DAy 22-23 - July 6-7

Days 22-23 - July 6-7

Visiting Anchorage has been a passive experience. Slow days, no hurry, trying to stay warm and dry, until today when the sun, blue skies, and puffy white clouds have visited us this afternoon. Who knew 60 degrees could be hot. I have sought shade to sit and write this missive. It's so nice to be outside and warm.

Section of Cloister Garden

St Patrick Church - sanctuary 

Water fountain in Cloister Garden

Mary's grotto in Cloister Garden

Yesterday we did a little housekeeping, shopping, changed the oil in the car (at Sears auto care center), and went to Mass at St. Patrick parish here in Anchorage; and then treated ourselves to another movie. Guess some days we're just not your typical tourists.

St Patrick's is a beautiful, inspiring, conservatively modern facility. It holds about 500 (conservatively). 

They have built the initial phase of their Cloister Garden, which is absolutely one of the most prayer-inspiring gardens we've experienced. It is designed to encompass the Old & New Testaments. And, when it's is finished it will have stained glass, sculptures, and perhaps a roof to complete the space. Unfortunately, I can only include a few photos to try and capture the experience for you. 

Today we were determined to get going early and do some real touristy things. . . but that was not to be. Keith has been suffering with what was thought to be planter faciaitis for several weeks, which has hampered any site seeing that required much walking. The condition has only grown worse over the weeks, and finally he decided - 

(What cloud in this very blue sky has decided to rain on us. They're all white and puffy and don't look rain-like at all !! So I've retreated to the cover of Einstein.)

- to seek medical advise and perhaps a solution so we could resume our touristing. The first medical facility we visited was Providence Hospital - Anchorage, where a Dr. Dietz reviewed Keith's condition. (Hey, Brent, another cute blond female Deitz! Emily, Dr Deitz was short, like your Dad, and she was born in Alaska and knew of only one other Deitz in the state. Do you have any relatives here??) 

Can you believe this? Dr, Deitz decided we were in the wrong place and they negated all billing. No charge. Never heard of that before. She even sent us to our second facility OPA (Orthopedic Physicians of Anchorage) which has a Sunday walk-in clinic. So, four hours and two medical facilities later the diagnosis is not what he thought, but rather an aggrivated Achilles tendon, for which there is no cure. With meds in hand and instructions for exercises, we went on our way. 

Entrance to Earthquake Park -
note the "wrinkled" I-beam

View of Anchorage from Earthquake Park

We went to Earthquake Park, which commemorates the 1964 8.0+ earthquake that was centered in Anchorage. The devastation was incredible. Main street dropped 15' on average throughout the town. Valdez was devastated and the town was eventuality rebuilt 4 miles inland. Seward was also wiped out but rebuilt near its same location. (Both of these last two location we hope to see this next week. 

The park is location on the southwest section of the city, and we saw our second moose within the city limits. It lazily munched is dinner on the edge of the road while we stopped to take pictures. (Another Kodak moment).

Tomorrow we move on south to the Kenai Peninsula. Maybe the blue skies will follow us.

Day 22 - July 5

Day 22 - Jul 5 

This is Mr. Magpie who stopped
by for a short visit.

Another lazy morning, taking our time getting started. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Talked with other campers. Even ran into friends of friends from Union Lake. They moved on this morning to their next stop, and our travels may cross again. Should we meet again, we've promised to share dinner together.

Kyle was our guide through the Indian
 homes. He is of Tlinget heritage.

This afternoon we went to the Native American Heritage Center. A very interesting and informative venue to learn about the many native American tribes here in Alaska. Some are very close in language and heritage, but others are distinctly different with no language connection at all. We went on a tour of the six or eight different native houses that were recreated at the Center. Each dwelling was unique, specifically tailored to the part of the state where it originated, and to the cyclic lifestyle of the given tribe.

I wanted to bring this one home,
but Keith said, NO.

Homes were under or above ground depending
on the tribes and their location in Alaska, and time
of year. Some tribes lived underground during winter,
and in temporary above ground homes in
the summer.

After the home tour, we watched an athletic competition demonstration of North American Indian Olympic games. These games were originally part of the practical skills utilized while fishing or hunting. These games are entirely different than what are demonstrated at the International Olympics. The strength and physical prowess required is certainly incredible. In 1988, some of these games were considered by the Olympic Committee for inclusion in the International Olympics, but the Olympic judges felt the USA would have dominance over other countries, making it too one-sided for fair competition, even though Canada and Greenland participate in the same type of games.

1, The object of this game is to
start from a squatting position,
balanced on one arm, other hand
and feet not touching the floor . . .

2. The legs are thrust upward without
touching the floor - while
still balanced on one arm . . .

4, Foot strikes the ball; hand
still balancing on floor . .

3, Kick the ball, while still
 balanced on one hand . . .

6. And returning to crouched position
with hand still touching floor.

5. Body swings through - still
balancing on one hand . . .

The competitors continue raising the ball higher and higher, until one of them out-kicks all the others. Heights often reach over eight feet. 

Just as a side note: our new sleeping bags were magnificent! We both enjoyed a fully warm night's sleep last night. 

Day 21 - July 4th

Day 21 - Jul 4 Wasilla - Anchorage

This morning and early afternoon were free time. We slept in - a treat - even if it was until 630A when CVS (Commerce Twp) called to ask if Keith wanted one of his prescriptions renewed. Oh, well. We checked the weather and not much had changed from last night's prediction - grey, possible rain for the balance of the week and into the next. Turns out this is typical for this time of year, depending on who you talk to.

So we shopped in Wasilla looking to replace our 40 year old sleeping bags with ones rated more appropriately for this landscape. We were directed to the Sportsmen's Warehouse where we met some very knowledgeable service reps who hooked us up. We gave our old bags to the nearest goodwell-type establishment. And now Keith is anxious to go to bed and try them out. It's 5PM.

More Chugach Mts and traffic

Chugach Mts on the way to Anchorage

After a little grocery shopping, we moved on to Anchorage, past the scenic Chugach Mountains, and found our little campground on the edge of the city. 

Looks cozy . . . 

the reality . . .

 As we've gone along, we've always picked our overnight accommodations "on the fly", so we never know what we're getting until we get there. And, today is no exception: Ship Creek RV Park. The ad in Mileposts shows it located on the Ship Creek. Hah! Between the edge of this park and the creek are the railroad tracks (about 15 yds from our tent), the industrial buildings on the other side of the tracks, the road beyond that, and who knows what else before the creek. And the train travels this track four times a day: 8AM, 10AM, 8PM and 9PM; and there's the coal train which comes through whenever it's full. Needless to say, this trip has held it's share of unexpected "pleasures". The owner's have been very accommodating, so we don't complain. Besides, we spend much time in the park except to sleep. 

Our neighbors

Of all our experiences thus far, the people we've met have been the best. Einstein draws attention (imagine that) and people always look, smile, waive, and if we're not driving at the time, they ALWAYS stop to ask questions, comment on the car and our plans, and wish us good luck. We are impressed with the range of foreign nationalities we come across, and how many people have actually moved here as opposed to having been born here. One gentlemen we met from So California, who is a Smart owner, shared with us how much he missed his little car, he & his wife have been traveling since last April; as soon as he saw our car he shared a photo of his car which he had customized with gull wing doors, custom headlights, lowered the ground clearance, and added a Hayabusa engine. He admitted he spends bit of time in traffic school. 

Now we are reviewing tourist options for tomorrow in Anchorage: museums, dog mushing, fishing, trolley tour, helicopter tour with glacial landing, Rocky Mt Chocolate Factory, hiking, biking. There's also the restaurant called Whale's Tale "which is Alaska's first self-serve wine dispensing system, full bar, and sharable plates." Hmmmmm. 

Day 18-20 - Jul1-2-3

Days 18-20  - Jul 1-2-3

Mt. McKinley (was originally known as Mt. Denali, until
Pres. McKinley wanted it named after him.
So the park was name Denali.)

As much as we wanted to spend four days at Denali, it was just not to be. 

The two days we spent there were beautiful; the surroundings and the constantly changing climate were fascinating. 

We stayed at Savage River Campground - a rustic site. 

We were surrounded by so many spectacular mountains, a good portion of them snow-capped. And Mt. McKinley, of course, was the pinnacle of them all. At 20K+ it was more than snow-capped; what we could see of it, it was totally snow covered, and the weather overhead changed constantly. The mountain never looked the same from moment to moment.

Tundra Twins - do we look cold!
Those cloud-shrouded mountains in the
background are snow-capped.

Our day trip to Eilson Info Center, 63 miles into the park, was exciting. The entire tour was wonder-filled. To think that we were traveling over arctic tundra was our first wonderment. The pine forests near our campsite gradually thinned to thick grasses and minimal small pine trees. A great open expanse of greenness that faded away to rock as it progressed up the mountains. 

Moose

And somewhere in that great expanse were the animals in the wild which we came to see. Over the day we spotted 10 caribou, 1 moose, 5 Dall sheep, 5 grizzly bears (2 adults were blond - a color indigenous to the park; 1 black; and, the 1 blond mother had 2 black cubs); 1 red fox (primarily grey with red on his back and four beautiful black legs); numerous arctic ground squirrels; and, very few birds (primarily magpies).

Caribou

Red Fox

Black & Blond Grizzlies -
Blonds really do have more fun

So, you ask, why did we leave two days early. The nighttime temps dropped to below 45 degrees. Our camping equipment, sleeping bags in particular, are 40 years old and are no longer rated for that level. So midway during the night when we had to get up to potty, we were so cold that by the time we returned to bed we did not warm up until sometime the next morning. The first night was midnight when we got up, and we remained shivering cold until 5AM when we got up to go on the bus ride to Eilson. The next night we dressed in two the three layers of clothes (depending on the body part) and still we woke midway during the night too cold to go back to a peaceful sleep.

So here we are, now, enjoying the creature comforts of a Best Western in Wasilla, AK, about 45 minutes north of Anchorage. Call us wimps; but, who'd expect such cold temps when the week before it had been unbearably hot with 80 degree daytime temps. We will return to camping tomorrow. However, the Weather Channel is predicting high 50's, low 60's through Monday, 30-50% chance of rain for the rest of the week. Oh, well. That's one of the joys of camping.

Day 18-21 - Jul 1-4

Days 18-21 -  Jul 1 thru Jul 4

We reached Denali National Park early this afternoon. What a beautiful, majestic place to be. However, we will be incommunicado for these next few days because there is no internet or cell phones in this area. The nearest source is at the entry to the park which is 13 miles from our campground. Our campground, Savage Creek, is the remotest that campers can have without making special arrangement. Lots of warnings about bears, containment of food, no feeding of any animals. etc. This is perhaps the most remote area we've camped thus far. There are other campers at Savage Creek, but we are not stacked right next to one another. A very pleasant site, but a little remote for Keith. He's gone into "bear watch" mode. The campground does have a community food shelter which is available to everyone. So overnight, we stick leftover food stuffs in there for safekeeping. Even something as simple as a toothbrush or chewing gum must be removed from our campsite..

Tomorrow  we are scheduled for a 6AM bus ride to the interior of the park, perhaps to see Mt. McKinley (if the weather's clear on the mountain) and any animals that may be out-and-about. It'll be an 8 hour trip. 

We don't have any other scheduled trips during our stay here, but will probably do a little hinting, if weather permits.

See you in a few days - with pictures. Have a Happy Fourth!

Day 17 - June 30

Day 17 - Jun 30 Fairbanks

This morning we went to Mass at the Sacred Heart Cathedral here in Fairbanks. Met Bishop Donald Kettler & his associate, Fr Clint Landry. There were about 300 attendees for Mass. We heard an inspiring homily about the Church's teaching on marriage (one man, one woman) and the need for all to witness to & uphold the values of the Church. 

This afternoon we did laundry (1 load) while we read our books. Then we went on an afternoon drive to look again for wildlife. We went further north of Fairbanks than yesterday and saw a portion of the oil pipeline which connects Prudhoe Bay with Valdez. Along the way we saw a lone adult cow moose. Later we saw a cow with her twin calves. They were a delight to watch.

This evening Keith took me to dinner at Pike's Landing on the Chena River. Delicious! The Alaskan King Crab bisque was the best! This was accompanied by a flat iron steak salad which was excellent as well.

Tonight we will clean house, so to speak, and take the initial steps to pack the car and trailer so we have less to do tomorrow morning, at which time we'll depart for Denali National Park. Hopefully, the fires will be further controlled and we'll not have any long delays waiting to pass the questionable areas.

Overall, it was a beautiful, quiet, relaxing day
. . .as every Sunday should be. Wish you were here.

Mountain man in the making. . . beard 3 weeks and growing,

Day 16 - Jun 29 -Chena Hot Springs

Today we left early for Chena Hot Springs - a somewhat local trip to a day spa. Chena has several attractions, including hot mineral baths, reindeer, camping sites, hotel rooms, massages, a restaurant, horseback riding, and other attractions located about 50 miles NE of Fairbanks. The ride there was along a beautiful, forested highway, and included numerous river/creek/stream crossings. All was very picturesque and awe-inspiring leading up to the facility. Along the way, we saw and photographed several moose in streams having breakfast. When we arrived at the hot springs, we drove around the site getting the lay of the land, and at one point we came car-to-muzzle with a young bull moose. I quickly snapped his portrait as he ambled into the woods. 

We did not partake of any activities at the hot springs, but did walk the grounds. It's a fully self-contained facility, generating their own electricity, water, and growing all the vegetation and florals that make their place so beautiful. The young people working there are hired for the summer and reside on site for the duration of their hire. 

Our return trip was mildly eventful. Not one to pass up the opportunity to look for wildlife, Keith decided to take a side-trip down a mostly-unused dirt road. Pot holes, ditches, rocks and dust were in abundance. The forested area he picked  had burned a year or so earlier, so the larger vegetation was charred. The undergrowth was green and brown. We traveled at less than a snails pace because Einstein sits so low to the ground he bottomed-out periodically. So, guess who got elected to move rocks and logs from the road, as necessary. What seemed like forever was only  0.7 mile ride in and out. And on the way out we met a truck coming in. The road was only big enough for Einstein!. The other driver politely pulled off the road and let us pass. (He and his family were going to their cabin six miles in on this unbelievable road!)

Sadly, as we approached Fairbanks, the smoke from the now 115 fires throughout the state had settled thickly over the city and surrounding hills, obliterating the mountains, and irritating eyes and throats. Apparently this is no big deal for the locals. They don't even report it on the news. And, it's almost impossible to find it on the intranet. We considered passing up Denali, because of the smoke in the area down there, but have decided to give it another day. Perhaps the winds will pick up overnight, or maybe it'll rain, which will help dissipate the smoke. If it's as smoky in Denali as it is here, there will be no seeing Mt. McKinley or most of the McKinley range because we can't see any mountains in Fairbanks. Heck, we can't even see down the road very far.

Pray for rain to put out the fires.