Atlanta to Anchorage

My friend Tanya, her husband Troy and new baby boy Carson came to visit. So exciting! We shared a whirlwind tour of AK from a glacier cruise in Whitter to a weekend excursion to Seward! The weather did not quite cooperate as much as I would've liked--but it has been a bit of a colder than normal and rainy summer here.

The funniest part of the trip was the deluxe accommodations in Seward in the Captain's Cabin. $150 for a cabin tucked in between some long term nonoperational but occupied campers/buses. The pictures that were on the rental website just really didn't capture the essence on the place like mine do. Seriously there was a village of people who apparently have lived at the campground for the past 5-10 years. You can see where they have altered the buses to add wood stoves and added some blue tarps to the roofs. AK living can be quite interesting. A little piece of the Alaska south :)

We did get a bit of clearer skies when we hiked up to Exit Glacier. to see the glacier and visit the National Park and some of Sewards yummy restuarants.

Caines Head

Memorial Day weekend requires camping in Alaska. I can't remember not camping on Memorial Day.

This year Paul, Hayden and I set out for Caines Head. near Seward, AK. We hiked almost 20 miles, through the moss covered forest, crossed the river and accross the tidal trail. You have to hike it at low tide--otherwise the water is up to the cliffs and there is no possible land passage. It is a fun hike through a variety of terrain. The rocks though that you climb over at low tide can be VERY slick! There were some definite slides into the water....

We arrived and had the best most picturesque campsite ever. So beautiful. We hiked to the old military defense site from WWII. Some animal ate our lunch as we washed breakfast dishes in the ocean. Hayden says bear--I think maybe it was a blue jay.

Perfect weather--great adventure!

Philly

Fall

Fall Visitors—The last visitors of the season have come and gone.

Mom, Ellen and Dick came up to Alaska on a cruise and then took the train into Denali before coming to visit us in Anchorage. Their timing for visiting Denali was impeccable. What incredible fall colors! Check them out!

This has been the most beautiful fall that I have seen in Alaska. I think that the warmer than normal summer and the extra long fall have created such intense colors. We have not had snow in Anchorage yet, this is also a first for me in Alaska.

We had a great time with Mom, Ellen and Dick and showing them around Anchorage. We were able to spot bear, reindeer, and moose and of course eagles as we toured around. Anchorage is such a fun city to show visitor around. The diversity of food and cultures and the incredible natural beauty make being a tour guide easy.

Just spending some time at the house and hanging out was really nice. We played cards, watched the birds and of course mom did some landscaping :-) I am excited to see the bulbs that we planted come up next year.

I laughed as Mom and Ellen walked all over taking pictures of the mushrooms--Paul and I had done the same thing days before. The love of nature runs in the family. We even went to a mushroom festival in Girdwood, Alaska!

New England Excursion

We met up with friends of mine that I met in Oaxaca, Mexico in Boston. So nice to just hang out together for awhile.

Boston the streets overflow with history and you really come to understand and respect the quest for freedom and the importance of local governments.

We stood on the street and watched as the hearse carrying Senator Kennedy passed by. As all four brothers died while in service to our country it was an honor to pay our repects the the family.

We ate at Mike’s pastry—this was on par with every pastry that I had in Europe! AMAZING—Cannoli of Mike’s Pastry Shop you are in our dreams :-0

Vermont was as I remembered. Brattleboro is such a great little town and the wedding was beautiful and held at the bride's family farm overlooking the rolling hills across a covered bridge.

The whole trip just begged to be completed again on a bike leisurely exploring from town to town and following the “Midnight Ride”.

The trip was short but had everything that makes a trip complete. We returned feeling refreshed and excited about the great places we had discovered.

Chicago, Chicago I'll show you around - I love it

School’s Out! Paul finished his last final from his summer semester and we left for Chicago. I had a Community Health Center conference and Paul had some time to relax!

Karen, Haley and Abby met us at the airport as we waited and waited for our bags (the good thing with AK Airlines is that because we had to wait I got 5,000 miles for the inconvenience). Then it was off for a fun day of hanging out with the family. It was so nice just to be able to spend some family time and see the girls. We haven’t seen them since last November :-(

The hardest part for Paul and I of living in AK is that we do not get to see our families as often as we would like. Thank goodness Ken and Sue live here, Paul is certain that Jack is the cutest and smartest little boy, ever!

Since I was traveling for work we stayed at the Palmer House Hilton downtown, it was fun to get a different perspective on the city. I am so glad that my family came to visit Chicago in March 2008, Paul and I have memories of Dad there now. I called Sheri from the bus stop across from Millennium Park where I took a great picture of her and Dad.

While I was at the conference, Paul went swimming in Lake Michigan in the early morning toured the Robie House and talked to Obama’s mail lady. Mary Claire and Paul had quite the city tour! Paul’s friend Mark drove into the city and Paul and he spent a day biking on some trails that Paul had not been on. Next time I hope to be able to join in all the touring.

We got to see most of the family and celebrate Mary Clarie’s BD at a family dinner at Roger’s house. As usual there was not enough time for visiting with everyone, but it was a nice evening. We got to take Memere back to her home at Little Sister’s and talked with Dorthea. Dorthea is doing so well and it is inspirational to watch her as she has confidently journeyed through breast cancer this past year.

My manager Kate, was celebrating her birthday while we were in Chicago. We had quite the evening starting at the Berghoff where her grandfather had once worked and ending at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building for drinks overlooking the city. What a view of Chicago—even from the women’s restrooms (there is no view from the Men's)!

On our final evening in Chicago we joined Paul's two cousins on the Kotelman side of the family for a great Italian dinner. The streets were crowded and the El packed as people headed for the Cubs game in her neighborhood a beautiful evening!

Whittier Excursion

The weather cleared, the road opened, and Paul’s test was complete as we headed to Whittier.

Whittier is such an interesting town—it is accessible only by water or tunnel. We traveled through the longest rail/road tunnel in North America. Whittier was established in WWII as the northernmost ice free port. Most of the town of around 300 lives in a high-rise left by the military and there is a large abandoned building that stretches across one end of town—it was a victim of the 1964 quake.

Most of the town is pretty rundown looking but the beauty surrounding the place on a clear day is breathtaking. It was our fortune to arrive there on a day that the sun was shining on the turquoise water and vibrant moss covers the rocky beach. What a way to see Alaska.

The Salmon Berries were ripe and we picked some near the waters edge for a true Alaskan snack.

July 4th

The weekend started out rough—I admit it. After hours and hours of driving and not finding a site for our tent and discovering that the fish were not running that strong, we were very hungry.

Paul, Hayden and I stopped for some burgers and fries—it was so warm yet at 10 PM that we ate outside. We got less cranky as we ate and just enjoyed the evening sun. This is the most amazing summer.

Then our revelation came--in the form of a brochure for a rafting adventure. Paul had promised for our anniversary a white water trip that I have wanted to do for YEARS!!! We called and Chucach Outdoor answered the phone—we booked all of us for the trip the next day. We drove for 1.5 hours back towards Anchorage and found a great campsite. We camped next to the river and made breakfast over the campfire the next morning. Yum—biscuits and gravy :)

Then we headed to the center to gear up. This means, helmet, dry suit (the water temp is 40 degrees), lifejacket and a bit of courage as you jump into the current of the river for a practice swim for about 100 yards. You have to swim hard to get across the river. Hayden did AWESOME. It was so cool to see how excited he was to be experiencing everything.

This was no float trip—everyone had to paddle as we maneuvered the rapids…. We ran all three canyons and jumped out of the raft and floated the last ¼ mile. We were so excited—it was an amazing experience. I am ready to go again--so if anyone is up for it...I highly recommend Chucach Adventures.

That evening we grilled brats and onions on the campfire. They tasted good and must have smelled even better as Paul came across a black bear about 20 feet from the tent. Paul ran back to the car and got the gun and then the bear climbed a tree about 30 feet from the tent and proceeded to stay there for hours. It was watching traffic on the road. We slept in the car, until the very early morning when Paul and I moved back to the tent. Three people sleeping in the car is not that comfortable.

We spent some time exploring Hope, AK Pop. 137. Hope is an old gold mining town and there are still lots of people who have claims in the area. We saw a number of people panning or using the sluice box on the river. It is really a great little piece of Alaskana. We walked down to see the old cemetary and saw where Six Mile Creek enters the Arm.

We hiked 10 miles rt the next day out to Gull Rock and looked out over Turnagain Arm. We sat on Gull Rock and ate lunch as we watched the gulls float in the sky in front of us. What an incredible weekend, not your typical 4th of July but one that made me feel blessed to be out exploring part of such an incredible country.

FLORIDA

Mom, Janice and I took a vacation to Florida. I had a conference near in Clearwater (near Tampa) and flew in a few days early. We drove down to Naples and hung out at the beach and toured the Everglades. We saw scores of gators just floating in the canals alongside the road as we drove down to the Everglades. We took the must do airboat tour and were able to spot a manatee and hundreds of birds. Check out the pelican that landed on our airboat! We traveled out amongst the islands and had a dolphin surfing off of the wake of the boat. It was so much fun to just explore Naples and hang out with Mom and Bin.

How can I state how much that I enjoyed the 87 degree water? This was exceptional; I understand why people love the beach. The beach was only seconded by the beautiful flora and loads of wildlife.

I think that Bin’s favorite sight was the Banyan tree at the Edison plantation as the roots dropped from the branches and found the ground they have grown to around 400 ft circumference. We all thought that this would make an incredible playground. I wanted to play in amongst the tree—but it was roped off.

Later we drove back up to Clearwater so that I could attend the conference while Bin and Mom played and played on the beach. They wouldn’t get out of the water—until they became very sunburned. Luckily, my skin was preserved as I was inside under florescent lighting. :-) Mom found all kinds of fun seashells and spent hours digging the in sand for shells. One morning we got up early to go swimming and were splashing in the water when Bin got stung by a stingray. Then mom and I started looking around and counted over 7 stingrays in the water. Luckily the sting was not too bad and Janice is really tough as confirmed by the resort staff. ;-0

We traveled into Tampa for an afternoon and toured Busch Gardens. Bin and I braved two rollercoaster’s and took the safari tour with Mom and fed a giraffe a whole lot of lettuce—isn’t she cute!

I am ready to head back!

Alaska Adventure

Wow, the time finally arrived. Chris and Annie, Wendy and Justin arrived to visit and see AK!

We had such a great time. Here is a little rundown of the events....

First evening we went downtown to check out some hairy men who were in town for the World Beard and Moustache Championships that were being hosted in Anchorage. Guess what--"The United States is the world's new facial hair super power, having captured twelve world championship titles out of eighteen categories plus overall at the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Anchorage, Alaska on May 23, 2009. Possessing home field advantage, the USA was able to dethrone Germany which had dominated this competition since its inception."


The second day we headed south to the town of Homer, Alaska it is one of the most beautiful drives in the nation. Above is a picture of the beach in Homer. I really like this community.

Then the big adventure began, we took a water taxi out to a yurt and camped Alaska style with no water or electricity for two nights. We washed our dishes in the ocean and stored our food in a bear container. We did not see any bears but some people that were camping just a ways up from us did. We hiked in to see a glacier and took a hand tram across a glacier creek. Unfortunately, it was too muddy to get to that glacier.

The next day we set off in kayaks and explored the coast and paddled over 12 miles. We kayaked into Halibut Cove for lunch. Lunch was $$ but incredible. We were able to meet the couple that settled the community of artist years ago and had drinks at their home. She is a Nobel Laureate and an internationally known artist. Absolutely amazing! We made it back to camp in rough waters--landing on the beach was so exhilarating and seeing every one pull it off was awesome!

Then it was back to Homer and on the way back we stopped at Portage Lake to see a bit of Portage glacier and lots of Portage Ice!

The time went sooo fast we had a fun night at Ken and Sue's and did get in a game of Settlers of Catan--a new version that Chris and Annie had not even played!

This was a vacation that required sleep afterwards--so much to do and not enough time for all of the fun that we had!

Springtime Highlights

I spent last week in Fairbanks at a Tobacco Conference.

The highlight of the conference was a side trip for pleasure to Chena Hot Springs. I could have floated in the outdoor springs for hours it was so warm and relaxing. I went with a group of seven women from the conference and had such a great ride (it is over an hour drive) to the springs. I highly recommend outdoor hot springs when there is snow on the ground.

Last weekend, I went shopping at the thrift store and found this really cool serving platter shaped like an artists palette for $5. Then I saw the exact same platter in a modern art magazine for $80. I am having co-workers over for lunch this week so will be able to use it then.

Birthday—I had a great BD with cards and gifts and phone calls. I feel so loved. Paul took me to Hatcher’s Pass for a day at the lodge. I love the view from the rooms there. I also would really like to run a marketing/image campaign for the lodge--so many possibilities. We went skiing and snowshoeing by the old mine and went sledding down the mountain. The mountain was icy and was full of craters from the volcano ash. It was a scary ride down. I went down twice. I am getting wimpier in my old age.

Local Bus Tour and the Alaska Elements

Paul and I took off last weekend on a bus tour to visit some of the local wineries, breweries and a meadery on the Kenai Penninsula.

We left Friday morning. There was an avalanche and we were stuck in Girdwood for over four hours waiting for the road to be cleared. That is the thing here--there is only one road. Then finally the road was cleared--we went to leave in the bus. The bus quit in the middle of the road leaving town.

Then we waited for an hour and a half as an alternative vehicle was sent from Anchorage--a stretch Hummer for 16 people. It was not that comfortable of a ride but it was memorable.

We saw the cloud from the volcano exploding and returned to Anchorage on Sunday to find our vehicle dusted in ash.

The picture of the volcano is from the volcano observatory.

Omaha

While Paul enjoyed spring break with Hayden and Ryker here in Anchorage, I tagged a few days onto a work trip and met up with Mom, Sheri, Crystal, Janice, Nolan and our cat in Omaha for a few days of vacation.

We visited the zoo (the indoor rain forest is fun, the creatures of the night exhibit is scary and as always the stars of the day were the monkeys), Jocelyn Castle (not sure why anyone would need such a big place) and walked around downtown Omaha (Nolan was impressed by the green horse celebrating St. Patricks). The weather was perfect and we had a good time visiting the Christophersons (where mom surprised us with her exceptional pool skills).

My favorite part of the trip was being able to just talk with everyone. I love intellectual book talks and we had great conversations about books that we had read one night as we celebrated Crystal's BD at an Arabian restaurant.

One morning we found this incredible sculpture park downtown that honored the settlers who had passed through the region on wagon trains.

Unfortunately, it was over all too soon and I left for Alaska with Titana stowed under the seat on the airplane--she is a really good traveler.