Alaska Day Four: Glaciers and Otters

Early Saturday morning, Frances drove to the north side of the city to watch for the lights but no luck.  In the morning, she ran two miles, the last step of her training.  Our first stop of the morning was Walmart again so Frances could get a watch for the race.

Then we headed out again on the Seward Highway towards Whittier.  Since we weren't crossing into Alaska so no welcome sign, we opted for the photo op with the Alaska Scenic Highway sign for my collection.  Several more photo ops along the way, with few clouds in the sky and no rain.

Outside Whittier, we paid $12 and got in line to go through the one lane Anton Anderson tunnel, which is 2.5 miles through the mountain.  The tunnel is open in each direction only once an hour, and we went through during the 10:30 opening.

We paid $5 to park in tiny Whittier, where the skies were beginning to be overcast again.  We walked around and checked in for our glacier cruise.  Because we had opted out of the buffet on the boat, we grabbed some food in one of the tiny shops.  There isn't much to Whittier, but a lot of boats. 

There was a cruise ship in port.  In the shop where I bought my pizza, there were some guys who had been up in the mountain hunting and seen 3 bears, but as it was not bear season, they had to leave them alone.

After lunch we boarded the Fairweather Express II.  The boat was only about half full which was nice.  The tour was narrated by a Chugach National Forest ranger named Mary.  From the time we left Whittier, the sky was cloudy, drizzly, and cold, but we had a great time anyway.  Mary pointed out some valley and hanging glaciers, identifiable by their blue ice.

We passed several fishing boats, and we weren't able to visit the fish hatchery because the boats had their nets stretched across where we needed to go.  We went out around Esther Island and traveled through Esther Passage.  We came upon a whole bunch of sea lions "sunning" themselves on rocks. 

After the sea lions came the sea otters, which are bigger than the otters I've seen in the zoo - around 100 pounds each.  Frances was able to get good pics using her zoom lens.  We spent time out on the deck of the boat but got too cold and wet so went in for awhile.

The highlight of the cruise was our arrival at Surprise Glacier, a tidewater glacier, meaning it touches the water.  The boat stopped near the glacier and we had lots of time to take pictures.  Most people gave up and went inside, but there were a few of us still out there when a harbor seal popped his head up between the ice.  He came up one more time and then disappeared before anyone could get a photo. 

We finally had enough of the rain and cold and went in to have hot chocolate.  The crew had fished glacier ice out of the water to make glacier ice margaritas.  I was too cold, but Frances did try some glacier ice water.  On the way back to Whittier, some junior rangers were sworn in and brought around an otter pelt for everyone to feel.

Near Whittier, the captain announced some whales had been spotted, and we were able to see a whale a few times.  Frances, who is scared of whales, did OK and called it "exposure therapy."  The last stop was at a bird rookery just across the water from Whittier.  Once we got off the boat, we hurried back to the car to make sure we were in line for the 6:00 tunnel opening.



 The drive back to Anchor- age looked complete- ly different than that morning - overcast, drizzly, low tide with low clouds.  We took a picture at Beluga Point to show the difference from just 7 hours earlier. 

We arrived back in Anchorage around 7:15 p.m. and both thought Panera sounded like awesome pre-race dinner.  Unfortunately Panera has not make it to Alaska and we finally stopped at a Schlotzsky's, which had horrible service.  We had to return our rental car and called the hotel to get a shuttle.  They told us to call when we had our luggage, so we waited until we were done checking in the car.  When we called, they told us it would be 30 more minutes.

While we were waiting, I discovered I had left my phone in the car.  I called the rental company and started walking back over there.  The guy said he would go up and check and call me back.  When I got to the car, it was still there with my phone in it.  I told the guy in the booth I had it, to let the other guy know when he came to look for it.  Apparently he had already been there.  He didn't even look in the car - just asked the guy in the booth if anyone had turned it in.  Seriously!

I made it back to the shuttle stop before the bus arrived, and we finally got to the hotel at 9:30.  The room was clean but the customer service was lacking.  Frances studied the race map and made her final preparations, and we went to bed.

Alaska Day Three: Fall and Scenic Drives

The day started off at 4:30 when Frances woke up later than planned to look for the Northern Lights.  Turns out she set her alarm for 12:30 p.m. instead of a.m.  She did not see them.  She did get to see the sky starting to get light.  After logging our names in the Aspen Haus guest book, we headed back to Denali National Park.

We parked at the Science Center and headed out the Horseshoe Lake Trail.  On the trail, we saw what we decided are moose tracks.  We also noticed lots of trees starting to turn yellow, and we both agreed they seemed even more yellow than the day before.  At one point the trail crossed the Alaska Railroad tracks so we paused for a photo op.  The sky was overcast but did not rain on us during the hike.

Near the beginning of the trail was an overlook with a view of the lake, and the Subway and other shops outside the park.  From there, it is a steep walk down to the lake itself.  There was a sign that beavers live here and we saw their dam, but none made an appearance.  Other than rabbits, we did not see any wildlife.  Unfortunately the return trip was back up the hill we came down. Again we felt like we were in the Twilight Zone because there were no people or animals, just stumps that look like bears.

After our hike, we headed out of the park to do some souvenir shopping and partake of free fudge samples.  We stopped at the Mt. McKinley Chalet Resort to check it out and partake of their restrooms before heading out on the return drive to Anchorage.  About 15 miles outside the park, we met up with the intermittent rain which followed us most of the way.  We visited the same Subway near Talkeetna where we ate lunch the day before.

We stopped at the South Viewing Point overlook and checked for Mt. McKinley.  Of course we did not see it.  For those counting, this is the third time we did not see it.  You can see in the center of the photo where they claim it should be.  We got back in the car, convinced it was just a ruse to get tourists to drive out looking for it.

A little north of Wasilla, we encountered one lane traffic and were halted for about 20 minutes, of which Frances slept the first 19.  She woke up just as we were moving again.  There were more than 100 cars waiting for their turn to drive on the road.  Traffic continued to be heavy until we were through Wasilla. 

After Wasilla, we noticed all the mountains that we weren't able to see the day before because of rain and clouds.  Back in Anchorage, we stopped at the race expo to pick up our packets for Sunday.  We took a quick look around the expo but it was not very interesting.

At this point it was about 4:00 and we figured we needed another activity before we made a repeat visit to the Qupqugiag Inn, so opted for a scenic drive along the Seward Highway.  We stopped at Walmart and picked up snacks for the remainder of the trip, something we should have done the day before.  There was rush hour traffic as we were trying to get out of Anchorage but not too bad once we left the city limits.

Our first stop was Potter Marsh, offering views of birds from the boardwalk.  It was a little scenic but not being too interested in birds, we headed on to the south.  One thing of note - Potter Marsh is located directly across from the Rabbit Creek Rifle Range, so while you are chilling on the boardwalk checking out birds, rifle fire makes up the background noise.

We drove as far as Beluga Point, taking advantage of many photo ops.  We stopped at McHugh Creek and went for a walk along the Turnagain Arm trail towards Potter, hoping for some scenic vistas.  We followed signs to Boy Scout Rocks, which proved not to be very scenic.  We did find one spot where we could see out and used the camera self-timer to get a photo of ourselves.  No wildlife here, except a trail runner who came racing out of the brush ahead of us and scared us half to death.  On our return trip, he was coming back at us, startling us again. 

Here the sun was stuck in the sky again at the same spot we noticed it on Thursday night.  It looks like if you hang out for 30 minutes, you should get to see an impressive sunset, but it never moves.

We checked into the Qupqugiaq Inn for the second time, this time with a room on the noisy front side.  After checking in, we headed to downtown in search of food.  We ended up at Rumrunners for a quick dinner and were back at the hotel at 9:00 p.m., still sunny, and made it a little longer before going to bed.  Frances made sure to set her alarm correctly this time.

Alaska Day Two: Sled Dogs and a Moose

Thursday morning we both found ourselves awake at 6:30 a.m., given that it was 9:30 a.m. in Kansas City.  It was pretty rainy but slowed to a drizzle while we loaded the car.  The hostel/inn offered cereal and waffle mix for breakfast.  What they didn't mention was they don't offer any dishes.  Technically they do, but they were all being used and we had to improvise.

We made our first gas station stop of the trip for drinks and then headed north.  Most of the morning was rainy and we couldn't really see too much of the mountains around us.  We did pass through Wasilla, home of Sarah Palin, but nothing to write about there.

We took the Talkeetna spur road about 15 miles into Talkeetna, a tiny town with little shops and cafes and a view of Mt. McKinley.  We walked around, purchased a few souvenirs, and then did NOT see Mt. McKinley due to clouds.  This is the first time we didn't see The Big One.

After returning to the main highway, we had lunch at Subway as we weren't sure when the next opportunity to eat would be.  As we drove along, there were fewer and fewer radio stations and more and more RVs.  Frances provided encouragement and I on multiple occasions overcame my fear of passing them.  We also crossed the Alaska Railroad tracks many, many times.  The rain continued to come and go throughout the drive.

We arrived at Denali National Park at 2:15 p.m. and had our picture taken to prove we made it.  Our first stop was the Visitor's Center, which fascinated me by looking brand new.  In fact all the buildings did. 

The bus for the sled dog demonstration was leaving in about 20 minutes, so we did a quick hike on the Spruce Forest Trail.  This took about 7 minutes giving us ample time to get on the bus!

At the sled dog kennels, we had a chance to walk around and see the dogs, almost all of whom were sleeping either next to or on top of their houses.  Three were celebrating their 8th birthday.  These are the only working sled dogs (canine rangers) in the National Park System.

Range Jamie led the demo and told the history of how they dogs came to be in the park and what kind of work they do.  Then he asked us to clap if we were ready to see them in action.  As soon as we started clapping, ALL the dogs came to attention and started barking and jumping around.  Only 5 could go on the demo run, but they were all excited and no longer interested in naps.  They hitched the dogs up and make a quick loop run on gravel, ending right in front of us.

After the tour, we took the bus back to the Visitor Center.  A train filled with huge rocks was rolling through the station, so we stopped to take a few photos.  The park road is closed to private vehicles after mile 15, so we figured we'd drive out that far and look for a hike.  Mile 9 is supposed to be a great place to see Mt. McKinley.  We stopped but could not see it.  For those keeping track, this is the second time we didn't see it.

We continued on the road and saw two caribou along the way.  We opted for the Savage River Loop Trail.  It was about two miles and easy going, without much climbing.  We did veer off the trail to climb a hill and get some photos of the valley before heading back.  On the hike back, we came upon another caribou and Frances was ready with her zoom lens.  The "loop" part of the trail was a bit of a misnomer as it lands you on the opposite side of a bridge from where you parked, so we had to climb up and walk across the bridge.  Frances wants to write them a letter about this.

Along this hike was where we first noticed the lowering in the sky and then just stopping.  It is a bit of a Twilight Zone feel, especially since we were about the only people around.

On the drive back, we spotted a moose and Frances again got him with her zoom lens.  From the park, we drove north to Healy, about 12 miles.  We missed the turn the first time and had a little trouble navigating but ulimately arrived at Aspen Haus.  We were checked into the Southview Suite by young Dylan, son of the proprieters.  He was very professional.  The room was nice and had a small kitchenette. 

We ate dinner at the 49th State Brewery in Healy.  I ate approximately half of the GIANT burger they served.  We were back to our room at 9:00, with the sky bright as day.  Dad, to answer your question, it was not dark enough to go to bed.

Frances set her alarm for her first attempt to view the northern lights.

Alaska Day One: The Uneventful Day

Our story starts at the beginning.  Unfortunately the beginning is boring but what are you gonna do? 

After carefully extricating myself from work, Mom delivered Frances and I to the airport for our late afternoon flight.  Perhaps the most interesting thing I saw on the flight to Denver was a man with a large bald spot on the top of this head.  In this bald spot, he had a tattoo of a man cutting the grass with a lawnmower.  Other than that, he appeared to be your average 70ish man.  I tried to take a picture but found it to be too awkward.

We had a quick dinner at McDonald's in the Denver airport and then boarded our flight to Anchorage, leaving Denver around 5:30 p.m.  The flight attendants were all older males, which you don't see very often.  Apparently one of them hugged Frances as she was getting off the plane.  She did not appreciate this.  Movies shown on the flight were Cars and Avengers.  I did finally watch cars all the way through.

I entered my 49th state about 9:45 p.m. in time to find the sun just getting ready to set.  We picked up our rental car and found our way to the Qupqugiaq Inn.  That's really it.  Told you day one was boring.  Day two is better so stay tuned.

Four Pots Revisited - One Month Later

Here is an update on the four pots.  Some good progress, but some doing better than others.

The potato vine in this one hasn't taken off too much yet.  The fuschia is still alive, although it hasn't gotten any bigger.  It lives in the shady middle created by the plants around it.  It looks healthy, just small.

This potato vine, on the other hand, is going bonkers.  It gets more sun, which luckily hasn't struck down the caldiums.  The asparagus fern isn't doing much.

This is an interesting mix. Nothing has really taken off yet, but the cannas are coming up!

The front porch plant seems pretty happy.  The million bells are filling in and will hopefully come over the edge of the pot.  The lantana and coleus will have to hurry to keep up.

This pot is composed of everything that was left over.  The canna was planted squarely in the middle but as you can see prefers the outside edge of the pot.  At least it is present.

Noodle Bits

I had to take the kitchen sink apart.  I put some pasta salad in the garbage disposal and the sink wouldn't drain.  I tried to clear it from the top but no luck.  So in DIY fashion, I figured I'd take the trap off and clean it out.  Unfortunately when the pipes are full of water, it's nearly impossible to take apart without the water going everywhere.  As I'm sure you can guess, that's what happened.  The best part was the drain was full of chopped up noodle bits, which were soon all over me once the pipe was removed.  So there I was, head under the sink, soaking wet, covered in noodle bits.  I was pleased with myself, however, that the trap was clogged with grit from when I did the tile, and of course noodle bits...  So at least I fixed the problem.  There was a little drippage as a side effect but seems to have cleared itself up.

Memories of Raquel Welch

For my mother about her mother.

• Teaching us card games and then not letting us win, especially at Slam
• Picking me up from school when I was sick and dressing Abe up as my nurse to come check on me
• Taking us to Starlight when Mom was working and telling us we needed to give her a Hershey bar so she had the motivation to walk up the hill from the parking lot
• Writing letters to me at camp every summer
• Taking us to K-Mart on Wednesday, senior discount day, at the beginning of the summer to buy four new dresses, one for each Starlight show.
• Always having treats in her purse at the circus or other events we went to
• Her and grandpa being clowns and helping out at our kid birthdays
• Making audio tape stories to listen to at night, and alphabetizing and creating a card catalog for them, a trait I definitely inherited 
• Her camping “system” including meals, checklists, rules for camping, that still heavily influence how we camp today
• Giving us a bag of M&Ms for birthdays, and then saying all the M&Ms with M’s on them were hers because they had her initials on them
• The special grunt she said you had to maketo get the bottom trundle bed come up
• She always said I taught them how to be grandparents by being the first local grandchild
• No matter what country you studied at school, she had something in her house that you needed for your project, and that even the most innocuous things had some explanation ( i.e. the Washburn rock that holds down the bird bath warmer)
• Her continued exhortations (for years!) that there were no rolls in China after I made them for a school project about China
• Playing harmonicas and Holly Dog singing along
• Personalized bags of Easter candy
• Her entertaining us when we were waiting for Mom at the garden center meetings, playing the “dots” game
• Serving Neapolitan ice cream always in slices
• Making separate brownies for me that didn’t have mint in the icing
• Knitting parkas for Little People to wear in dioramas
• If you told her your arm, stomach, head, etc. hurt, she’d offer to stomp on your foot so you wouldn’t think about it anymore
• Robins mean spring, fireflies mean summer
• Chunks of mozzarella cheese go with any meal, especially when pronounced "mozzarelly"
• Teaching me to keep score at baseball games
• "No one ever starved in one meal"
• No holiday is too minor to celebrate (Kansas Day, Lincoln’s birthday, even Arbor Day)
• Waiting to pick me up from sectionals in high school and throwing her apple core under the car, saying it was natural and would decompose
• Her announcement that we were an open and affirming family
• When Bob Dole called after Grandpa died, she asked him if he really did that flip in the Diet Pepsi commercial. (by the way, watch the commercial and notice who else is in it!)
• Her plans to write a sequel to My Life, an expose called "Night at the Rest Home," which was never published.