 25 pound mushroom, an almost 6 foot long carrot and a 138 pound cabbage in previous years.  I wanted to see those, but, sadly, no record breakers this year.  I did see a 15 pound mushroom and a 50 pound cabbage.   Yawn.  The vegetables apparently don’t taste the best and are donated after the fair to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where we went Thursday.

We did have a really fun time.  It rained, of course, but not heavy rain and not all day.  We ate, and everything was sooo good.  Talkeetna spinach bread had been recommended to us by the Yeti Dogs team, and they were our first food stop.  Yum, yum, yum.  Next door were Russian pierogis; I think that was my favorite.  We had dumplings, a reindeer dog and cream puffs.  Everything was split and shared, except, after some debate, we each got a cream puff to end the day.  A large cream puff with caramel.  👍

The animals were a hoot.  There was a cow named Carl’s Jr.  How funny is that?  Poor cow.  Also a June and Johnny Cash.  Sal now wants a goat, they were so adorable.  We spent a lot of time with the bunnies.  So pretty, soft and cuddly-looking.  I can see getting a bunny before a goat.  

And we shopped.  We each got something nice that we’ll have as a souvenir of the fair. We were there six hours and I’m definitely going back next year.  We’re already talking about the food we had to pass on this year that we want to try in 2023.

Historical Note—-

We are heading north to learn about mushing.  Need to go, so please read for yourselves.  I do think it’s interesting.

https://explorenorth.com/alaska/matanuska_colony.html

Lake Hood Seaplane Base

 

Lake Hood Seaplane Base is located three miles southwest of downtown Anchorage next to Ted Stevens International Airport.  It is the busiest seaplane base in the world, averaging 190 flights a day.   When the lake freezes in the winter the frozen lake surface is maintained for ski-equipped airplanes.

Our family has a history with airplanes.  Both Dad and our brother had private pilot licenses, flying single engine planes for pleasure.  Dad would spend every Saturday afternoon at the airport, either getting in flying hours or hanging with his pilot friends.  As kids I'd say we attended one if not two airshows a year.  One year we even went to "The Big One" in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  

All this to say that while BB and I never learned to fly, we have been exposed to many things aviation related and have an appreciation for the knowledge and skill needed to handle an aircraft.

BB and I have gone twice to watch the float places take off and land on the lake.  We went once when we were here in June looking for housing.  We went again this week. 

We both agree that anyone coming to visit us in Anchorage has to visit Lake Hood!  You won't have seen anything like it.   Aircraft (to taxi) and autos share the road; but aircraft have the right of way.  Listen for a plane engine throttling up, then spot it and watch it move down the lake and into the air!  It doesn't hurt that Lake Hood is in a beautiful setting, parklike with mountains in the background.  

I look forward to taking you and a picnic lunch to Lake Hood,  eating our sandwiches and watching the planes.

Take Off!:

Keep off the lake:

Aircraft rule:

Sal

John’s Coming

 What?

That big, yellow Sydney thing that eats my food, drinks my water, gets my aunt’s hugs, and sleeps on my bed.  Makes herself at home in my space!!!  She coming, too?

OK.  Good.  

I love you,  John ❤️

Glad YOU are coming.

Anchorage Parks and Trails: Campbell Creek

There is no shortage of green space in Anchorage.  The city has 223 municipal parks and 250 miles of trails.  Both people and animals enjoy the parks and trails.

When I say animals enjoy the parks and trails, I don't just mean squirrels and pigeons.  On my first outing I was warned to watch out for moose and bear.  

According to Anchorage's last annual moose count (performed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in late winter), around 300 moose consider Anchorage their winter home.  Other sources estimate that 1,500 moose make Anchorage their home.  My guess is that more moose come to visit Anchorage in the summer.   However they are counted, Anchorage is considered to have one of the highest populations of moose and humans living together in the world.

The information I found on bears in Anchorage is several years old.  There are between 200 and 300 black bears living in the city and approximately 36 grizzly bears.

Our apartment is about .7 of a mile from where the Campbell Creek Trail crosses Lake Otis Parkway.  It seemed logical that my exploration of the city's trails starts with Campbell Creek.

Campbell Creek Trail is a 7.4 mile long, paved trail that follows along (you guessed it!) Campbell Creek.  It is basically flat.  The trail guide says there is a 554 foot elevation gain, however I never noticed it.  Maybe there was a hill on the portion of the trail that I did not walk.

BB dropped me off at the parking lot at Taku Lake, which is located at mile 2 from the western end of the trail.  I walked from Taku Lake to the Campbell Park playground at Lake Otis Parkway at mile 5.5.   My walk on the trail was 3.5 miles.  Add the .7 down Lake Otis to home and I walked a little over 4 miles.  (Note for my hiking friends:  I was not going for mileage...this was a fact-finding mission!).

Didn't see any moose or bear.  Did see other walkers, dog walkers, joggers, cyclists, people fishing and one skate boarder.  Lots of pretty views of the creek.  Saw several homes with views of the creek that I wouldn't have minded living in.

There were information boards along the way explaining how the greenways work to keep the creek clean, wildlife in the area, etc.  Effort was also made to beautify and add interest to the underpasses that take the trail under major roads.

All together a great introduction to the city's trails!

Lots of information signs:

Lots of pretty views:

 

At one of the underpasses:

And a creative gardener:

Sal

Farmers’ Market and Sunshine!!!

Saturday we went to one of the many farmers’ markets in Anchorage.  It was drizzling, as has been the norm (the paper says it’s the fifth wettest July and August on record, so far), and there weren’t too many people there.  I was hoping to see vegetables, but this market was mostly crafts, and nothing wrong with that.  We’ll see vegetables at the state fair on Friday.  

I bought a jar of sweet pickles from a vendor (peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, don’t knock them if you haven’t tried them) and saw two small green cloth baskets that I didn’t buy then but did when I was back in the area on Sunday to drop Sally off for her hike.  One houses our TV remote and one is a catch-all by the sofa.  It is currently filled with slips of paper listing possible activities for when John comes, which is today!!  Yay!  I just realized yesterday that his plane ETA of 9:55 this evening will actually be 1:55 am Tuesday morning, his time.  He will be one tired guy.  Bet he’ll be up in time for a hot dog lunch, though.

And speaking of lunch, Sally and I shared a good halibut burrito for lunch at the farmers’ market.

On our way home, the sun started to come out!  Glory be!  And it warmed up!  Hallelujah!  Sunday was mostly nice, too.  Sally’s sunglasses were put to the test out on our balcony.

Today we are just piddling, straightening up a bit and washing towels, getting ready for John.  We are happy with our apartment, an assortment of Amazon, thrift store and Target items.  We’ve got beds and chairs.  We’re looking forward to honing our hosting/tour guide skills on John, and we hope others will be visiting throughout the year.

It's Been Rainy

It's been rainy,  overcast and cool since we arrived in Anchorage last Friday.  

We were up and out early this morning to make an 8:00am appointment for the Palisade to have its oil changed.   The mountains were visible then.  It was damp but not raining.  Now,  early afternoon, it's drizzling and the clouds have come down over the mountains.  Temperature is in the mid'50s.

I've been waiting for a pretty day to restart a daily walking program.  This morning, after a week of rainy days,  I decided the "Alaskan" thing to do is to just go!  There is a US Post Office 0.7 miles down the road.  I had letters to mail.  I put on my rain jacket, put the letters in my pocket and headed out the door.

The route to the PO took me by  a Sara Lee / Hostess Bakery Outlet.  I went in on my way back to the apartment.  There were lots bread, bagels, donuts etc. and they looked tasty!  I think we will be making frequent visits!

So what is the weather like on an average day in August?  The average high is 61°; average low is 53°.  Average rain for the month is 2.8 inches. Average daylight is 16 hours.

Sunrise this morning was at 6:19; sunset at 9:45pm. The forecast calls for .5 inch of rain.

Today's reminder:  don't wait for good weather!

The puddle in front of our apartment:

Sal