Alaska Adventures

Here we go again!

I'm going back to the United States for the first time in over 18 months! It's not to go home (we're still thousands of miles away), but to Alaska, so we can visit with my parents for a bit, enjoy nature and to escape the heat and humidity of Tokyo for almost three weeks.

Once again I'm stopped at security. What am I doing wrong??  (I think) this time it's because my travel umbrella is beside a metal luggage lock, and it looks suspicious on the monitor.  Of course, they have to empty out my entire (carefully) packed suitcase to get to it.  Steve had moved on to immigration before my stuff went through the x-ray, so he had to wait and wonder what the problem was. (He couldn't get back up from immigration because the escalator only goes one way.)  Ten minutes later, I'm finally able to join him. Luckily, everything else goes smoothly, at least until we're on the plane. 

Steve gets a good photo of the three men working on my seat.

We're waiting at the gate when I realize my seat won't recline.  After finding out Steve's chair works (so they haven't figured out how to lock the seats in the upright position before takeoff) I ask a flight attendant about it.  She checks it out, and it doesn't recline for her, either.  She calls maintenance to look at it.  I don't want to delay the flight, and apparently Delta feels the same way, because in two minutes they send three guys to examine it.  Five minutes later, it's all fixed.  Yes!  Now I'll have a comfortable nine hour flight.

We connect in Seattle, but unfortunately we have a short layover, so we don't have time to go into town.  I look for a Chick-fil-a or 5 Guys in our terminal, but there isn't one (I've already checked Alaska - none there, either).  I guess I'm just going to have to wait for my fast food fix. 

Once we're sitting on the plane to Anchorage, I have a great view out the window of the luggage being loaded - including five dogs in the cargo/checked bag section of the plane.  They're treated fine; no one is slamming the kennels around. 

Walmart, I've missed you!  It's much easier to find
what you need here than at a Don Quixote!

If you haven't been to the US in almost two years, where are your first stops?  Walmart and a quilt store, naturally!  I have to stock up on some items I need for the last few months in Tokyo (deodorant, Cocoa Pebles, etc).  I always say people are helpful in Japan, but they're really nice in the US, too. We can't find the Gatorade (the aisles are mislabeled) and another customer directs us to the correct spot, then asks if we're new in town. They must not get very many tourists in the Anchorage Walmart. 

Easy to reach in downtown Anchorage!

It's nice to be in a US quilt store with lots of batiks!  I still have a project or two to make from my previous trip to Alaska (six years ago) so I just buy a few fabrics I can't resist.

After traveling over 16 hours we have just enough energy for an early dinner at 49th State Brewery.  It's great to be able to read the entire menu - which is written by someone who speaks English as a first language!  Unfortunately, they don't have any dark beers (what kind of brewery is this??).  I go with an amber to accompany my halibut.  Steve enjoys the dunkelweizen with his loaded nachos.

Steve likes his beer!

My halibut - looks pretty!

We fall asleep early. It's my biggest time change since moving to Tokyo - 18 hours. I've been spoiled with traveling around Asia/Oceania, which normally is only a 1-2 hour difference. But going to sleep before 9:00pm means we wake up early and watch the sunrise.  You know it's early if you see the sunrise in Alaska in the summertime!

Anchorage sunrise

Today we're riding 4-wheelers in the back country.  We're picked up around 8:00am and driven about 45 minutes from Anchorage.  We're with one other couple, who are riding together in an ATV. 

The 4-wheelers and me!  I'm driving my own!

It's my first time on a 4-wheeler and our guide makes me a little nervous talking about roll overs and parts where there's "technical" driving.  It's also my first time to drive in almost 2 years!  But after trying it out on the practice track I feel comfortable.

Steve on his vehicle.  The waterproof pants & boots are good to wear!

It's great fun!  We're riding through forests and meadows towards Knik Glacier. We do have some adventurous parts. The first couple of hours it's pretty muddy, and we're in a 4-foot trench for a mile or so (about 8 feet wide with walls extending over our heads). Most of the time in the trench the 4-wheeler is tilted at a 45 degree angle.  Twice I have situations where I think it might be possible to tip over. We also go through quite a few water crossings. Sometimes I really push the throttle to make sure it doesn't float away.  

Not the trench, but a good example of how muddy it is!

One of the water crossings.  Steve is doing his Japanese pose, which is the same sign to indicate we're to go to 2-wheel drive.  Really??  In the middle of a river?  Luckily, I realize Steve is posing for the picture.

After driving for 25 miles (my thumb is sore from holding the throttle) we arrive at Knik Glacier.  Our guide, Brian, pulls out a table top grill and makes us salmon, cheese and corn quesadillas along with other goodies. A hot lunch is perfect after riding for a few hours. We take some photos and hop back on the 4-wheelers for the trip back. We go a different way, with more hills and through the mountain forest.  It's beautiful!  Too bad I can't take photos while driving. 

Steve talking with Brian over the remains of our lunch feast.

Fireweed at the glacier

Not a selfie

Kind of looks like a donkey.

While riding we see a moose in the woods. They're big!  Later, we find a baby moose lying on the path. We have to take the vehicles into the brush so we won't disturb him. It works, because he doesn't move! (And Mom doesn't show up to protect him.)   We've learned that moose is the "it" animal right now. That's all anyone mentions that they want to see.  Bears are passé, apparently.

After driving about 50 miles on the 4-wheelers, we return to Anchorage.  We decide to try out Glacier Brewery for dinner (it's appropriate, since we saw a glacier today).  They have dark beer (oatmeal stout), and it's good.  I eat Alaskan rockfish tonight....but it kind of looks similar to my halibut from the other brewery!

Steve enjoying his beer at the Glacier Brewery.

Do they share a chef with 49th State Brewery?

It's been a busy day!  We're both asleep before 9:00pm again....have to be ready for tomorrow's adventures!