Alaska...Part 2

I had been in Alaska for a month and we had only one snow. It was unseasonably warm still, with temperatures rarely reaching the low 20's. Flinnster and family were going for a drive down to get photos with Flat Sanley and invited me for a day of touring. Of course, I was game. We drove down Seward Highway, which is apparently the most dangerous road in the U.S. for winding curves and potential icey patches, rock slides and avalanches, and crazy drivers. I saw a cool area where spring water wells from the granite. Pure glacier water purified by thousands of years of filtering. Folks stop here and fill up their water bottles. Kind of neat. Beluga point had amazing views of the sound and we got a few pics. The days are getting shorter and shorter now ... losing about 3-5 minutes per day. We left around 130 in the afternoon. By 430, we had beautiful sunset views. 

The Musician came up the next weekend. He arrived Friday and Saturday, we flew to Fairbanks. It was dark when I arrived, so I didn't see the mountains coming in. I saw them leaving and they were spectacular. We flew over Denali, which was completely snow covered at the peaks. Landing in Fairbanks also had breathtaking views.  

Then it was a drive to Chena Hot Springs. This is supposed to be one of the best sites in the world for Northern Lights viewing. Cold and crisp and clear. The night before, the show was spectacular. 8 hours of dancing lights. We could hardly wait. Lights in hot springs.  Unfortunately, we had no luck. We woke up several times through the night and all we saw was a green hue in the distance. I never did see the lights. The best nights, I was working. And it was just never cold enough to get the clear nights. We did enjoy our time in the very hot natural springs. But, the gases ... OMG ... it is sulfer fed springs. We also had our tour of the ice sculpting museum. It was absolutely amazing what could be done with blocks of ice. You can sleep here ... if you don't mind the cold. They have 4 rooms for $600/night and they bring in piles of blankets for you. UMMM, no thanks? The Musician and I pretended to renew our vows at the wedding chapel. We sat at the bar and had our small, expensive, potent apple martini in our souvenir martini glass made of ice. UMMM ... can't really pack it with you, though. Still, have to do it once, right? 

Next morning, back to Fairbanks for the 12-hour train to Anchorage. 

We started in the dark and ended in the dark, but the views along the way were unbelievable. Mountains and rivers. Denali National Forest. Hurricane Bridge. We took hundreds of pictures along the way. Around every turn was another beautiful site that I just wanted to absorb and remember it all. They even had vegan pasta as an option for dinner. Yea!!

Unfortunately, for me, it's not all fun and games and I returned to work. The Musician also worked and made contacts to try to start some music programs at the VA and the PT/OT units at the military hospital.

On the days we had some time off, we tried to catch as much siteseeing as possible. Most of the tours run during the summer only, so we had to be creative. We heard there was an amazing display of Native works at the Alaska Native Medical Center. We weren't disappointed. In fact, we got an extra surprise. The day we went, they were having a special exhibit and craft sale. We watched native performers performing traditional music and dance. I don't mind free entertainment.

We also made the drive to Matanuska Glacier. This one is not receeding like many of the others. The drive itself was spectacular. We crossed Hatcher's Pass and had more breathtaking views. Might be nice to hike here one day. The park was closed and it was actually a little colder so we didn't take the short loop hike at the park.

Instead we drove to Long Rifle Lodge and enjoyed warm rhubarb pie and an awesome view of the glacier. The pie was so good, that I bought extra slices to take home for later. Pie alone is worth the trip. You can take a hike out onto the glacier, but the day was getting short already, so another time perhaps. You can also take a private 3-hour tour in an enclosed 4-wheeler if you schedule it far enough in advance. I considered trying to get a group together for one of my last weekends, but the weather just didn't hold.

On our wedding anniversary, it finally got COLD!!! At least by my standards ... in the teens. We drove up Skyline for a great view and then down to Eagle River Nature preserve for a hike.

By the end of the week, we  had SNOW!!! Finally. 

I wanted the Musician to see Turnagain Arm and the Seward Highway, so we headed that direction. It was dreary and cloud covered, but still beautiful. Just not the same views as last time. 

We thought about taking the lift at Aleyska, but they told us the views were all clouded in. Instead, we went further south to the Wildlife Conservation Center. It was hard to resist, but I did not pet the Caribou and Black Tailed Deer that poked their noses out at me. The poor eagle has been here since 1999 when he was rescued after being shot. He has only one wing, so he can't fly. I really like the rescue and conservation efforts they are doing. I can't remember when, but caribou and musk-ox population is expected to be reintroduced into the wild in 2015, I think. I hope the fox and lynx get more room and space. Maybe with rehabilitation, they can also be returned to the wild. I'm not sure of the plan, but that's my wish. 

We also saw a wild eagle near the black bear. Shouldn't he be hibernating? He was so cool to watch. For a good half-hour, he was pulling together grasses to make a nest right outside his cave. 

After the Musician returned home, it really was a whirlwind of long days and hard work. It was cold and it was getting time to start thinking about packing. I enjoyed time with my new friends and sometimes just enjoyed time looking at the beauty around me. I can't get enough of the frozen trees. Absolutely gorgeous!!!

I discoverd that JBER has a couple of rescued resident eagles. Notch and Jack can't fly anymore due to injuries ... sadly human inflicted. They have been here since the 1990s. People donate fresh fish and meat and volunteers care for them. They don't seem to pay any attention to people like me who try to get them to pose for pretty pictures.  

With the Chief and DD, I was introduced to Celtic Women performance. They were FANTASTIC!!! I highly recommend the show. WOW!!!

I even did something WAAAY out of my comfort zone. I was hungry and went to Middleway Cafe for a bite. The Colour's Tofu Stack is FREAKING AWESOME (A grilled patty of beets, carrots, zucchinis, and leeks coated with blue corn chips on a bed of home fries and ranchero sauce topped with blackened tofu, scallions, and vegan sour cream) The tables were all full, but there was a woman sitting at a table by the window by herself. Scary for me, but I asked if I could join her. I wish I had met her sooner. Such a really interesting woman. Not only is she in marketing for science types, she works additional as an improvisational comedian at Urban Yeti Improv and she used to have a recurring role on the original CSI. She invited me to a show, but alas, I am working that night. And leaving town in 2 days. It would be so very cool to have gone.

As my trip wound down, I thought I would point out some interesting Alaska signs.  These are just things that made me smile.

 This campground ... with the landfill AND correctional center. UMMM ... probably not my preferred campground spot.




The DFAC on post had this fun little sign. I took the Musician there to check it out. He saw this sign and said, "Look honey, they can't feed you." Isn't that sweet? Well, it turns out to be true. Not a single vegetarian, let alone vegan option in the entire place. Well, maybe lettuce at the salad bar. Even the vegetables on the hot bar were cooked with meat and butter. Sigh!!!

The roads and highways have lots of these signs. 

But alas, despite my best efforts, I didn't see any of these. Apparently, they do come by the hospital often, but I never saw them. 

Alas, the time came and went too quickly. I had a great time. It was good to be doing clinical work again instead of administrivia. My brain turned back on. I made great friends that will stick with me. I re-established old connections and friendships. I miss you all so much, and thanks for some of the parting gifts.

But, I'm glad to be warmer and have sunlight. During the time I was in Alaska, we lost over 5-hours/day of sunlight. I forgot what it looked like. I'm also happy to be home with the Musician and my pups.