Greetings from The Last Frontier!
We hope this recent blog post finds you well and enjoying the fall/start of winter, football season, and the beginning of the holidays…Happy Halloween!
Since our last entry many exciting things have happened...Ashley’s parents came for a visit, the Roaring Glacier got new tires, we got our first Alaskan snowfall and Clayton got hired at Enterprise (yahoo!!) So, we figured, what a great time for an update.
October 7th proved to be a very great day. It was a lovely Friday which we concluded at the airport waiting for Mr. and Mrs. B (Ashley’s parents) to get off the plane. We waited anxiously, somehow missed them coming out of the terminal, and finally found them at the baggage claim. What a great reunion! Not to mention, highly anticipated. We could not wait to show them this place…we were hoping they were ready for a week filled with nothing but great sights and such.
We spent the majority of Saturday driving around Anchorage, showing them the town, stopping at the City Diner for breakfast (Tim & Susi’s first exposure to reindeer sausage—Yum! Sorry Rudolph) running a few errands (they spoiled us rotten and bought us some great stuff for our apartment!), stopped by the Office Depot to watch Clayton in action, and visited Ashley’s school for a private tour. They were in awe of everything already and it was only their first day here. When Clayton got off work we ventured over to the Alaskan Heritage Native Center, a museum-like place filled with all you would want to know about the different tribes who live and have lived in Alaska. We visited the center on a great day as there was live music and dancing by some of the tribe members. It was wonderful to see them interacting and to learn about all of the different cultures with in the state. Outside of the museum are areas that they have created to simulate the living quarters of the tribes. Mrs. B and Ash enjoyed dancing in a tribal hut while and Mr. B and Clay made music on the drums made from many different parts of an animal. We saw authentic totem poles which were really cool. Everything the tribes use in the huts (weapons, clothing, musical instruments, etc) were laid out for us to admire. It was amazing to see how much they value nature and incorporate it into their lives. We were really happy to visit the center; it was a great way to introduce Alaska to our visitors. Now…off to explore!
Saturday night was spent at the one and only…The Moose’s Tooth! Our favorite place. After waiting for the usual hour for a table we were excited for a good meal. We spent the rest of the night visiting, eating pizza, and drinking yummy brew.
Sunday was without a doubt the most incredible day in Alaska yet. It was an early wake up but we knew it would be worth it. We walked down to our favorite morning eatery, Snow City, and enjoyed a delicious and filling meal (French toast, more reindeer sausage, and crab cake eggs benedict). After breakfast we got in the rental car and headed out to our destination, Seward, AK. Seward is located about 2 hours south of Anchorage and the drive down was incredible. The Seward Highway follows the coast so we had views of the mountains to our left and the coast to our right. Simply magnificent! Since we were out and about in the early morning, we enjoyed some beautiful fog which had its positives and negatives. It looks really cool in some of our pictures but the farther we got the less we could see. However, we were still able to see many amazing things! We pulled off numerous times to snap shots of the scenery. As we were winding our way around the mountains Ashley spotted with her eagle eye just that…a bald eagle! He was sitting fiercely and exquisitely in a birch tree next to a lake. Mr. B. slammed on the brakes and found a perfect spot to pull off and take some pictures. As we kept driving it seemed that the fog was getting more and more dense and we were getting nervous. The whole point in driving to Seward was to board a glacier tour boat and if this fog kept up we weren’t gonna see a thing! Luck was on our side and we pulled into Seward and there wasn’t a cloud in sight! It was beautiful! We couldn’t wait for the glacier tour.
After grabbing a hot coffee to keep our hands warm (it was chilly!) we boarded The Orca Song for a 3 hour tour of the Resurrection Bay and Thumb Cove in hopes of seeing both glaciers and wildlife. Apparently we picked the most perfect day to be out on the boat. As the captain kept saying, “Wow! You guys got really lucky, we haven’t seen a day like this in a while”. The sky was clear and the wildlife was out. We slowly cruised the bay and heard rumors that a young humpback whale was still hanging out in the area (very rare for this time of year, the rest of the pod was on its way south for the winter). As we cruised, our cameras were constantly in action capturing shots of the never ending water, the orange and yellow leaves in the mountain sides, and the glaciers sitting high towards the peaks of the mountains. 20 minutes into the tour we were already satisfied. The water was filled with bright pink and white jelly fish (something we weren’t expecting!), sea otters, and fish. Our captain pulled us into Thumb Cove and our anticipation to see the whale grew instantly. This is where they had seen him just the day before. After seeing a few birds, ducks, and more glaciers our captain decided to turn around and head out. Just then he came on the loud speaker saying, “I found a whale for you!” He had seen it blow air and he was going to hang out in this cove till we saw him. Our captain slowly moved towards where he saw the whale, turned the boat off, and told us to wait. Eventually he had to come up for air. But, humpbacks can also hold their breath for up to 45 minutes so we might be waiting a while. A few minutes later everyone on board of our ship was excited to see him blow air and flip his fluke! It was amazing, something none of us had ever seen. We ended up seeing him a couple more times. The rest of the tour was spent watching a big pack of sea lions sunbathe on a pile of rocks, seeing multiple bald eagles fly from tree to tree, and listening to the history of this area told to us by the captain. He told us all about an Army base which was located inside of a mountain along the Ressurection Bay…an adventure we can’t wait to take this summer. We meandered our way back to the dock entirely satisfied and happy. Up next was a yummy meal of fish and chips and a stop at Exit Glacier on our way out of town. The visit to Seward was perfect and everything we wanted it to be! By the time we got back to Anchorage we were exhausted but excited that we got so lucky to see so many beautiful things…and a humpback whale to boot!
Monday was spent doing many different things. Susi kept mentioning high hopes to see a moose…she will today! Again, the weather was outstanding. It was another perfectly clear day and the sun was keeping the city warm. Clayton had an early rise and shine to be at Office Depot by 4 am. Ashley took a personal day which should have been a sick day as she woke up feeling pretty cruddy. The extra sleep was nice and just what she needed. The parents ran a couple of errands that morning and came home with lots of souvenirs to bring home! When Clay came home from work we headed back south for the rest of the day. Not long after Clayton was home he shared the big news—he had just gotten a call from Enterprise! He was their newest hire. We were very excited for him…we must celebrate! We headed towards Girdwood (the ski town) and had a delicious meal of soup and grilled cheese before heading to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Most of the animals were out for us to see (a bugling elk, a couple baby moose, a hungry porcupine, sleeping bear cubs, lazy bison and our favorite-the show stopping grizzlies). As we approached the Grizzly exhibit we could only see their habitat. Fortunately, the last time we had gone there we had witnessed an employee of the center call the grizzlies out of their favorite nap time spot. Clayton got on the bench and did the same type of call shouting their names “Hugo, JP, Patron!” Sure enough, the full grown grizzlies stood up from behind the bushes and slowly walked right to us. It was great. They stood there ready to pose and paced back and forth for us to admire the beauty and strength they exhibit. We were glad to bring the folks to the center, they enjoyed seeing the animals that are native to Alaska and learn all about them and their role in the wild. To celebrate Clayton’s new job we ventured to the Glacier Brewhouse when we got back to Anchorage. This is one of our other favorite spots. It’s a quick walk from our apartment and their food and atmosphere is incredible. It was great to celebrate Clayton and his next adventure in Alaska while enjoying seafood chowder, jambalaya pasta, beer crafted right inside the restaurant, and a delicious Crème Brule. The day was great, but Mrs. B still hadn’t seen a moose in the wild.
Tuesday proved to be yet another perfectly clear day. We felt so lucky that the weather was hanging on! Speaking of lucky, Clayton had Tuesday off so he accompanied Tim and Susi up to Wasilla while Ashley went to an always interesting training for work J. Wasilla is home to the one and only Sarah Palin but that is just about the only exciting thing it has to offer. Gail, a wonderful woman who works at Ashley’s school gave the crew directions to get to the Palin residence, a favorite destination of Alaska tourists. Unfortunately they did not see much as she has built a fence around her home to deter tourists just like these. Oh well, a trip to Alaska wouldn’t be the same without a visit to Palin country. Plus, on the way up they got to see Thunderbird Falls, a beautiful waterfall tucked into the side of a mountainside. A quick hike in and there it was. Did they see a moose on the way to Wasilla? Nope, still no moose sighting. That night was spent making a homemade meal and just hanging out at home playing scrabble and visiting.
Wednesday was back to work for both Ash and Clay while Tim and Susi spent a fabulous time making their way to Talkeetna, a cozy mountain town a couple hours north of Anchorage. Again, not a cloud in the sky! Sunshine and blue skies proved to be the best way to experience Talkeetna. The cozy town is on the border of Denali National Park, home to Mt. McKinley. The clear skies permitted them to have an outstanding view of Mt. McKinley (who is usually hard to see. In fact, Ash and Clay had yet to see the big mountain until Mr. and Mrs. B came to town and we caught a glimpse from our balcony). Tim and Susi loved Talkeetna and the welcoming atmosphere and cute shops it had. They came back in town with just enough sunlight for Ash, Clay and Tim to get in a round at the favorite Frisbee golf course. Tim kicked Ash and Clay’s booties. Beginners luck. We were hoping to see a moose on the course somewhere but nope…no moose.
We came home from the frolf course ready for a moose hunt. We packed into the rental and made our way down to Kincaid Park, home to the largest moose population in Anchorage. The park spans 1400 acres and is a great way to get deep in the woods right in the middle of the city. We drove a little ways into the park and parked the car. It was dusky but we thought we might have a few minutes to get out on the trail and take a walk. Susi was not going to leave Anchorage until she saw a moose. Well, now that we were here in moose country, she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to see one. After reading the warning signs about moose and black bear that roamed the park we headed out for a quick walk. After walking for about 15 minutes we got to the top of a hill. We wanted to see a moose! However, we knew it was going to get dark fast and we did not want to be out here in the dark. With the moose. And the bears. So, we turned around to head back to the car. Susi screamed “oh my gosh! I just peed my pants” and that’s when it happened. A moose. Clayton grabbed Ashley’s arm, who had been walking backwards. We all stood there, actually Tim and Clayton stood there. Ashley quickly ran into the woods to get behind a tree (what you are supposed to do if you run into a moose) and Mrs. B ran around in circles panicking. Not only were we amongst a moose but a bull moose whose rack was about 50 inches! Ok ok ok, we knew we were semi safe because he was standing on the other side of the fence that separates Kincaid Park from the airport. But we spooked him, his hair was raised and he came right to the fence. Had the fence not been there we would have been in a lot of trouble. Needless to say it spooked us all. Tim, Clayton and Susi followed it along the fence line in hopes to get a picture while Ashley was screaming for everyone to head back to the car before the moose came through the fence. After attempting to get a snap shot Tim and Clayton realized the lighting was just not going to work and it probably was a good idea to get back to the car considering now that we knew a moose could be anywhere….We made it back to the car safely. Susi and Ashley were still shaking like leaves and we were all in awe of how big the moose was and how lucky we were that the airport put up the fence! On the way out of the park we ended up seeing 3 more large moose along the street side. The moose hunt was successful…and Mrs. B was satisfied. Ashley was traumatized…it will take a lot for her to visit Kincaid again.
Thursday was yet another day of work for Ash and Clay and another day of adventure for Tim and Susi…and yep—sunshine and blue skies! Tim and Susi spent the morning sleeping in and preparing for lunch bunch. Every Friday Ashley has lunch bunch with her students (time for them to come to her room with one friend and enjoy lunch and games with each other). However, this week Friday was a teacher in service so we switched lunch bunch to Thursday. The parents were kind enough to bring in a pizza party for all the kiddos and boy did they love it! Plus, it was a great opportunity for them to meet Ashley’s students. All of them came to lunch bunch, it was a great turn out and there wasn’t a piece of pizza to spare! Tim and Susi also got to meet a few of Ashley’s coworkers who were quick to ask all about their visit and hear the moose story! The rest of the day
Friday was a day packed full of great things! Mr. and Mrs. B visited a local hospital where they have a great display of Alaska native artwork and displays that they really enjoyed. After visiting the hospital they went back and picked Clayton up, who enjoyed his morning sleeping in. The three of them were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by and visit Ash at work who was busy typing up her first ever progress reports. While their visit they got to meet more of Ashley’s coworkers and see more of the school. Then, they left Ash to finish working and spent a couple hours touring the Anchorage cemetery which proved to be very informative as many historic people are buried there. When Ash came home from work we all got ready for the rest of the night, an Aces game! The Aces are the semi-professional ice hockey team and a local favorite. Since there are no pro teams in Anchorage the Aces have a great fan base. The game was great. The arena was packed full and the crowd cheered the team on with cow bells and all. The Aces proved why the won the championship last year with a double overtime shootout win against the Las Vegas Wranglers. Ash and Clay are already ready for the next chance to catch a game. It was a wonderful way to end the week.
Saturday was the last day to have the parents in town so we wanted to make it good. Clay had to head to work early but got off in time to enjoy the afternoon with the rest of us. While he was at work, Ash, Susi, and Tim headed up to Flat Top, the local’s favorite spot for a nice hike. We hiked a ways up and enjoyed all of the views-the ocean to the left, the city straight ahead, and the mountains to the left. It was a perfect way for our visitors to capture the “big picture” of Anchorage. When we got home we met Clayton and walked down to the Anchorage Museum, but not before stopping by our favorite coffee shop for a warm up. The clouds had finally come in and it was a chilly day. The museum proved to be the perfect place to enjoy a cloudy and cool day. We spent a few hours looking at art displays, enjoying reading more history about Anchorage, and admiring numerous artifacts from years past. A visit to the museum would not be complete without stopping by the kid zone where we enjoyed making giant bubbles and playing in the kinesthetic zone. We are all big kids at heart. Our afternoon was coming to an end and we were hungry. We thought that there couldn’t be a better last meal with our parents then some pizza from Moose Tooth. This time, we ordered it to go and enjoyed it at home while we watched a movie. Eventually it was the time we all were dreading…the departure back to Denver. Tim and Susi left for the airport late that night, around midnight, full of good pizza, great memories, and excellent stories to tell and pictures to show.
Having them here was one of the best weeks ever. It was so fun to show them our new home and take them to all of our favorite places. We both feel so lucky to enjoy time with them while seeing and experiencing more of Alaska. We are forever grateful that they came to visit and cannot wait for their next trip out…there is still so much for them to see! We love you both very much—thank you for EVERYTHING while you were here J
Since they have left Alaska we have missed them! We were quickly back in action and back to reality. Clayton has been to Seattle and back for Enterprise training and is already enjoying his new position. They assigned him to the downtown location which is great because it is close to home. We can carpool to work. We have been taking turns dropping each other off at work. His hours are long (7am-6pm) but the days go by fast as he works with a group of hilarious people who keep each other laughing all day long. Clayton is very excited for this job because it is a great company to work for and he gets to wear a suit while acting like an overdressed taxi driver.
Ashley is excited to have her first batch of progress reports in and parent conferences under her belt. She is looking at a very busy second quarter with a few IEP meetings and the hustle and bustle of data collection, lesson planning, and teaching!
The new tires we added to the Roaring Glacier could not have come at a better time as we woke up this weekend to our first Alaskan snowfall. It makes us very excited for winter and all of the fun things this town has to offer. The driving on the other hand is something we are not as excited about. Within 24 hours of the first storm there was 122 accidents in the city of Anchorage. Since moose are attracted to salt they do no de-icing of the roads which creates for some pretty awful conditions. Apparently a wreck with a moose would be worse than a wreck with out a moose!
The days are getting shorter…the sun usually doesn’t come up all the way till about 9:30 or 10 am and it goes back down around 6:30. It is weird indeed but if we stay as busy as we are lately we might not notice it much J
We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!
As always, thank you for keeping up with the blog. It is always a pleasure to share our adventure with you and we hope that as we get closer to summer that you have chance to come visit!! (Tickets for the summer are the cheapest they will be right now!)
Take care and we will update again soon!
Clay&Ash
Finally in Alaska!
There's a really weird spruce tree here that changes color in the fall...we thought it was awesome!
At the Alaska Heritage Center checkin out the huts.
What are they looking at you ask? A dead mouse. Eeek!
Our own totem pole.
I like to move it move it! Go Ms. B! Shake those tail feathers.
This is exactly how some of the natives live in areas of Alaska. It was amazing to see how they put these huts together.
A native tribe dancing inside the Heritage Center.
Still at the center, this is a skeleton of a really big whale, we never found out what kind it was.
But it was huge!
Our favorite place! We like the buffalo chicken pizza the best.
On the way to Seward. (not McKinley but another gorgeous mountain)
A fishin boat on in the Turnagain Arm is busy at work early Sunday morning.
Picture perfect.
Spotted from the highway!
Beautiful.
We were welcomed to Seward with a sunny sky! We loved it here.
Getting ready for the glacier tour!
Here we go. Can't wait to see more Alaska!
Who would have thought we would see a jelly fish? Not us ! They were everywhere.
There are 5 small white dots in this picture. Those would be dahl sheep. See if you can spot them!
A happy sea otter out for a morning swim.
And we are off!
Peaceful.
Glaciers from a far.
Notice the color of the water. There were waterfalls like this one all over the sides of the bay.
Another bald eagle!
I spy a glacier...
Coolest house ever. You have to take a boat to get to it, there is no other way.
A glacier up close!
Here
it
is! The baby humpback. AMAZING! The most incredible part of the trip.
These trees look like this because of the 1964 earthquake which covered them in salt water. Because of the effects of the salt water the trees died but still stand there today.
Famous 'pillow rock'. It really did look like pillows!
Hey guys! They were having a lazy day but looked like they were enjoying it.
Another otter out to play.
What a view!
Wow. One of our favorite pictures.
More lions hangin out.
Notice the rainbow rock. We like this one too!
<3
Fresh fish n chips. Halibut=delicious.
@ the conservation center, they were fightin!
Just woke up from a nap.
Caribou. They are very magestic.
A wise old owl.
This poor guy has a permanent home at the conservation center due to an injury to his wing.
Here they come! We think this one is Hugo.
JB
Clayton became the grizzly whisperer that day when he called them out from the bushes.
Yikes.
He looks so cuddly but we all know otherwise :)
Basking in the sunshine is an elderly moose.
What a great day, followed by a wonderful sunset.
Hiking to Thunderbird Falls.
Are we there?
Now we are!
The moose @ Kincaid Park. We swear its there.
Will we see another?
Yep! These things are HUGE!
A view of McKinley from the town of Talkeetna.
The Big One. Aka Denali. Aka Mt. McKinley.
Cute Talkeetna.
Yummy pizza for lunch.
Enough said.
This was takin by Tim early one morning after he dropped Ash off at school. Simply spectacular.
Susi the moose! She got to see a moose!
Friday night at the Aces game. Go Aces!
We ironically sat under the DU banner. DU is in UAA's hockey league. We can't wait to catch a game when they come to town in January.
Smiles all around. It was a great time!
They won in a shoot out!
A ship in the Inlet right outside of our apartment.
More pictures in part II!!
