Alaska the Great Land

Freezin' in Anchorage!

2012-01-28T11:24:00.004-09:00

This is the coldest January on record. Perhaps you think I've dropped this blog - well, I haven't. I just have a problem posting it, so I have several blogs sitting my my draft box. Well, it's okay because I have nothing to say except, "Br-r-r".

I will admit, it's beautiful looking out from my warm condo, but I've been running to and from my car, and wherever. Unlike most 'real Alaskans' I don't have a remote start, so it takes a mile or so to get warm. The other beautiful part of Alaska is watching the Aurora Borealis, which I'm including on my post for you to enjoy. There are some websites that actually show the movement of the beautiful colors, and there is even a hum - m - m that goes along with the view.

Activities do not stop altogether, as indoor sports mostly in the schools and 'the Dome' continue. The Dome is a big bubble next to, but separate from, the Crosspoint Church/Fellowship. It's really big, like 2 football fields, and the schools rent it a lot for the outdoor sports programs.

Like I said, it's just too cold to do anything, but then I'm a senior citizen. There were days when I actually liked it cold. But think of all the jobs that require being outdoors.

Christmas Season in Anchorage

2011-11-30T09:55:00.003-09:00

I have several drafts which will not post, so I'll try to update the October posting here, and if it does work, I'll tell you about our Christmas season, because there's a lot happening in Anchorage, and to me, personally, too!

Anchorage Welcomes Winter

2011-11-10T10:47:00.005-09:00

My posting at Hollowe'en didn't post -- trouble on the line, but it did in my wordpress blog (username is veracrews). I never did figure that one out, but here I am, back again, to tell you a little more about Anchorage . . . it’s so beautiful this time of year, especially if you’re inside looking out at the snow, but there are horrendous storms on the Western Coast of Alaska.

This doesn’t seem to have slowed down the social life of Anchorage. The Petroleum Club and other watering holes have a big football following, with huge monitors and several games going on at once. It’s hard to sip and socialize at the same time. . . but we try.

As a member of the Real Alaskans, we are planning a Hawaiian cruise for next May. It's open to others, of course, but the advantage of a group is the 'amenity points' given you, to be used for gaming, surfing internet, drinks, etc. If you are interested in this, go to my website veracrews.com and click on Real Alaskans for details. I really love cruising and I'm planning to go down the Amazon River next month. Whee! But it's always great to get back home.

The big Thanksgiving event of the year is approaching, as we are hosting our Great Alaska Shootout. This is a 4 day tournament of women’s and men’s basketball teams, with invites to college teams from the lower states. This was originally a great local idea for pre-season, with special dispensation from USAA, but has been copied by so many colleges that it’s hard to get the top teams anymore. But it still goes on with peripheral events that still draw crowds. The local competition is the Nutcracker Ballet, which is a first-class production. We do want to encourage you to come in the winter and enjoy the beautiful Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in a very black sky. This is an added bonus to your visit!

Hallowe'en Approaches Anchorage

2011-10-17T08:11:00.004-08:00

This beautiful image came from the daily news, so I can’t give credit, but I really like the setting . . . it’s almost time for Hallowe’en, and it’s a big deal in Anchorage. I guess dressing up gives us an alter personality for a short period. We’re watching the ‘termination dust’ coming down lower on the mountains, and soon we’ll be covered in white. We still change to studded tires around this time, and take all the plants (that we hope to winter over) indoors.

The Center for Performing Arts has a full schedule, with the Symphony and Opera, but the big performance this week is “Fiddler on the Roof”. It’s a tried and true musical, and we have a fresh look with a new director, Sam something, who gave us a talk about the goings on backstage in preparation. It’s a well-oiled machine that spends over a week in set-up and then they leave after the first performance!
The political scene is also quite active, and there are fund-raisers almost daily. . . and wildlife is still coming to downtown for foraging. So we continue to enjoy life in big A, as the snowbirds leave for the winter.
Sports of all kinds are going strong with the local high school, and the sports bars are thriving with the overlapping of baseball and football season. The NBA has been delayed this year, but there’s enough going on to fill in the blanks. Signing off for now.

It's a New World Out There

2011-10-05T14:11:00.001-08:00

Don't go away . . I'm really trying to update you on Alaska life, but it's not easy because I'm in Mexico and having to read the Anchorage Paper online. If you want me to tell you about Mexico, I'll wait until I can find some images to make reading more fun. Mostly, being here just supports my reasons for you all to come to Alaska to vacation. We have it all. The weather here is decent, but not sunny and warm as I expected. Shopping is okay, but I went the market today and didn't find prices any lower than elsewhere. I'm using the Mexican keyboard on this computer and can't find the At sign... Guess I can get into my curmudgeon stage of life. Later, Vera

Alaska State Fair and beyond!

2011-08-26T09:21:00.006-08:00

Could it be that time already? It seems time goes faster as we get older. So there goes summer of 2011, and it was a good one for Anchorage. We have been spared the hurricanes and tornadoes of the East Coast this year, and the weather has been a spotty pattern of sun and drizzle. That's good for our crops, and the State Fair will again be showing the results of the 23 1/2 hours of sunlight. Expect to see some BIG cabbages.

Note also that other smaller towns are vying for the attendance at fairs and farmer's market. One of the newer markets is the one in the parking lot of the famous "Chilkoot Charlies". They host weekly unique booths, plus the Mobile Mender (a lady who sits at sewing machine and does your repairs!)

Girdwood (that's Alyeska Resort town) has it's big Forest Fair in July, followed by Blueberry Fair, and this weekend is the Fungus fair. Along with costumes, you'll see mushrooms of all varieties (including the beautiful red ones that are poisonous) and taste the local delights.

Talkeetna has the Bachelor Auction and permits to climb Denali.

Homer had Creative Writing Workshops, many Art Galleries, and theatre, in addition to the expected water activities.

Seward has the big Silver Salmon Derby, and the image above shows an osprey fishing -- they are quick! Seward is also the jumping off place for cruise ships. Whittier has been added as a docking site for cruise ships, too, as it's closer to Anchorage, where you all want to go . . . don't you?

Fairbanks is the 'other' big city in Alaska, and has it's fairgrounds, and the great one-of-a-kind Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs (actually 60 miles each). The main campus of the University is there, and the campus equals many of the big guys in the lower states.

Now I don't know how I got on this quickie travelogue, but maybe it's because I'm going outside for a few weeks, and will miss all the things here. But just to keep you interested, I'm posting a few images, totally unrelated to my blog script!

The Dog Days of Summer 2010

2011-08-16T14:46:00.001-08:00

Summer Blogging in Anchorage

2011-08-01T10:39:00.006-08:00

If you're following my 'occasional' blogs, let it be known I've done more than what's published . . . somehow my last blog ended in cyberspace. I should take time to perfect these because I intend to solicit business for cruises and tours. I'm an occasional consultant for Why Not Travel, and just too busy socializing, I guess to pay too much attention to my webpage. However, I will say that I have a lot of scoop about traveling around Alaska, and can recommend good and bad trips. Also, I'm the president of the Alaska Council of Hostelling International, so I know the economy stops, too.

The thing about Alaska, tho', is that there are a lot of sad happenings, like outdoor activities. Surely, you wouldn't think an experienced pilot would have such a tragic weekend trip.

This picture shows the perfect family who were killed in a mid-air collision while flying to their cabin in the bush. I didn't know them, but couldn't help feel sad over this. Sure, I lost two friends last week, who were each being called in their time, and it didn't strike me as sad at this one.

The other dangers in Alaska is being attacked by bears. This could happen at any time, and even in populated areas, as they love our food goodies, even though they may have been thrown into the trash can.

I really didn't start out to sound so depressed today, but it's just the mood I'm in . .. Some good things are happening too around Anchorge. The Anchorage Bucs Baseball club is finished their season in the middle spot of the Alaska Baseball League. But some players have been called, or drafted into the majors, and the season is ending with fireworks and retirement ceremony for the 31-yr. founding father/manager of the Bucs. His successor will have big boots to fill. I have not even touched on the many great farmer's markets, fairs, block parties, and trade show and concerts, but we have all of the above . .. and too many tourists. The business people don't think so, but the locals kind-of avoid Fourth Avenue crowds in the summer. Gee, do I sound like the local curmudgeon. Not me, I love it here and am willing to share my hometown with you all, so come on up, and remember that I can be your inbound travel consultant!

A Great Summer in Anchorage

2011-07-13T21:45:00.006-08:00

If I Could Save Time in a Bottle (borrowed from Jim Croce), it would be the month of July. With the great weather, outdoors is the place to be. We have street fairs, bike rides and relays, running activities, and of course the Alaska Baseball League and American Legion provides nightly entertainment.
My favorite farmers market is the Spenard market, which is located in the parking lot of Chilkoot Charlie’s. The director brings in unusual things.

Last week featured raptors from the local Bird Treatment Center. Another unique booth is called “Mobile Menders”. This is a gal who has a sewing machine set up and does mending. It attracts both men and women, and she does very well.

Golf tournaments overlap each other and the big one – the Petroleum Club tournament – has over 400 golfers. Many former Alaskans choose to return this time of year to play and visit.
This doesn’t exclude going indoors for at least three live theatres. Cyranos has monthly plays, and this month is “The 2011 Putnam County Spelling Bee”. The title doesn’t reveal how funny a musical it is. Our local favorite, Whale Fat Follies, has also returned for a 6 week run, and it’s sold out every night. The Anchorage Community Theatre is showing “39 Steps” and Out North has a variety of plays by local writers.
So as for me, I put movies on the back burner until September when it starts getting darker, and darker. The Opera returns, and Symphony has the Champagne Pops open their season. The Concert Association has a full schedule, too, so you have a choice. It’s hard to ignore them all, but it’s possible.

Alaska! Why not . . . .

2011-06-11T19:17:00.004-08:00

The Grand Princess pays a visit!

It seems like I posted just yesterday, but here it is mid-June. Anchorage has been buzzing with summer excitement. Take today, for example. While I biked over to the Spenard Farmer's Market, and enjoyed all the booths, neighborhood friends, fresh produce and plants . . . at the same time, in midtown, 7200 women were running in the annual cancer benefit. Also, we had my club's annual picnic, and there's another big one this weekend in Wasilla at Snyder Park, a 40 acre parcel right downtown which was donated to the Pioneers of Alaska.

The other regular markets were open, of course, and the downtown streets are flooded with tourists. The two local baseball teams had games at Mulcahy Park, which really crowded the parking lot, which doubled as the take-off point for the women's run. Whew!

We have been blessed with sunny weather and this summer promises to be one of the memorable ones. One bummer for the locals is the installation of new parking meters - one per block where you simply insert your credit card. It's hard to swallow that one, expecially when downtown parking on the streets was free, and ample, just a few years ago. Putting in two-bits wasn't too bad for 60 minutes, than 30 minutes, then 12 minutes. Did you ever think you'd see the day when you used a credit card to park, and to pay for a fast food meal. Well, it's happened!

Another recent change is the docking of cruise ships. Whereas both Holland America Lines and Princess Cruises used to dock in Seward, well, that's over. Seward is a delight small town where you could spend a few hours looking around or visiting the Sea Life Center, and many art and craft shops. It's a pleasure to visit there anytime. However, now the cruise lines have built a new dock in Whittier, which is many miles closer to Anchorage, but it takes the same amount of time to reach Anchorage by boach or train.

This is because there is a huge mountain interrupting the only path to the Seward Highway. Several years ago, they built a one land railroad track thru the mountain, and if you were driving, you needed to put your car and/or boat on the train to get to Whittier. About 4 yrs. ago, they decided to pave this one lane, 3 mile tunnel, and you now take turns on direction to and from. I don't know what the price is for cars, but the coach I was on this week, where I visited the Island Princess, paid $125. I think it's free the other direction. But you wait inline not unlike the ferries out of Seattle, and you may or may not get to drive thru on your half hour, as there's way too much traffic.

These are just some of the changes of late, but we are definitely making a buck on 'travel'. Now, that's the editorial 'we'.

You know my baseball team is the Anchorage Bucs (dot-com) but they have yet to show their strength as the short season is just started. So give 'em a rah, rah, and see you later.

Here We Go, Anchorage

2011-05-19T14:46:00.004-08:00

Time flies when you're having fun. The tourists are arriving in Alaska via cruiseships, planes, and bicycles. Now don't laugh at that, they really do have many long distance bikers here, or coming here. This week, they had a 'fun' bike ride to Arctic Valley. See image above! This is a hill only a few miles from downtown, and it's all uphill. It's surrounded by military property. Did you know that the two military installations here have merged, and now it's called Elmendorf-Fort Richardson. Makes sense, doesn't it? At the crest of this Arctic Valley Mountain is two ski-areas. . .. on military, and the other is civilian.

It's a great place to learn to ski, and surely more affordable for families than our chic Alyeska Resort. But, in the spring it turns into a great place for hiking, or biking. Some bikers choose to commute to work

Weekends bring many benefit rides and rallies, plus farmer's markets and Tai Chi in the Park. But, there's a lot going on indoors, too. It's a nice time to Alaska, and the Visitor Guides can direct you to some form of your interest. Come on up and visit the Great State.

May Day - May Play

2011-05-03T12:47:00.004-08:00

It didn't take long to welcome in spring, and change our lifestyle. Yes, it's time to put away the snow boots, mittens, and skull caps, and bring out the flip-flops. And none too soon. I don't know how long our beautiful weather will last, but it's outdoor play for me. Our Hostel Council has set up for a bike ride on May 21st, and the Mayor has given up a proclamation staing just that. I hope the sun tunes in, and give us a beautiful day for the ride and ice-cream social following it.

There are bike races, footraces, and biatholons every weekend, it seems. And as for indoor sport, the ice hockey team, the Alaska Aces, is on it's way to winning the Kelly Cup again! The summer baseball season is also looking good, with it's first game coming in just a month!

As for indoor events, I would say that the graduation ceremonies of the 5 high schools in Anchorage takes the limelight. However, Blue Man Group is coming for a week. They send their own cleaning crew, both for the stage and the first few rows, which gets it's share of the flying 'stuff'.

If you've seen the show before, you'll understand. They even bring their own wash machines, I hear. So let's hope our beautiful Performing Arts Center looks the same after, as before.

As you may know, I'm a travel consultant, and I might just add that the cruisetours in Alaska, and partially Canada, are well worth the extra expense after you get off your cruise. Oh, yes, I book cruises too, but I want you to know that the interior of Alaska has a lot to offer, as does Dawson City, Canada,m so I am just mentioning that because I just set up a page for this blog - whynottravelalaska.blogspot.com -- read it when I get something up on it.

An Alaskan April

2011-04-18T16:34:00.003-08:00

None too soon, April is upon us and it has brought a much-needed respite from the long, cold winter. Don't get me wrong, as Anchorage is beautiful any time of year, but as I get older, it gets harder to accept the long, dark nights. However, it's all forgotten now. I guess it's obvious that I haven't finished my learning curve of this blog, because I just made an error. You see, I have returned to booking cruises and cruisetours with Why Not Travel and was trying to set up blog for them. Well, instead of doing that on her account, I did it on mine, and it's taking me forever to switch it over to her. So if this blog doesn't make sense, it's because my mind is elsewhere right now.

But I must tell you some of the things happening in Anchorage, because we have had a deluge of events. On a personal note, I gave a speech at the Liars Club (it's the truth) and we had a Kids Fair and Womens Fair and a grand opening - three big things this weekend. The opening was our War Museum, and they cordoned off Fourth Avenue to display military trucks, Hummers, etc. and had a festival type atmosphere inside. Evidently, Alaska is the last state to get a war museum, and there were veterans there from the last 4 wars. Am counting right? They all wore their dress uniforms, some unbuttoned. There were lots of walker, wheelchairs, etc. Some ladies did a line dance, and musicians continued the entertainment. . . we did it right!

On the ski scene, this is the last week for skiing at our Alyeska Resort and the slush cup in coming. I simply must get some images to post here for you next week. It's always a fun event. Even the tourists have started arriving, and it looks like it'll be a wonderfulsummer. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Alaska Welcomes Spring

2011-04-03T14:38:00.007-08:00

Each winter seems longer than the last. We are happy to welcome spring with the melting snow and melting dog's droppings, potholes, gray days (sometimes), weather above freezing, and dirty cars. Oh, this does sound so awful, but it's just knowing those sunny days are around the corner that keeps us loving Alaska.

I have considered this blog my travel blog, and now I have to announce that it truly is one. You see, I wrote an article on cruising that was published in our Alaska Women Speak Magazine, and reading it made me realize I love booking travel, both inbound and out. So I joined my two friends at Why Not Travel, and we are booking singles and groups with personal service.

I feel I'm a specialist in cruising since I've tried so many cruiselines and I can match a client to a cruise of his liking. So this page is to introduce me and ask for your business on your next holiday.

Just because I'm partial to cruising doesn't mean I ignore other options. Give us a try ... here's my page. Check back soon -- I promise to write more, and let you know why our travel web page is ready. You'll find some good information about Anchorage there!

Beware the Ides of March

2011-03-18T10:04:00.005-08:00

The gods are angry with Anchorage, too ... after doing their dirty deeds in New Zealand and Japan, they decided to not let Alaska out of this, and they continued their annual big dump of snow for St. Patricks Day. This did not deter the revelers, tho'. The corned beef and cabbage was abundant around town. Other activities have been squeezed in to finish off winter right!

One sad note is the death of a prominent doctor on the ski slopes on Mt. Alyeska last week. He was out for a playday with his son, and the ending was quite a surprise for all. It just should not be, but life goes on, sad to say. This is turning into a very sad blog, but there are some happy things happening around town, too . . . and we are following the Final Four. I'll try to find a more pleasant picture to post. How about the Iditarod poster by our local artist, Jon Van Zyle. Yes, the big race is over, and it was a good one.

Iditarod Time in Alaska

2011-03-08T06:30:00.004-09:00

This is the big finish for winter in Alaska. The crowds have increased each year for international interest in our dogsled race. As proof of the demise of winter, the temperature are going above freezing during day in Anchorage (altho' it's still below zero on much ofthe trail).

Fur Rendezvous also had a big year, from the opening fireworks display to the ice show, and personally, our magic show. All were quite successful and well attended. The Miners and Trappers Ball drew their usual crazies, and the rides on dogsleds on the Park Strip attracted many families. The Running of the Reindeer grow each year, and teams dress up to run the two blocks on Fourth Avenue with the critters.

Spring break in the schools has more students staying home as the red flag goes up on Mexican resorts, and especially border towns. The price of gas is always 30% more than in the lower states, and it a luxury just to drive to Alyeska Resort.

So I'll close with a promise to be more prompt in reporting all the fun we're having in Anchorage. My usual blog was delayed because of a new project I'm working on.

Anchorage Swings

2011-02-09T15:29:00.004-09:00

Well, the busy month of February is over . .. so I removed the ad for our magic show ... which, by the way, was a success. . . v

Calm January in Anchorage

2011-02-04T20:02:00.008-09:00

Unbelieveable, beautiful sunny weather in Anchorage while the rest of US is buried in snow, freezing, desperate. The image above is Madison, Wisconsin.

So why am I indoors on my computer . . . guess it's an addiction, but I have been outdoors plenty. This is SuperBowl weekend, and that's more indoor time for me, as our club has a big roast suckling pig, plus other attractions. But, if you have a minute for a laugh, try this link.

Well, now that this has turned into a comedy blog, I'll share another one that just cracked me up. I don't know who to credit on this one, but it was sent to me, to help determine the dog that's on meth. I don't know these dogs personally, but I think I was smart enough to figure it out. Can you?

Wild Winter in Anchorage

2011-01-23T17:09:00.004-09:00

If 'wild' and 'cold' go together, this is the winter of both. However, everytime I compare our winters with those back East, I think this is still the place to live. There was a period of time when the temperative did not rise above zero, but now it's a balmy fifteen degrees or so, and there are indoor and outdoor choices to fill your days. The ice sculptures in Town Square are quite beautiful and a stroll thru this park is a delight.

The University offers so much that you could be flitting back and forth between the Planetarium show at the Conoco-Phillips Science Building, Folk Festival in The Wendy Williamson Auditorium, Jazz Benefits at the Arts Building, and Sports events on both the campus and the Sullivan Arena.

Skiing dominates the outdoor sports, with downhill skiing at Alyeska Resort, which is 40 miles south of town, and cross country skiing at Kincaid Park being the dominent venus for these.

Plans are gearing up for the Fur Rendezvous celebration, which promises to the big lead-in weeks to the Iditarod Raes. So it won't be long until the long dark days are over and we will have survived another year of an Alaskan winter. It's still a good time to visit Anchorage before the big crowds of summer start arriving.

Anchorage Wild Winter

2011-01-03T09:51:00.004-09:00

The weather pattern in Anchorage is quite different from the rest of the state. While the northern area maintains its below zero weather, we are now in the plus numbers, and going thru the sloppy days. It's a pleasure after a few weeks of unbearable cold. I took the image above from our daily newpaper, and it's so close to my condo, I thought that this typifies our wild life.

This beautiful rack remains on this beautiful moose, but I'm ready to accept it anytime. I realize that he's going the wrong way on our one way thoroughfare, but he still gets right-of-way. I recently did some minor work on my car, so used a neighbor's heated garage, as my carport just wouldn't do. When I pulled out, I was greeted by a similar size moose, and I'm really afraid of them up close. . . with reason, but I won't go into that here!

While the moose feed off our our beautiful flowers and summer crops, there are plenty of berries to whet their appetite in the winter. The obviously like city life. But remember, they have right-of-way . . . oh, did I saw that before?

The new year brings with it a ray of hope for so many things. Forget the resolutions, as I refer to decisions made in the nation's capitol. This is not a poltical blog, so let's focus on visiting Alaska in the winter. The city hosted a "Fire and Ice" celebration for New Year's Eve. It also voted to allow fireworks from 9:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m., but, as expected, it caused a lot of concern, and especially was not kind to the pets. It really kept the police busy responding to the 'crazies', so they'll be changing law for sure next year. I will say, tho' that the very black sky enhanced the beauty and colors of the fireworks.

The calendar is filling up with the traditional events of winter, namely Fur Rendezvous, and sports events. These include many cross-country events at Kinkaid Park, and Alpine ski races at Alyeska Resort. The Concert Association has an assortment of programs, and they have school performances at the Center for Performing Arts throughout the winter. There is so much to do in greater Anchorage that we wonder how the snowbirds don't want to stay around. The tourist will like to visit in the winter and see what a 'real' winter looks like!

Winter Weather Winds Into Anchorage

2010-12-23T07:54:00.005-09:00

Our English language precludes pronouncing 'winds' with a long "i" or a short "i" but either way is appropriate for what we've had in Anchorage recently. Just because the temperature hits zero, or below zero, is no reason to stay home. Especially with all the Christmas parties and associated activities.

This year we had some added excitement with the winter solstice and solar eclipse happening the same night, and I was thrilled to watch the whole thing from indoors, of course. This image does not show the true sighting, but it's all I find.

Some diversions include producting pilot videos, and this image shows a friend's work on Living Wild~Alaska ... followed by this great meet-and-greet party. The venu is a new Mediterranean cage called The Grape Leaf. Midtown Anchorage has opened at least a dozen new restaurants in the recent years, which makes it hard to stay home for dinner.

Another 'fun' party was the annual Pioneers of Alaska Christma party, which was special because of the skit the gals performed doing Whoopi Goldberg's nuns chorus number. It's gonna be put on youtube, so check back because I'll surely post the address.

So, it's still a good time to visit Alaska, and our weather should not be a deterrent, as we are prepared, unlike so many cities in the lower states who are really having a challenging winter.

Christmas comes to Anchorage

2010-12-07T15:22:00.004-09:00

This tree was decorated by someone who obviously felt the spirit, and if you're driving into Anchorage, you'll see it along the highway. There are so many events coming along this month that sometimes they just overlap. . . the weather has been cooperating and we have just enough snow to make everything look Christmas-y. Between getting cards and letters out, it's time to decorate and cook goodies, and there's just a lot to do. I think our city has as nice a Christmas season as any other, and our Town Square is so beautiful with all blue lights, it makes you feel dreamy.

The First Friday Art Walk is always joyous, and this month, it includes the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Museum of Art and History. On a sadder note, the beautiful Steinway Piano Gallery just across the street is going out of business. Such an opportunity to buy a Steinway, which has never been equalled. That includes the Yamaha, which is a close second.

Sports events clutter the newspaper, with an eye on national sports, too. This is the time of year that some school events necessarily move to The Dome, which is a huge inflated building adjacent to a mega-church in the area of the airport.

Ah, me, which way to turn. But you can do everything, or nothing at all. Some evenings that is the best option. And so we look forward to another year in big A.

Alaska Weather Reigns

2010-11-23T06:47:00.003-09:00

I guess there's nothing new about the cold weather in November. It's too cold for snow, and the ice creates plenty of problems driving, walking, or biking. Yes, there are bikers in Anchorage thruout the winter, and I think they have studded tires on their wheels, too! This has closed schools and threatens attendance at the big events of Thanksgiving weekend, namely, the Great Alaska Shootout (basketball tournament at the University of Alaska Anchorage, with four women's teams, and 8 men's teams) and the Nutcracker Ballet. There are a heap of other offerings, such as bazaars everywhere, religious services, and the museum goes all out, with their beautiful Christmas tree and programs.

This is also a time for nostalgia, so if you want to reminisce about Old Anchorage, click here!

Catching up with Fall in Anchorage

2010-10-20T16:41:00.004-08:00

Time flies when you're having fun. Hallowe'en gives us the opportunity to dress up... or dress your pup. Well, that's not my cup of tea, but it happens, and you have to admit, this guy is kind of cute.

Fall in Anchorage is quite beautiful when you see scenes like these trumpeter swans. There remains a variety of wildlife within city limits, and that's another reason to visit Anchorage, any time of year. The shoulder season is becoming a popular place for corporate meetings and conventions, and the new Dena'ina Convention Center has become a premier venue for everything from circuses to trade shows, too.

On the sports scene, West High School just won the state championship in football, and our Aces Hockey team is coming on strong this year, after a disappointing last year. Of course, the sports bars in town are all thriving, too, and it's surprising to me how much interest there is in college sports, and pro-sports, too.

September fades away in Anchorage

2010-09-27T15:36:00.004-08:00

The beautiful weather waited until September this year. Warm sunny days, plus friends and fellowship. The tourist numbers may be down, but there is plenty of activity without them. The Pioneers of Alaska had their annual convention in Ketchikan this year, and the Anchorage Igloos were well represented.

We had a few windy days, which doesn't help on the golf course, unless you're going the right direction. However, the winds didn't compare to the hurricanes I experienced on my trip to San Antonio.

One of the recent delights on the campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage, is the new planetarium. Dr. Rector is the director who puts on shows every few weeks, and there is a great variety. Most recently, the Black Holes were shown and that is not my favorite part of the Solar System, but I guess I can accept that they do exist way out there.

The other ongoing events in September is the startup on the concert season with the Symphony back playing, together with the Sitka Music Series that comes to Anchorage at the same time. Also, the Concert Association has the big production of Mama Mia in October, plus a full schedule of other offerings. So September is the start of 'my' fiscal year, even without back to school activities. The football season is in full swing, and my club is back to Sunday football breakfasts . .. and Monday night, too . . . and more.

So, if you're thinking of visiting Anchorage, the shoulder season can be just as much fun as the busy summer. Come on up, and when you do, don't forget to get some of my Travel Insurance online.

Anchorage Summer Ends

2010-08-31T13:25:00.006-08:00

The Alaska State Fair is a sure sign that summer has come to an end. This summer has been memorable in some ways, namely, with the amount of rain that has fallen. That is most unusual for Anchorage, but the sun showed it's face a few times, and we were able to squeeze in outdoor activies, namely, the baseball season was a success, and the many golf tournaments, foot races, bike relays, hiking, and berry picking. The fishing season was spotty, and some lodges notified their regulars not to come this year. So the tourists are waning. Of course, the hunting season is just starting, and no way to predict how that will go.

In Anchorage, the public schools starts in the middle of August, which hasn't helped the mid-week attendence at the state fair, but the fair did start on time, with their usual big veggies, and minimal number of livestock. It's always fun, nevertheless, and opening day drew truant students, and lovers of all ages.

Another developing activity is an increasing number of Saturday Farmer's Markets. The original one downtown has become more of a flea market, with the farmer's produce for sale at four or more locations around town.

As autumn approaches, the calendar is out for the winter offerings. This always starts with the Champagne Pops concert, which the Symphony sells out regularly. Then comes the Concert Association programs, the Anchorage Community Theatre, and other groups. The Petroleum Club is starting their Football Sunday Brunches, with the Peanut Farm, Arctic Roadrunner, Moose's Tooth not far behind.

As the days get shorter, we also look forward to watching the Northern Lights play. I think they're out in the summer, but it's too light to see them. This is a good time to visit Anchorage, as it's not too cold yet, but there's still plenty to do . . . or not do.

Anchorage Sets Record

2010-08-16T16:09:00.002-08:00

Anchorage has set the dubious record of the most consecutive days of (measurable) rainfall in its history. This does not mean that we haven't seen the sunshine, and somedays, it appears that it will be a nice, sunny day. Wrong! Perhaps the skies are crying for all the sadness this month in the wake of several plane crashes. The most noted crash is one near Dillingham, where our long-time Senator - Ted Stevens - was killed, together with some fishing buddies and an experience pilot.

I'm sure you've all heard about this already, so I won't go into details. This is supposed to be a travel blog, of sorts, and encourage visits to Alaska. I will say that we've been able to do so many things thru this bad weather. The baseball teams did not have to cancel any games, as our new drain and dry ball field has enabled the games to continue.

Also golfing is going great, and we have a most successful cancer tournament in the rain, and just last week a Wacky Women tournament that I was lucky enough to draw a great team to play with. Other activities include a wonderful fish fry on a most sunny day, and a miracle that I had friends from Massachusetts visiting at the time that may have thought that it was sunny all the time here. I lied.

So closing out this blog a little early, as it's time for another funeral service. Please come back and check my blog for a happier one next time, I promise.

The Dog Days of Summer 2010

2010-08-02T13:18:00.004-08:00

Oh, my gosh. . . it's August already. As the summer is slipping away, I'm still waiting for some sunny weather. This would hardly be an 'inspirational travel blog' if we can't produce some sunshine, but on the plus side, it is cool, and pleasant most of the time. The sun appears just enough to tell you to hustle out and play 9 holes, because that's what I've been doing everytime I see the yellow ball up there.

I'm not playing much golf due to my new knees, but they seem to be working fine, and I will give a cheer for the local medical teams. The physical therapists help too. I am also close to West High School, where there's a super swimming pool.

The USAF hosted "Arctic Thunder" airshow this weekend, and we had both the USA team of Blue Devils and the Canadian team of Snow Devils. This was put on with a sad note, as earlier in the week, a C-19 with 4 men on board came down, but they went ahead and had the show, which is always quite thrilling.

The political scene is jumping with a fund raiser nightly for governor, lieutenant governor, and some propositions. Being non-political, I won't elaborate on this, but I will tell you that Anchorage keeps up with the lower states in such events as Socrates Cafe, which is facilitated weekly by a great guy, who draws more in each week.

The fish are biting, too . . . I have a freezer full, but all were given to me. I just found out the difference between flounder and halibut, as we had a big debate over this. They are both flatfish, but similarities end there, as flounder are smaller. They both have eyes on one side of their head, too.

So we're keeping plenty busy here, and note that I haven't mentional the too-many funerals, but that's part of life, too.

Summertime in Anchorage

2010-07-11T20:21:00.005-08:00

The days are flying by, and there is a heap of activity in Anchorage. The Alaska Baseball League continues it's short season, with the Anchorage Bucs and Anchorage Glacier Pilots meeting each other regularly, and now they are each on road trips to the Kenai, Matanuska Valley (Matsu) and Fairbanks.

Some of the Princess Cruise Lines are docking right downtown now. It's less than a mile to Fourth Avenue, which is the main street of town. Some would argue that Fifth Avenue is 'more main' but all the tee shirt shops line Fourth, and that would be an indicator, wouldn't it? The number of tourists is down this year, according to those that know, but it seems the streets are crowded with people from all over the world. There is a certain number that head directly for Denali (Mt. McKinley) or fishing lodges, and some just want to drive down to the Kenai Peninsula, thereby avoiding the crowds of Anchorage. There are festivals galore, like the Bear Paw Festival in Eagle River, the Forest Fair in Girdwood (this is Alyeska Resort), the Seward Derby, and Homer Fishing Derby, too. One attraction you might overlook is the Botanical Gardens, which has trails for an outstanding stroll, with a large variety of plants, shrubs, trees, art works.

The Alaska Golf Association is running the State Golf Tournament now, with many groups having private tournaments, including the big Petroleum Club tournament, which has over 400 entries.

Then there is an assortment bike races and foot races ... biathalons
and Special Olympics competitions. Of course, you can just visit and do none of these. Relax and have a cool drink on one of the great outdoor patios at the downtown restaurants that provide a wonderful view of Mt. Susitna to the West, McKinley to the North, and the Chugach Range to the East.

Come and check us out, and you'll see why we love living here.

Anchorage Celebrates the Fourth of July

2010-06-28T15:46:00.006-08:00

Pictured here is my friend who caught this halibut last week. . . he needed help landing it, as it overwhelmed him and the boat. It cut the day of fishing short, as there was no room for anything else in the boat. . . taking it back to shore, no scales to weigh it, but it was estimated to be 400 lbs. Kenai Peninsula is about a 4 hour drive from Anchorage, and most charters guarantee you a fish or two, like in the background, but not like this!!!

Our weather has not been cooperating in the morning, but by mid-day, the sun seems to find it's way, and baseball prevails in our six week season. I am speaking of the Alaska Baseball League, but August follows with the American Legion games.

Every weekend bring another bike rally or fun run, and the turnout is pretty heavy for all of them. It's become a great fund raiser for npo's and the Anchorge Bucs joined this method with success just last week, with the start of the 6k run from Mulcahy Field (our ball park).

Fourth Avenue is the main street of Anchorage, and tourists are filling up the too-narrow sidewalks daily. Most highlights are within walking distance of the Visitor Center, but there are free shuttles to the further venus, ie. Sourdough Mining Company (that's a restaurant) and the Heritage Center. This latter site has a very complete setup for the visitor to view all the Native tribes, as they've built a pond where you can walk around the circle and view huts and Eskimos doing crafts, wearing native dress, etc. Drumming is performed in the main hall, with different groups. My way to remember the names of the main tribes is the name of a former downtown store called Taheta, which is an acronym for Tlinket, Athabascan, Eskimo, Tenana, and Aleut.

As you journey out of Anchorage, you have a limited choice, as there are two main highways . . . one to exit on the Glenn Highway, and the second to head south on the Seward Highway. The Glenn Highway takes you to Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park and on to Fairbanks, or you can continue to Tok, and then to and thru Canada to the other part of USA. The Seward Highway takes you to Seward, obviously, or to Homer, which is the "End of the Road". The Alaska Railroad goes to both Fairbanks, and Seward, but the latter is perhaps my preference, as it doesn't follow the road, but takes you into the back country to see Spencer Glacier and other beautiful sights. So anyhow, I surely hope I haven't bored you with all this, but I can only assume the reader is not familiar with "My Alaska." Signing off for now.

Summer Solstice in Anchorage

2010-06-15T09:12:00.004-08:00

These are the beautiful days of summer, with daylight until almost midnight, and our 'crops' growing pretty swiftly. Personally, we have about 6 tomato plants with blossoms on them, so you'll see a happy gal here when we get to pick some tasty red babies.

Tourists abound, and Fourth Avenue is tee-shirt row once again. The bars and restaurants are doing a great business, and this summer, for the first time in several years, we have cruise ships arriving at the Port of Anchorage, within a mile of town.

Altho' I still don't go sleeveless, many locals do, and even jump in Goose Lake for a swim, but let's say the golf courses satisfy my appetite for outdoor activity. (I bike to an indoor pool at a high school nearby.) Our short baseball season is in full swing, and the Anchorage Bucs have two losses already in the Alaska Baseball League. Things will get better, as the players are still arriving from the lower states. We're hosting a relief pitcher, who is a Brett Favre look-alike.

Fishing season had a dubious start, because catch-and-release was the rule until today. Now anglers can keep king salmon less than 46 inches or more than 55 inches.

The Women's Run for Breast Cancer over the weekend drew over 7,000 runners and raised a health amount for the cause. I think it was over $100,000, if I remember what I read. Nope, I didn't run, or walk either. Slacker! Sorry I'm not posting a picture on this quickie blog, but I have a new program on my computer and I can't seem to save images to a file . .. just print them. Guess I should take some time on my learning curve.

June is Busting Out All Over Anchorage

2010-06-01T10:29:00.005-08:00

With the beautiful weather we've been having in Anchorage, it's easy to see why we will never leave our home state. This is the time of year when moose are birthing on our front lawns, and munching on the beautiful flowers and fauna. Also, baseball starts it's short season on the 6th. This year we have a quality field to compare with the major leagues. The American Legion sponsored this construction, which you can read about here. You can also read about the players and see the schedule for the Anchorage Bucs here.

Other outdoor activities include marathons and bike races, 5 and 10k charity walks, and farmer's markets on several locations. Recently, our famous Chilkoot Charlie's owners has donated his big parking lot for the Spenard Farmers Market, and it's been growing over the last few weeks.

Indoor activities are not left behind, and while the movies are not attracting their winter crowds, the restaurants are full up. This is mostly with the large tourist influx. We also had our first cruise ship arrive right downtown (1 mile north) for the first time in 25 yrs., with more sailings to come. Anchorage is large enough to absorb a few thousand extra bodies on the street. Fourth Avenue has become a Tee-Shirt and Sandals Row, hardly leaving room for the vagrants who have moved further east. This is my own observation, of course.

So it's time to cut my blog short, and hasten for a bike ride . . . check back.

A Ho-Hum Anchorage Spring

2010-05-15T11:34:00.006-08:00

This image of a Gulf Oil Rig (to clean up spill from ruptured oil tank offshore) appeared in the Anchorage Daily News, and my immediate reaction was that it was a 'steal' from our new statue outside our museum . .. I hope you've seen the earlier blog that showed the $550,000 sculpture of a man? or robot? or tinker toy? placed on the far corner of the Anchorage Museum Block. I'm still trying hard to accept it, but it doesn't work . . . not unlike the apparatus (above) that doesn't work either.

Another spring thing is the annual Strawberry festival for the residents of Pioneer [retirement] Home . . . always a nice event put on by the Pioneers of Alaska. We serve coffee, strawberry shortcake, and have some nice music of the ages (me). Also, there are 3 theatre productions and a choice of dance recitals this week, too!

Flags are at half staff all week for the passing of Gov. Wally Hickel, whom you may remember on a national basis for being Secretary of the Interior, under President Nixon. So many of the founders of the new Anchorage are leaving us, but rapidly being replaced by heirs and new arrivals. ('new' means in the last 50 years). If you are reading this from outside Alaska, you may not know that a newcomer here is called a 'cheechako', still. Many of the old traditions are fading. You don't see fur parkas around like the old days, and no one knows what a billikin is anymore - even the Billikin Lounge is closed. Businesses come and go, and one of my favorite stores to walk thru was Killer Designs. But I guess that was the problem . . . there are others like me who walk thru and don't buy.

Sometimes I drive by an empty lot that wasn't empty yesterday, and two of the recent disappearing buildings are the big house on the SE corner of 5th and L, that used to house doctors' offices, etc. and another building gone is a one story commercial building on F Street, south of 6th Avenue which perhaps was cleared to make parking for the new convention center. You see, the large parking garage that was built across the street is only for the State of Alaska employees. So no tax dollars coming in from there. Yes, careful planning is the key and the Assembly doesn't seem to mind things like - - - no parking built at the museum with the new multi-million addition. Oh, pardon me, I think I'm in a mood, so I'll cut this off here!

Spring Fever in Alaska

2010-05-10T08:56:00.006-08:00

This is the season we've been waiting for, as the long winter was getting us down. Alaskans are going every direction these days, with many choices. Even the golf courses are open now, altho' they are still using temporary greens until the turf takes hold. Speaking of grass, one of the 'biggies' is the new baseball field at Mulcahy park. This is a downtown site that is used by American Legion teams, high school teams, and the Alaska Baseball League. You can imagine it gets well worn over the short summer season, so it was well needed, but it is top quality plastic turf with a real dirt pitcher's mound. It was funded by grants to the American Legion, and even the dugouts and scoreboard are new.
You can see the construction in images that detail the work done over the last few months by clicking here.

The Museum has finally put up it's sculpture, which has turned out to be not unlike a robot. It's an example of the English getting even with us for the revolution.
This image shows the erection, and weight of this giant tinker toy, but I haven't heard one person speak positively about it. The Limey designer skipped town shortly after the opening toast ... which was the wise thing to do as he would have been lynched had he stayed. But then, it only cost us $550,000 plus, so what could we expect. The fellow in the red hard hat in this image is from our local company, SteelFab, and one of the 3 who put the plans together. He's a great guy, so I hope he doesn't have to be blamed.

TBA, a local theatre company at Alaska Pacific University is putting on a production of The Sound of Music, for 6 performances, and it is great. Somehow, they came up with the 7 Von Trapp children locally, who sang beautifully and outdid the great movie of years past. The costumes are also wonderful, and the set designed on a rotating circular stage were first-class. The pianist, a local elementary music teacher, carries the whole score admirably, too!

If you are a regular reader of my blogs, you know I'm not reporting everything that's happening around here. There's a fun run, women's run, or some run every weekend, plus bike races, trail walking, and skiing is waning. There are outdoor fairs, trade shows, soccer games, clean-up trail days, and the tourists are starting to clog Fourth Avenue, too. Whee! So why am I sitting indoors writing this. Whoosh, I'm gone!

Second Try for Spring in Anchorage

2010-04-21T16:30:00.004-08:00

Just when we thought it was really spring, Mother Nature gave us a few more showers of snow, but that's okay . . . we're really into spring now, and the sun is shining, and we're all busy doing spring cleaning. . . and planting . . . and sunning ourselves. Some of us have harder chores, like this image of Mike Miller and his large animals. He's done a great job with his Alaska collection of live animals, and it's a treat to visit his refuge between Girdwood and Portage. For those of you who don't know, that's about 40 miles south of Anchorage on the most scenic highway anywhere. But along with the beauty, there's a lot of traffic accidents, too . . . the cause can be attributed to speed, sightseeing, dozing, etc.

There's so much going on in Anchorage, it's hard to find time to visit Alyeska for the spring festival. The slush cup is not to be missed, and I hope to post some good shots of it after this weekend, for you. Skiers end their run by trying to ski over a pond of water about 30 ft. and most don't make it. .. it's pretty chilly to get dunked, but feeds to a cheering crowd. There other novelty races, all topped off by a super dinner at the Double Musky, a world-class restaurant. At the other end of the restaurant list is the ever popular Bake Shop with it's bottomless bowl of soup, and cinnamon rolls to die for.

Weekends mean trade shows in town, too, such as the Sportsman's Show, the Women's Show, etc., and with the new Dena'ina Center, we have a lavish convention hall to house these big events. (I like to pronounce this phonetically, but actually it's correct to say Dee-9-a, which is a native tribe) The University of Alaska Anchorage also has several jazz events, plays, speeches, etc., and it's only the impossible parking situation that keeps me, and others, from attending more. Their sports program has also accelerated, with the woman's teams being recognized nationally. I am speaking of basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics. ... . The men are hanging in there, but the hockey program is still struggling, and swimming was cut out when the feds told them they had to comply with women's offerings in equal amounts. I will be posting more pictures soon . . . just don't have time these days. ... but check back!

Spring Breakup in Anchorage?

2010-04-06T16:31:00.004-08:00

This is the scene downtown on Saturday night . .. the Glacier Brewpub is one of the most popular restaurants in town, and it is adjacent to Orso's Restaurant, also first-class. Between the two is a small indoor mall with a classy new shoe store called Shusz-Q. It just had it's big opening, and this is where the crowds are found. However, this image shows what a young gal with a pickup truck can do after a few drinks. Yep. She crashed it into the horse-drawn carriage parked outside. Fortunately, the horses escaped injury, but not some trauma, as the 130 yr. old restored carriage was totaled. . . not a typical night in old Anchor town.

This morning, we woke up to a treat. . . one more snowfall. I was pretty surprised, but then it's not unusual to get one last blast. It's warm enough now to almost melt completely when it hits the ground.

This is election day and I'm sticking to the addage of "Vote Early, vote often". I didn't really, but I know there are some of another political pursuasion that don't know you vote 'once'. Check back, and maybe I'll be posting prettier pictures.

Anchorage Symphony and Opera

2010-03-29T08:12:00.003-08:00

As spring arrives, the breakup leaves outdoor treks rather mushy, there are cultural opportunities indoors to lure the locals to acquire some cultural events. Namely, the past week brought the Symphony, highlighted by a quirky presentation of "An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise" by Peter Maxwell Davies, which ends with a bagpipe solo by Joe Albrech playing while walking down the left aisle. The Opera comes next weekend, and that is always a special event, too.

On a personal level, the winter ended with a trip to Florida, which made me again appreciate the positives of Alaska. We don't have traffic jams, altho' some refer to a backup of twenty cars a jam, and waiting thru two traffic lights. As for crowds, we have nothing like 'Downtown Disney". It took an hour to find a parking space in a huge parking lot, and walking down the strip was not unlike Christmas shopping. Lots to see and do, but I'm sure the reader will agree it's great to get away, but greater to get home.

Basketball season is about over now, in the local schools, and the Final Four nationally, and we have so many sports bars here that they're crowded out the former jazz joints. Sports are just more magnetic by comparison, and more profitable for the clubs.

This remains a good vacation destination, and a land of opportunity. Bring your laptop, because there's free wireless internet everywhere, and you'll stay in touch with the whole world! Don't forget to take out travel insurance because you just never know when Redoubt might 'blow' .

The Iditarod Race is On!

2010-03-12T10:22:00.006-09:00

The crowds brave the cold, and stand for hours waiting and watching every move!

. . .
The dogs are rarin' to go. Note the booties on their paws.

These are not the best photos of our Iditarod Race, and if you want to see the full leaderboard, goto HERE which will show you all the racers, and update them frequently. It's the big thing in Alaska this week, but I won't be following it, as I'm off to the lower states for some warm sunshine, and cruisin'. Of course, I'll be online along the way, which is an advantage of modern technology.

Other than that, winter is supposed to be winding down in Anchorage, but this morning it was in the single digits again, with promises of a warmer sun tomorrow. . . so check back, and subscribe to my blog, too!

Fur Rendezvous Continues!

2010-03-02T09:23:00.004-09:00

Things are pretty busy in Anchorage this week, but I managed to copy some pictures from the Anchorage Daily News, to post for you.

A fairly new event is the Running of the Reindeer, not unlike Pampalona's Bull Run. Now in it's third year, it's more popular than ever, and the runners wear some wild and crazy costumes for this two block race.

My personal interest has been the annual Pancake Feed by the Pioneers of Alaska, which is very popular, and our building is right on the parade route, too. It was pretty cold out there watching the parade, and many came in to our breakfast just to get warm, but we had over a thousand diners over these two days.

I especially liked the snow sculpture, entitled "Qasida," Aleut for "go fish," which tied for first place.

My other 'thing' is chaperoning the queen and princess of Fur Rondy, and I'm sorry I don't have an image of Jessica and Chelsey to post, but I'll try to get one for my next post. The Miners and Trappers Ball will be a good photo op, and this happens as the end of Fur Rendezvous and the start of the Iditarod, which now is a continuing event. So check back next week!

Mild and Wild Fur Rendezvous Time

2010-02-26T10:04:00.005-09:00

The Pioneers of Alaska choose the King and Queen Regents for Fur Rendezvous, and pictured above is the royalty from two years ago. The queen has been chosen, and I will post her image when I get a shot at her.

Our weather is really mild compared to the Eastern states this winter, and we've been blessed with a heap of snow for our Fur Rendezvous events. This event was originally set up to help us thru the winter, to prevent cabin fever, and sell fur pelts. However, it's changed over the years, until now they have replaced the big Monte Carlo Night with a Poker Turnament. This took lots of bargaining with state lottery laws. Also, the dog-sled races from Fourth Avenue lack any local hero, and takes second place to the Iditarod Races which follow the following week. It all opens with a big parade and fireworks display, and the list of events can be found online if you search Fur Rendezvous, as I am only writing the things that interest me. this would be the Pancake Feed, with the men Pioneers doing the cookin', and the women doing the rest of the work. The Miners and Trappers Ball continue to draw the masses with great costuming, and the Figure Skating Club puts on a wonderful show at the University Ice Rink. The Senior Center has Pioneer Stories from the long-timers together with a gourmet meal, and they have cribbage tournament, art show, etc. The melodrama also draws a sold-out crowd nightly, and the magic circle does a show at the library theatre.

At the same time, our eyes are on our local athletes and others representing USA at the Olympics. Pictured here is James Southam, who is entered in the cross country ski race. Our more publicized female in the race is Kikkan Randall, and sorry to say they didn't get any medals. However, we're proud of the many winners from our country. We are also blessed with being able to watch the Olympics at more reasonable hours than the Eastern states. It is quite overwhelming, but is taking a back burner to our Anchorage events.

I should mention that we more going on than just the Fur Rondy, as the Iron Dog races are on, too, somewhere up north of here. So there's lots of reasons to visit Alaska, and don't forget to get your Travel Insurance which you can read why buy, then apply! Online or call for help.

February Flags Anchorage

2010-02-15T19:04:00.004-09:00

On the downside of winter, things are oh, so busy, in Anchorage. The city has Fur Rendezvous competing with the Winter Olympics (on TV) for our attention. The coronation of the King and Queen Regent takes place first, followed by the queen and her court, the Reindeer Run, the Dogsled Races starting on Fourth Avenue, and of course, the big parade. With all the activities, sadness also has taken two of our well-known citizens.

First, we were sorry to lose Betti Cuddy, whose beautiful park was donated to the city, about two years ago, hidden behind the library in mid-town. It has a beautiful pond, and they even created a speed skating track for the athletes to practice their sport-of choice. A real jewel, and Betti leaves a wonderful family to carry on her community services.

Second, an avalanche took the life of the president of Alaska Conoco-Phillips and a companion he was snow-machining with in the beautiful mountains on the Kenai Peninsula. This oil company is the successor to Arco, who has been very generous in donating to the arts, and other non-profits in Alaska.

Our weather is mild, and we watch the weather reports of the Eastern states, and mid-West. What a horrible time they're going thru. I had to smile at the report that our congressional delegates reported for work-as-usual in Washington D.C., as it didn't seem that different from home. I guess they didn't stay the day. This just confirms what I've been saying . . . Alaska is a super-duper place to live!

The Beauty of Winter in Alaska

2010-01-26T16:31:00.004-09:00

This blog is turning into a photo album, but my good friend Shawneen, took this picture from the Kenai Peninsula and I think it's great . .. I never used to steer clear of the cold weather, but I have to admit, as I get older .. . hmmm, did I say that . .. I like to look out from indoors by the fireplace. January is the entry to the big political season, and also the forthcoming Fur Rendezvous, so I've been busy attending meet-and-greets of several friends running for office. I don't know why. . . but I won't get into political speeches here on my travel blog. So just enjoy this moose.

One of the treasures of the winter sky is the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. It's pretty hard to capture these in a photo, as they 'roll' and even the videos don't really show it well, but you get the idea. I have to remember to keep looking up because when I'm out that late at night, I usually duck my head and run indoors.

If you don't believe me, I'll post a map of the weather here. Remember, I'm in Anchorage, not Fairbanks.

Winter Beauty in Anchorge

2010-01-16T08:57:00.006-09:00

As winter peaks, and the days get longer, the traditional activites are in high gear. Most notable are the beautiful ice sculptures in our Town Square. This image by Rebecca Belcher was posted in the local paper, and captures the beauty of light refraction.

The beauty of Mt. Susitna, or the Sleeping Lady, remains throughout the year, and serves to remind me why I live in this beautiful state. (I only need a reminder when the temperature drops below zero).

With all the positives of Alaska, I would be remiss to not mention the sadness we all feel about the earthquake in Haiti last week. By comparison, our 1964 earthquake was minor, and less than a dozen lives were lost. Our prayers are with the people of Haiti, and the rescue teams, as they continue to search and sort. Maybe someday we will figure it all out, as that is the last place I would have thought the earth would open. So I close this week's blog with sadness.

Anchorage Welcomes New Decade

2010-01-04T09:36:00.007-09:00

Altho' I recognize that all cities change over the years, I don't think any have outdone Anchorage. One of our major couplets is the A-C Street one, but at the south end before the division, C Street has sprouted many new restaurants, hotels, and office buildings.

Hidden just south of our library is a back-40 park, named for the donor. Cuddy Park is delightful and here's a picture of their lake.

Another big magnet is Kinkaid Park, which is the original homestead of another family that donated this very large undeveloped area just south of ANC airport.

The many trails attract international cross-country ski competitions and the building hosts everything from political rallies to weddings. Since it is on a overlook to Cook Inlet, the view from the top of the hill is quite spectacular, and it is also the culmination of the 15-mile planet walk.

Now, if it's your pleasure to remain indoors where it's warmer, we do have an ice hockey team. The Anchorage Aces have had championship years, but this isn't one of them, as they are riding the longest losing streak ever, so we won't go into that.

This is NOT fishing season, but I couldn't resist posting this 35 lb. halibut that didn't make it thru the summer. The expression on his face tells it all.

Please understand that these images I'm posting on my blog are copied from our local newspaper, and I don't have any written permission to post them, so if this is my last blog, you'll know they got me. . . or I'll write from jail.

I still want to encourage you to plan to visit Alaska, and remember to take out some of my travel insurance before you leave! Need I display some more wildlife shots to show you why?

Chicken in Alaska

2009-12-21T16:12:00.005-09:00

That's me . . . it's just too cold to do anything outdoors, so I'm posting some other wildlife for the reader . . . these are pictures submitted by readers of our local skinny newspaper. I hope you enjoy them. . . many are taken right within Anchorage, as the winter brings out more wildlife into the city . . .to get food from our garbage and backpack.

These muskox were photographed by Ken Stenak in Shishmaref... isn't that a neat name!

How about this shot of a mallard hen at Taku Lake, taken by Danny Anctil.

Kinkaid Park is just south of ANC (airport code) and there sits a snowy owl taken by Scott Kendall.

Homer is on the Kenai Peninsula, sometimes called the End of the Road. The woman who used to feed the eagles died, and it's no longer allowed to feed them.

Corrine Johnson took this shot of the Wild Birds at Birch Lake - also near Anchorage.

That doesn't mean there isn't a lot going on in Anchorage, too. Come visit us as we share our wonderful environment. Christmas is as good a time as any. Our homes are beautifully decorated, and caroling is everywhere, too.

Housekeeping in Anchorage

2009-12-11T10:29:00.007-09:00

It's too cold to venture outside ... global cooling . . . so getting rid of some images here .. this first one is a watercolor of Gail Niebrugge, an artist friend of mine.

Next,we have a human replica of the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, this is too small to see that this is made of actual live people, standing in this formation. . . it would be too difficult to postwith enough pixels, but you can try to enlarge it, to see what I mean.

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and here's a magician to advertise our upcoming Magic Show - December 26 -29th . . . a flyer will be appearing on our Alaska Magic Circle page, when I get a minute to post it.

Like I say, come visit Alaska!

Eagle over Alaska

2009-12-08T16:03:00.004-09:00

I couldn't resist copying this beautiful shot by Bill Roth, as I sit indoors and stay warm. It's just kind of chilly out there, or as the weather man puts it . . . in the 'single digits'.

This is a shot of our beautiful fountain at the library. Of course, no water flows inthe winter because it's ice, but the colored spotlight on the structure is quite beautful. In the summer, the fountain does sprew water, but remember, we have daylight all the time, so it's hard to see the colors. The gal who spearheadd this project, thru "Friends of the Library" is gone now, but her daughter is the spitting image of her, in looks and personality, and I enjoy her friendship, as she's active in all walks of life, and unlke her mother, we share political beliefs. But this is a travel blog, so I won't elaborate on that one.

Br-r-r - Chilly in Anchorage

2009-12-05T20:03:00.003-09:00

You'd think that after 43 winters here, one would get used to the winter chills. Wrong ... it doesn't happen. There is a plus side to this, tho'.. . . hmmm, let me think. Well, when the snow falls, everything looks so clean and bright and white! It's wise to park your car in a covered area, as 6" of snow on the roof is really heavy to shovel off, and I empathize with my neighbors with driveways to clear. It's just the advantage of living in a condo.

As darkness falls before 4 p.m. now, activities increase and you'll find a wealth of bazaars, plays, concerts, symphony, x-c skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, indoor tennis, Sunday football and other events. With Christmas around the corner, we have several parties for the young ones, and of course, office parties for the not-young ones, who think they are.

The Pioneers of Alaska - Women's Igloo #4 - has a big one with 85 kids coming. I know the number because we wrapped that many present for them. The Petroleum Club, likewise, has a heap of children for their party, too, and the committee does a super job of picking presents to match the guests.

You really would enjoy seeing our winter, as well as the tourist-crowded summer, as we have a lot to do, or do NOTHING AT ALL!

Anchorage vs. Boston

2009-11-26T19:58:00.004-09:00

Well, I hope you missed my blog over the last few weeks. I could have posted from the Boston Library, where I was getting my email, but an hour was hardly time to sort thru the daily things. Okay, I should have carried my laptop, but no . . . it's nice to visit a big city, but nicer to get back to Alaska. People comment that the cost of getting here is just too much, but it won't be any less next year, I guarantee, so you should plan your visit now. Why come to Anchorage?
First, our weather is as good or better than Boston. It doesn't rain all day, ever. The traffic is never more than a two red light wait, and drivers are polite. Usually, they are! Unfortunately, the highway engineers have been tampering with a satisfactory highway network, by forcing in roundabouts, and making some 4 lane major arteries 3 lanes. They say it improves the flow, but this is only because many avoid those roads now, causing less traffic. There was a successful campaign by the businesses on Fireweed Lane (a major east-west mid-town street) to keep these city planners out of the area.

Now, comparing museums, I have to admit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is quite fabulous, and the $20 admission is acceptable, but there is a limited amount of time and energy to visit all the galleries in one visit. The Anchorage Museum of Fine Arts is also great, altho' quite a bit smaller, but adequate, and the $7 admission is more reasonable.

Restaurants abound in both cities, but overall, the prices in Boston are much higher. Anchorage boasts umpteen Mexican restaurants, and I didn't see any in Boston. The fast-food chains are in both places, and sidewalk cafes are inviting. Starbucks are found on most corners, it seemed, and shops between Copley Square and Arlington/Boston Commons are quite fancy. But Boston has no Nordstroms. How can that be! Anchorage has a downtown core with Nordie's and J.C. Penney's being the two major stores, and free parking at Penney's garage. Forget about parking in Boston -- it can be done if you want to pay $12/hr. Well, I don't.

Public transportation in Boston is pretty special. You can even take a subway to the airport (a shuttle takes you the last part right to your terminal) which is truly easier than turning in a rental car, or getting a lift there thru a toll-gate. Logan Airport is huge, and they've upgraded many restaurants and shops since 9-11, I understand. However, Anchorage has upgraded their airport, too, and it's easy/free access. . .but there's no public transportation to get there.

There are many educational colleges there. Northeastern Univ. just dropped their football program, but there's Harvard right across the River and many smaller colleges. On the music scene, you have Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory, and other smaller schools. In Anchorage, you have ME! Yes, I teach piano, but we have the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) and Alaska Pacific University. . . and Charter College completes the diversity of offerings.

The sports scene at this time of year focuses on skiing, and Anchorage has Mt. Alyeska Resort, which is one of the best anywhere, and only an hour's drive away. Boston offers trains to Conway, N.H. and other ski resorts in N.H. and Vermont. The cost is prohibitive and unlikely that most can afford such luxury, whereas in Anchorage/Alyeska, ski bums have it good, with a hostel nearby the mountain, and reasonable prices for lift tickets and food.

I guess you can say I'm hooked on Alaska, for so many reasons. We even have our own history, altho' different from the elitists of New England. What can compare to the gold miners, and early settlers in Matanuska Valley. They have a story to tell, and it is just as colorful, in a different way.

So I guess the bottom line is that Alaska is a great place to visit, and even greater to live here. Come and see for yourself.

Living in Anchorage

2009-11-07T11:38:00.004-09:00

It just happened a minute ago. I went downtown Saturday morning to help decorate tables for our Harvest Dinner tomorrow. . . then was dragging home (actually a 2 mile drive) down a main couplet when big ole mama moose and her darling yearling (also big) decided to cross the road right in front of me. Lucky I was alert enough to slam on my brakes and watch their nimble steps across C Street. I didn't have time to get my cell phone out for a picture, but thought I'd post this old one anyhow to give you an idea of their size. A friend of mine hit one a few years ago and it totaled his car. Also he was reprimanded by Forest Service, and had to fill out forms to show it wasn't his fault that the moose ran out from the woods into his car. Yes, they have right of way, as do bears and other wildlife.

I don't remember any November in the past 43 years since I came, that didn't have snow. We're having a long autumn season, and it's all right with me. There are so many events going on, it's just hard to keep up. The First Friday Art Walk is always pretty special, and this month the Museum of Art and History is featuring a friend from Fairbanks, Sandy Gillespie. We have a huge new addition built on the west side of the original museum, that is quite overwhelming. It was designed by some famous architects in U.K., named Chittendon, or something like that. Well, if this were a proper blog, I'd look it up, but I'm just chatting here. In addition to this, this weekend's events include (but are not limited to) a Book Sale at the Library, Silver Tea at the American Legion, Gift Bazaar at the new Dena'ina Center, installation of new pastor at our church, Heritage Center Dances, and more.

On the sports scene, the football season at the high schools is winding down now, but the indoor programs at the schools are in full swing -- wrestling, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, etc. Sunday morning and evening has the NFL games in many bars, and clubs, and since Alaska timeis 4 hours earlier than East Coast time, it's easy to stay awake until the end of the game.

So, let me again tell you that Alaska is a great place to visit year round. Don't think that because you entered on a cruise ship and left the next day that you're seen Alaska. There's much more. One of the best tours I ever took was an extension of an Alaska cruise that took us to Fairbanks, Chicken, Eagle, Dawson, Whitehorse, Skagway and Juneau. . . and don't forget to buy travel insurance when you come here, there, and everywhere. See my webpage for info and app!

University of Alaska Anchorage

2009-10-26T20:22:00.005-08:00

This is the newest building at the University of Alaska Anchorage, compliments of ConocoPhillips, and formally named the Integrated Science Building (CPISB). Recently opened this fall, it is eco-friendly, with State-of-the-Art construction, dedicated to similar instruction, research, and interdisciplinary science.

The public was invited to the opening program, and were overwhelmed by this 120,000-square-foot facility. In addition to the three modules, or wings, adjacent to the glass atrium is a 64-seat digital planetarium, with a 33 foot dome that projects a seamless image over the entire dome surface, with a sound system to match.

ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. pledged $15 million to support science and engineering programs at UAA, and it was named in honor of the generous oil company. Over the years, the University has become a real showpiece. My blog a few months ago talks about the Foucault Pendulum at the beautiful new library, which is the closest building to this science building, and the arts building houses three theatres that have a vibrant arts season. I don't know what's coming next, but each new building is exciting to visit for the public, and inspirational to the student.

Alaska Native Convention

2009-10-24T11:00:00.005-08:00

Anchorage is hosting the annual Federation of Natives Convention this week, headquartered at the Dena'ina* Convention Center. These beautiful ladies, pictured above are Alissa Joseph of Delta, and Alice Oksoktaruk, from McGrath. They are wearing Parkas and headpieces, handcrafted by natives. These skills have been passed down thru the years, and during the year, it is a treat to visit the Native Hospital and browse thru their gift shop. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art also has a fine collection, but of course, they are not for sale. For the readers who are interested in native culture, goto ADN news. I also suggest googling Alaska Natives, as I would do as, I am not privy to their meetings either. I will add they are a boon to the municipality's economy, too.
*Footnote: the pronounciation of Dena'ina appears to be "Deena-eena", which I love the sound of, but it's wrong! Correctly, you would say "Dee-9-a" . . . this is beautiful convention center about 2 years old now, that most of us voted against, but now that it's here, we are happy to have it, and have changed our vote. It has made the downtown area user friendly, as they have also put in heated sidewalks to connect it with the Center for Performing Arts. A new parking garage, and lot helps, too, so locals are encouraged to go downtown again.

I just had to include another image taken from our local paper, the Anchorage Daily News, as this whale hunt shows the real Alaska, and part of the subsistance of the natives.

Winter Wildlife in Anchorage

2009-10-13T08:13:00.003-08:00

It's not winter yet. . . in fact, it remains more like summer here, as it's still warm and sunny in Anchorage, which is most unusual. . . especially, watching weather reports on the lower states that show early snowfall in several states. The city visitors include the bears, out of hibernation, moose, and other smaller critter. My friend took this shot, and the subjects never even noticed!

Indoor sports have filled the calendar, with football games on TV more than Monday Night football, and we just had our annual fall cribbage tournament. I did finish respectably this year, but it's a long way to the top. Ah, but you don't want to hear news of my personal life, so I look to events to attract the tourist.

We have a very active theatre season. The main series are offered by the Anchorage Concert Association, the Anchorage Symphony, and the Anchorage Opera. There are a multitude of local productions by the Out North Theatre, Anchorage Community Theatre, Alaska Dance Company (their recital is called Mobius), Alaska Magic Circle, and more. . . fairs and shows are almost weekly at the Sullivan Arena, and now, at the new Dean'ina Center, and these include the Sports Show, Women's Show, Made in Alaska Show, Holiday Bazaar, etc.
The University of Alaska Anchorage also has a full schedule of sports teams (everything but football) and the schools have a full program that does include football.

There's much more going on that what I'm writing here, and I'll review our sports programs in a coming blog. You just have to view our Coastal Trail to see the popularity of running, walking, etc. and the destination 15 miles south if often Kinkaid Park, which was a former homestead just south of the airport, and right on the Inlet. It's a great site, and attracts national athletes to races year round. This is a great place to visit, and I'm sorry that so many visitors arrive from their cruises, fishing lodges, etc., and leave the city of Anchorage the next day.

Anchorage Grows Up

2009-10-01T10:25:00.004-08:00

The most visible event in Anchorage this month has been The Lion King. It is a super big production, and received only good reviews.

Autumn has taken over the summer scene, and termination dust has creeped down the mountain range to the east of town. (For newbies, this means snow) Golf season, fishing, etc. have given way to hunting, football (both High School and our Wild semi-pro team), and soccer. This year we have The Dome so the schools rent space for their sports activities.

Through the years, we have added most franchises from the lower states, ie. Walgreens, Target, Kohl's, TGIFridays, Golden Corral, Appleby's, Outback, etc. and some of us are anxious for the Olive Garden to come. But for the most part, we have just about everything we want and downtown Anchorage is more accessible than most cities' downtowns.

So Anchorage is still a good place to visit, even in the fall, and all of Alaska extends greetings to our visitors.

Early Autumn in Anchorage

2009-09-14T12:43:00.005-08:00

I had planned on writing about our State Fair, but somehow just never got around to it. .. it was unique in that the long daylight hours and more sunshine than ever produced some record breaking vegetables. I think both cabbage and pumpkins broke the world record in their size. I attended a "Fungus Fair" in Girdwood last week, also, and some of the mountain men brought in wild mushrooms, which were about 15" in circumference, and about a foot high, too. I didn't eat any of these, as I guess they passed the tasty size, but did enjoy other treats and the live band playing in a large tent set up outside the courtyard of the beautiful Alyeska Prince Hotel.

Among the many friends who visited at our table was the doctor, who inserted my new knees. The funny part of this is that I called, "Hey, Tim" to him when he was passing, and I would never even dream of calling "MY" doctor by his first name, especially since he's half my age, too! But the funny coincidence is that the girl we were visiting is his accountant, and she's a looker, so he was happy to visit with us. We did stayed overnight at her lovely home, and returned to Anchorage Sunday morning in time for church.

Now if you view the mountain range east of Anchorage, you will see 'termination dust' each morning, and it won't be long until "it" reaches town. Yes, this means snow. The colors of fall are just beautiful, and summer activities have been replaced by club meetings, concert series, opera, etc. My freezer is full of silver salmon, summer fruit and berries, and we will survive the long winter with pot lucks at the American Legion, Pioneers of Alaska, etc. The Petroleum Club has started their Sunday football breakfasts and Monday night football, so here we go!!!

Hostelling in Alaska

2009-08-29T13:40:00.009-08:00

Alaska now has two members of Hostelling International. The downtown Anchorage one has been open two years, and just this past week, there was an official opening at the Girdwood Hostel in Old Girdwood. This is the village localed 40 miles south of Anchorage, and butts the great ski slopes of Mt. Alyeska.

It was billed as an 'ice cream social', as you can tell from the pictures here, taken by our board member, Patty, who loves snapping candid shots. Any time is a good time to visit, but I prefer right now, as our summers are just beautiful, and this year was one of the best.

The State Fair has started, so check back to my blog and I'll send some shots of it, plus some trivia.

Summer wanes in Anchorage

2009-08-19T10:56:00.003-08:00

Our beautiful summer weather has been interrupted with showers, but the sun usually wins out by evening, and we continue to enjoy this exception year. I had to share this great shot of an eagle someone - unnamed - sent to our local paper. We do see eagles in downtown Anchorage as well as their nests in the many parks around, but outside of Anchorage remains the best place to view wildlife. Just a few miles at the south end of town, there is a viewing platform in Rabbit Creek area, and it's a good stopping point for visitors.

My grandaughter is visiting and she went horseback riding Sunday with a good friend. I didn't realize we have so many horse stables around the city. I only knew of one by our zoo, and another within a miles of that, so this was a new experience for me to see these stables right by many trails, and the popularity of riding remains in Anchorage. Yes, even in the winter months.

The town is abuzz with the State Fair coming to Palmer next week. This is about a half hour's drive from Anchorage, and draws lots of visitors every year. The fruit and vegetables of that area were for sale at the Anchorage Saturday Market, but the market has been taken over by food and souvenir booths, so the veggie markets have moved to other locations around town. The big cabbages and award winners are seen at the State Fair, tho'.

The Dog Days of Summer Hit Anchorage

2009-08-03T09:52:00.003-08:00

The baseball season ends today for Anchorage Bucs and the other 5 teams in the Alaska Baseball League. We didn't win, but had a good season, weatherwise and attendance-wise. Now, we can look forward to the rains, because that happens around here in August!

Friends visiting from Texas flew out to King Salmon, and loved it all, but it was all catch-and-release. My Texan friend refers to this as the same they do to prisoners. However, they did not return empty handed, because they visited the 10th and M lockers and bought fish to take home. . . consider the cost was like $100/lb. or more. But all the visitors who come to Alaska seem awed by the different lifestyle, and surroundings. We took a trip on the tram at Mt. Alyeska, which was very impressive, together with the beautiful 40-mile drive to get there, and back.

Seems the big question that tourists ask when they arrive is, "Where's Sarah?" . . . well, she's around, and in fact gave a speech last night to the local NRA group. She's a sharpshooter all right, and pretty visible around town, even tho' she's not the governor any longer.
First Fridays each month bring out the art lovers, who can tour the many galleries around town. Also the museum hosts a great jazz trio, which used to play there weekly. The American Legion had a great barbecue, complimentary one! Golf tournaments abound, and it's a great money raiser for the npo's.
Yes, lots of action around Anchorage, so plan your visit as soon as possible.

Wild About Anchorage

2009-07-14T10:15:00.005-08:00

This is a summer to remember for sure. The weather has been perfect. Activities abound, and my personal recovery from double knee replacement is almost complete. However, I read in local news that the tourist business is down, and those that are here are spending less. Downtown appears to be pretty crowded with these tourists, and all the restaurants have waiting only during the dinner hour, so who's to really know the stats.

The baseball season is half over, and the Anchorage Bucs, my team, is near the to of the Alaska Baseball League. Today is Bastille Day, and the traditional show at Jens Restaurant is sure to draw a crowd as always.

The big Petroleum Club golf tournament finishes the week . . . the field draws over 400 golfers, and their charity remains the First Tee Program. . . there's always plenty of partying as the club hosts the players, volunteers and guests to a steak dinner under a triple tent on the grounds behind the club, and dancing indoors.

Anchorage knows how to throw a party, and this could be called party week by me, anyhow, as I'm going to test my new knees and try to get to all of the above.

Those who chose to leave the big city often head to Spencer Glacier, which is accessible by train only. It's a beautiful place, and rafting and kayaking are popular there. This is midway between Anchorage and Seward, and the route is much more beautiful than the drive, altho' I will say the road has been improved and you can reach Seward (from Anchorage) in two hours now.

Plan your trip to visit us soon!

Fireworks in Anchorage

2009-07-04T08:54:00.003-08:00

This is the Fourth of July, so the apt title. My blogs have been minimal this month since I'm recovering from double knee surgery, and no one wants to hear about 'pain' . .. in fact, every time I mention it, the reply is, "Well, you elected to do it" and I'm suffering in silence. The bright side is that my neighbor/caregiver/friend has brightened my condo, deck, and rooftop patio with flowers galore and the image above is one of the "Salmon on Parade" from downtown. You see, each summer Anchorage displays like salmon with themes around the downtown area so the tourists, and locals too, can follow the map to see them displayed, and at the end of the summer there's a big charity auction to spread them around. This is just one of the joys of walking around downtown Anchorage, as they have music concerts, fairs, markets, and constant activity. The restaurants are abundant, and they're all crowded, it seems. I have my favorites, but you can't go wrong just walking into one blindfolded. The 'downtown' salmon fishing in Ship Creek just ended, but they pulled some big ones out of there, and it's faster, easier, cheaper than traveling to the many lodges scattered throughout the state. This is also the time for baseball and tonight's fireworks follow the double header between the two local teams, the Anchorage Bucs and the Glacier Pilots. So come on down and visit us.

Summertime in Alaska

2009-06-19T16:21:00.004-08:00

Although it's not officially summer, this is it. The weather has been so beautiful of late, and it's particularly enjoyed as the writer is recovering from double knee transplant surgery. Walking up and down the halls of my condo in the sunshine is a sure cure for any aches and pains left . .. and believe me, I had plenty. Now I feel mostly recovered and glad to have it over.
The tourists abound, even tho' the numbers are down. Fishing is so good, they're raised the limits on your catch most places. The two local baseball teams, the Anchorage Bucs and Glacier Pilots, are at it again, with the 4 other teams of the Alaska Baseball League, and the visiting players are strong.
This is a great time to visit the great state, so come on down!

Anchorage Hosts Bearded Men

2009-05-22T12:59:00.006-08:00

Anchorage is hosting the international beard contest tomorrow, and all around town today there are these bearded guys from the whole world struttin' around. I went to the Chamber of Commerce Business Exchange, and they gave us all $20 tickets, so I guess I'll go, altho' the Pioneers are really working all weekend, getting the Downtown Cemetery ready for Monday's ceremony.
Of course, there will be the usual trail out of town, but there is plenty to do here. The American Legion is having their anual bar-be-cue, and there is a half-marathon run coming up, too.

Addendum: These characters have been parading around town, and it's such fun to watch them in their 'costumes', which adds interest to the beards and moustaches. I liked Robert E. Lee best, as I get nostalgic to my Texas days. I'll try to find a shot of him, to post here. Guess I could even get out my Nikkon Cool Pix and snap a shot myself . . .

The weather has been so beautiful the past weeks, that I'm reminded why I live here. Plan your next holiday in the great state, and you'll see what I mean. .. . .

Beautiful Alaska

2009-05-18T08:49:00.003-08:00

The tourists are arriving, and they are lucky to share the beautiful weather we've been having . .. while the Florida folk are seeking cooler spaces, we Alaskans are enjoying beautiful sunny, windless days, and it's perfect for outdoor exercise, and everything else. The downtown market opened last week, and it was pretty crowded, as it will be thru September.

The potholes caused by the fierce winter weather are being repaired 24-7, and the down side is that so many streets are closed for repairs, too. That's pretty minor compared to views such as the image above, which was taken by a local fellow, which you can see exactly from downtown. Mt. Susitna is nicknamed "Sleeping Lady" and a well known view west of Anchorage. Hard to improve on sitting in a downtown restaurant at dusk, viewing such sights.

We have so many events this week that I can only mention a few. The Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a "Business Exchange" at the Wild Berry Farm, which is always a highlight of the season. Complimentary food, drink, entertainment, promotions. To describe this place, it's a short drive (or complimentary bus ride) from downtown, and the campus includes the Sourdough Mining Company (great ribs), Gen'l Store (great British licorice), outdoor patio, theatre, reindeer viewing, etc.
Another big one is the Open House at the Alaska Backpackers Inn, which is the only Alaska member of Hostelling International. This place is only blocks from downtown on Eagle Street. (The North-South streets are alphabetical, so it's 5 blocks from town - E is the 5th ltr. of the alphabet . .. . get it?)

Okay, I'll admit I'm cutting this short as my flowers are calling me for some attention . .. I'll be attaching some our the great flowers bloomin' around here soon. So check back!

The Sun Shines on Alaska

2009-05-04T13:45:00.003-08:00

Just when you think you can't take any more winter, spring arrives. Seems like overnight, we're planting our flowers, going outside without coats . ... well, you know, it happens every spring. One of the first signs of spring is the culmination of the raffle for the Nenana Ice Classic. It's a silly old tradition that you guess the time of the right day that the stake in the ice at Nenana will fall over. The pot is around $300,000, and I was counting on it to go out this week, as I bought several tickets for myself and friends, but it fooled me, and fell on Friday night.

So, the next sign is the arrival of birds in my bird feeder. Maybe they've been hibernating with the bears.

Next, comes clean-up. City-wide, groups, clubs, and singles have been filling large orange plastic bags with trash. Our church had the big clean-up on Saturday, and 'they' did a great job. I mean, without me. Guilt was written all over my face when I went to services on Sunday, but I had a good excuse, which we won't go into.

Alaska puts little feelers out around the world, and this week, we witnessed an Alaska son become an overnight hero at the Kentucky Derby. Local business man (and therein lies a long story), Bill Allen, has a son in New Mexico, who drove his horse to the races, and was a 50 to 1 bet. It wasn't long until everyone knew Mine That Bird and his rags to riches story. Hurray for him. Let's have another Mint Julep on that one.

Speaking of Mint Juleps, do you realize that Cinque de Mayo is on the cusp, and there are enough celebrations going on without this, but let's just add this to our list. The Petroleum Club is recognizing this independence day, and the Pioneers of Alaska have an unusual party, as the men are supplying the food and drink after the regular business meeting. So that's where we're at, right now, with a long, social list set for May.

However, there is a down side to all of this. One is the announcement of the discontinuance of Norwegian Cruise Lines coming this year, and the cutting back, sizeably, of Carnival, Holland-America, Celebrity, etc. cruises. . . this could be the downturn of the economy, but more likely our State Legislature imposing a $50/head tax on all cruisers. This is going to hurt the businesses in Southeastern especially.
One last word . .. following up my travel insurance pitch, I want to report that my friend was reimbursed for the expense of hotel and other for the delayed flight last month en route from Anchorage to Portland. It's worth the extra buck to be covered when you travel because more things are happening than in the simple days of the past.

Swine Flu Has Not Reached Alaska!

2009-04-28T13:31:00.002-08:00

I hear from some of my faithful followers that they're tired of reading about our volcano, Mt. Redoubt. I don't blame them. Now the big scare is this swine flu starting from Mexico City, but it's not here. Don't forget to get travel insurance, especially if you leave country! We have only beautiful springtime days and it's so great to go outdoors coatless. I'd post some pictures of flowers, but it's a little early, so you'll have to visualize some of Georgia O'Keefe's great art. We have our fair share of artists here, too, and one of the best (watercolor and sumi-e) is my magic partner. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art is being renovated, and a multi-million dollar extension promises to make it a visitor's destination when it reopens late May. Until then, the first Friday Art Walk continues to draw art lovers, and wine sippers, too.

The bike trails continue to grow, and as the bears come out of their hibernation, we read daily about encounters with bikers and runners. Another of our year-round attractions is Kinkaid Park, which is a huge 40 (?) acres park with cross-country ski trails, a popular chalet, etc. It's just south of the Anchorage International Airport as the crow flies, but a longer drive to reach it. The bike trail goes from Kinkaid Park all the way to downtown, and it skirts the inlet, Earthquake Park, Turnagain Subdivision, and Westchester Lagoon. Pull out your GPS or Mapquest, and you can enjoy viewing from above.
As April fades away, I'm trying to post my Midi version of "I'll Remember April" but I have to figure out how to get my piano hooked up again. Lots of visualizing needed on this blog, eh? Well, after you picture the flowers, picture the music. Til then . .. cheers.

Springtime in Alaska

2009-04-17T09:53:00.005-08:00

Moose are all over the place this time of year. They come into Anchorage to feast off of the trees, growth, and anything else happens to be within reach. However, you can enjoy seeing them from a distance, but not so great when they come out on your route home. I just avoided a cow moose with her newborn recently driving home in the evening. Now, I only live 2 miles from downtown, and you would not expect to see them on a main road . . . but I would. I've had friends who have hit a moose with their cars, and it's totalled in most cases.

Aren't you glad I'm not talking about the volcano anymore. I've had enough of it, too, but I am thankful in a way that it had helped promote my travel insurance business. I won't go into the horror stories any more, but you know there are many more reasons to take out insurance for your forthcoming trips. See why!

Anchorage is bustling with trade shows, promotions at the new Dena'ina Center and the Performing Arts Center with it's three theatres filled most evenings. Right now, Spamalot is playing with John Hurley in person, and a good review in the local skinny newspaper helped promote this already popular attraction. On a personal note, the Godmothers of Magic are performing a magic show, today, in fact!

Add to this the attendance at funerals and wakes keeps the locals pretty busy. We did lose a giant in the news writing line this week, and Bill Tobin's popularity with all will be sorely missed. He was also a 'closet magician' . . . my term for those who dabble in illusions.

Breakup is not the prettiest time of year in Alaska, but soon we'll have beautiful gardens again. I promise to post some of the best ones. So check back.

Springtime in Alaska

2009-04-06T15:40:00.004-08:00

Looking over my recent blogs, I realize I never shared this image above . . . quite out of date, but it's so beautiful I had to share it with the reader. It was sculpted in Fairbanks, not Anchorage, but I have to give them credit for their challenges.

If you saw my last blog were posted, you would know that I recently returned from a trip to Oregon and California. It's springtime down there in reality, and here in Alaska, it's just on the calendar. The hardest time of the year here, as the snow is all dirty, and the eruption of Mt. Redoubt hasn't helped a bit. It's like dirt and soot all over your car, lawn, flowers (joke) . . well, I'm exaggerating, because it's still winter, and breakup is a messy time. However, we have plenty of indoor sports in Anchorage, and a fairly new addition to the city is "The Dome" which is a bubble the size of two plus football fields. It's been a boon for the school's sports programs, as they can start practicing track and field early.

So I'll sign off here check my other blog . . . I know Google would not like for me to tell you that wordpress dot com has my other blog and they have a few advantages . . . my name there is alaskab4udie. My next blog I'm going to write up some stories about the travel insurance I'm selling now and how it hasn't covered volcanos. It was a lesson in futility, but it's still wise to take it out. You never know. I ran into a girlfriend, Pam, who was returning to Anchorage from N.J. and was stranded in Seattle four nights, waiting for flights to resume. She couldn't even get her checked bag, so had to buy the usual necessary things, all at her own expense. Don't you know she would have benefited from having insurance. Why not buy, just in case.

Return to Alaska

2009-04-03T14:49:00.003-08:00

The title refers to our return, but still encouraging your visit. That is, assuming you're reading this from afar. We did return last night, and it's always good to be home. It was an 'iffy' takeoff when we left last week, as most flights were cancelled due to the continuing eruptions of Mt. Redoubt. However, we were lucky as our pilot announced we had to go right away as another eruption was starting, and we were the only flight that day to make it. Since we were going to a meeting in Portland, Oregon, we had to make a connection from Seattle. We didn't. So one hotel room and a three hour drive later, we did arrive in time for our two day meeting. Portland is a very beautiful city, but our free time was limited to a drive around town, lunch at the famous Kennedy School, and two nights in Lake Oswego. A great visit, nonetheless.

Next came our flight to Santa Barbara. This sounds easy enough, but we did it the long way, as we had to return the car to Seattle and then fly south. When you deplane in SBO, you are left alone. No public transportation, and it's 60 miles to Santa Maria. Lucky for us that a friend picked us up, took us to her beautiful home, which was a menagerie of 6 cats, 2 cockatoos, 4 lizards, two huge fish, plus little guppies, etc. and any stray animal that should wander by. The garden was on three sides of the house that was a delightful combination of gazebos, brick walls, stone walks, bushes, trees, flowers, that had been carefully planned with an artful eye. She kindly loaned us her car for the trip further north.

Still not at our destination, we drove up to San Luis Obispo, which is the site of Cal Polytechnic. This was another 30 miles, past farms, ranches, open country, and close to the coast on good highways. The college is huge, as are most, and we parked and went into the men's dorm to visit with my friend's son, a freshman there. The dorm was a typical assortment of beds, books, bookcases, one large piece of art, and 'stuff'. Since it was a holiday some places in California - Caesar Chavez Day - we were able to take off for Pismo Beach, which was crowded with students, in bikinis, even though it was chilly. We went to dinner with friend's in Cuyucos, just north of Morro Bay, and spent the night there in their lovely home overlooking the ocean.

The couple fixed a beautiful dinner for us, and we left shortly after breakfast to return the college student to his early class, and continued into the town to visit some more friends in the courthouse, this time. After a short visit, and shopping, we returned to Santa Maria for the night, and flew home without any problems.

It was a whirlwind trip, but always good to be home, and continue tracking our pet volcano. The next blog will be back on track with Alaska happenings, so check back.

Volcano Erupts

2009-03-24T15:13:00.005-08:00

Mt. Redoubt

This is not some far off exotic location - it's right here in Alaska, just a hundred miles west of Homer. Altho' the image is quite beautiful, in Anchorage, we wait to see which direction the winds are blowing, and hope they continue to go north instead of east northeast. Those of us who were here the last time Mt. Redoubt erupted, remember the ash that covered the land, streets, and our cars . . .. you don't want to take a wet cloth to wipe your windshield, as it makes a gummy mess. It's just an unpleasant situation, and this year is good, so far.

Besides that, we need to remind ourselves that this is spring, and the snow that continues to fall every few days is just an illusion. The stores are already selling seedlings, and have a good supply of outdoor plants, too ... so, I'm ready.
In case you wonder how the Iditarod Races ended . . . it's all past history now, except that there are a few stragglers left on the trail, perhaps trying to get the red lantern.
Over the past week, we've had several attention getters . . . the circus came to town for a few days, and there is a home and garden show on at the Sullivan Arena. This shoulder season is actually a good time to visit Anchorage, as it's not so crowded, and don't wait for the airlines to drop their prices. When you do make your reservations to come visit, remember that travel insurance is pretty important, and you can read WHY here.

Jazz Week in Anchorage

2009-03-16T15:52:00.004-08:00

Attention this week is temporarily diverted to the annual Jazz Week. This is overlapping this year with St. Patrick's Day, and the finish of the Iditarod Race to Nome. However, the University of Alaska Music Department is sponsoring this as a showcase for their jazz program, and it includes several workshops, concerts, jam sessions, and networking for a special group of jazz lovers. We were visited last week by Ramsey Lewis, and then Taj Mahal trio played, so there's plenty downtown, in addition to the University Arts Building. So by the time I post again, I'll have some images for you, plus the finish of the great race.
On my last blog, I mentioned the travel insurance I am presently licensed to sell, but you must not just cast the idea aside, as you may reflect on how you wished you had it. I will give you one personal example that sold me on it.
A few years ago, I headed to Texas for a cruise out of Galveston. My luggage was lost (delayed?) along the way, so I had to leave the next day on this cruise. I never carry 'stuff' on the plane, so I had to buy makeup, toiletries, vitamin pills, sneakers, few changes of summer clothing, etc. I put in a claim, and was reimbursed without hasstle. I did get my suitcase the next week when I returned, but not in time for use on the cruise. Another time, I was traveling back to Anchorage and I was sick. I just couldn't make the last leg of the trip, so I stayed over in a city en route, went to a doctor the next day, waited at girlfriend's home for 2 days, then completed my trip back, with penalties on the ticket. Travelguard paid for both the medical and the ticket. I have more stories, but check out my 'reasons to buy' page.

Like most pages, filling it out may be a bummer for you, so email me, and I'll fill it out for you.

Iditarod Race Goes On . ... to Nome

2009-03-13T15:22:00.005-08:00

Yes, they're still on the trail, and the leader changes daily, but there seems to be a big lead now by Lance Mackey. There are so many hero/horror stories that can be told on this long . . . 1024 mile . .. trip to Front Street in Nome, and many tears will be shed. Tears of joy are preferable.

Have you taken a trip where things didn't go as planned, . . . disappointments, missed flights, lost baggage, medical needs out of the U.S. where your insurance just doesn't cover you? My blog is going just a little bit commercial, but I do suggest you take out travel insurance when you buy your tickets. It will pay you to read a bit about it first, then sign up online. That's how come I got my license for a product I use whenever I travel. . . even roadtrips. Think about it. And in the meantime, keep cheering your favorite dog-team on to Nome.

The Iditarod Goes On

2009-03-12T11:23:00.002-08:00

I'll get off this kick soon. You either love these races or you don't. But the race will end in Nome in a few more days, and I'll get back to my talk about the happenings in Anchorage. I hope the reader will enjoy he same things I do, as I post some of them. The weather here is finally approaching springtime weather, and the sun's been shining every day. This might mean that the snow is over with.. . maybe. When it does warm up a bit, the Nenana Ice Classic will end. If you don't know what that is, well, it's a raffle to guess the exact minute the post in the ice at Nenana will tip over. If there's just one winner, you could be looking at a pot of several hundred thousand dollars. At least, you can be sure the 'feds' are watching, as it is taxable. Ahem! I wouldn't mind paying the tax on winnings, so I'll just sit tight and wait on that one.. .

Fur Rendezvous Addendum

2009-03-04T17:17:00.005-09:00

The parade was a good one, and I just have to share some cute photos of my friend's horse, decorated with antlers like a moose. They wore costumes, and filled in for the lack of marching bands. In this weather, your lips would stick to the mouthpiece of a trumpet and it would be difficult to perform your best. It was pretty cold on the horses, too, but they're tough.

The King and Queen Regent are attending everything, and have such stamina to do it all. I wanted to post their picture, too, but haven't received one yet. Our local paper totally ignores them, but they are a pretty special couple chosen each year from the Pioneers of Alaska. Today, they appeared at the funny hat lunch. I misunderstood, and thought it was an 'edible' hat lunch, but that was just one of several categories. Since I was the only one with an edible hat, I won a blue ribbon for that. But there were many fancy and comical hats there, too.

Check back here in a few days for my sparse coverage of the Iditarod Ceremonial Start of the Dogsled race to Nome . . about 1100 miles of rough going.

By the way, I want to mention that I'm now selling travel insurance. I have used one company with such success on travel mishaps, that I want to share this product with you. It'll be available online, so you don't really have to come to Alaska to get it, but it would be great for you to include Alaska in your future!

Fur Rondy Reigns

2009-03-02T19:25:00.005-09:00

This is a pretty cool Rondy this year. The weather cooperated, and the snow fell gently for the parade. I don't have pictures of that, but I need to get one of my good friend on her horse, soon. .. not too many bands because the instruments do freeze up. I was unable to actually attend, altho' I was very closeby at the Pioneer Hall, where the Pioneers of Alaska traditionally serve a full, hot breakfast for a minimal cost. Saturday, we served over 800! Sunday not so many.
The dogsled races run for 3 days, and in addition to this there is a snow sculpture competition near the railroad depot. The usual arts and crafts continue thruout, and dogsled rides are available on the parkstrip. I don't have any pictures of these, but hope you enjoy the picture of the running of the reindeer. Someone got the great idea from Pampalona, but we don't have any bulls here, just other wildlife. This is a fairly new event, and really a kick in the pants.

The Senior Center has a first-class party, where old-timers, and long-timers, tell tales of the real Alaska. They also host several contests, and today I played in the cribbage tournament. It went on forever, so I didn't wait for the finish, not that I was heading for a blue ribbon, or anything like that. But this is a fun week to be in Anchorage, and it will be topped off by the start of the Iditarod Races.

In addition to doing travel consulting, I'm now writing travel insurance, which is a really good idea in these uncertain times. When you book your next trip, with whomever, think of me wanting to write up the insurance part. Rest easy knowing you're covered!

Wild Winter in Anchorage

2009-02-23T20:39:00.004-09:00

What could be prettier than these dall sheep you see while driving south out of Anchorage to the Alyeska Ski Resort, which is only 40 miles away, on good highway.

I told you there would be a lot of winter activities in February, and I've been too busy to blog. How could that be!

This image is the Iron Dog race start -- not exactly downtown Anchorage, but this weekend starts the big dogsled races which is right downtown on Fourth Avenue. This is the longest running race around, but now competes with the big Iditarod Race, the Idabike, and the Yukon Quest.

Fur Rendezvous is a festival of sorts which has changed over the years to a point where the actual fur auction was deleted, but now is back again this year . .. Monte Carlo night was one of my favorites too, but they haven't brought that back yet. . . however, there is a heap of displays, carnival rides, exhibits, dances and melodramas. The King and Queen Regent are chosen from the Pioneers of Alaska, together with Miss Fur Trapper. This year's chosen are Ray and Jean Lee, and the coronation is an elegant ceremony at Pioneer Hall. The Pioneers of Alaska have a weekend pancake breakfast, with continuing seating, which draws over a thousand people each year. I'll post some of the images when I get to steal some. I'll give credit if I can find such. Anyhow, we're waiting for YOU to visit.

Anchorage Swings

2009-02-08T20:20:00.003-09:00

We go a little crazy up here with the long, cold winter, and this image shows one of the diversions the ladies thought up. . . they picked a below zero day, and the same day as the Super Bowl, to dress up in costumes, and have a cross country ski rally. There were 1100 of them, but I wasn't one.
Indoors, we had the Martha Graham dance troupe . . . and the opera's on this week, and a new play, The Ballad of Soapy Smith. . . on a personal note, the Alaska Magic Circle puts on 4 performances on Valentine's day weekend, and I've chosen a 'romantic magic' theme for my part. All of these activities are leading up to the big Fur Rendezvous celebration, followed by the Iditarod Race to Nome.
Speaking of that, on a political note, our nationally famous governor has proposed a road to Nome, which doesn't make much sense. One pundit refers it as the "Road to Nome-where". Keep posted!

What's New in Alaska

2009-01-31T13:37:00.004-09:00

We have a beautiful volcano, located due west of Homer . . . and . . .. it's about to erupt. There's a watch on it now, and we're waiting for the spray of dust. You can see from this image how pretty Mt. Redoubt is . . . but the last time it erupted was about 12 yrs. ago, and it was unforgettable. The sticky gray film landed everywhere in Anchorage, and even stopped some of the flights from taking off, as this dust got caught up in the engines. Personally, my car had it over the windshield, and you didn't want to turn on your wipers, which would only smudge it. I promise to follow up on this upcoming problem, but if you want to read our very skinny newspaper, click here.

Of course, you don't want to read about funerals here, but I did want to mention a rather special one that was held today. Maxine Reed was reaching a hundred, but didn't make it. Her husband, a real Pioneer, was holding her hand as they passed, and things won't be the same without her. Her daughter eulogized, "She was the internet before the internet was invented" and that was aptly put. Bye, Maxine, see you later.

Winter in Alaska

2009-01-27T08:39:00.003-09:00

Ah, it's great to be back in Alaska after a month in the lower states. Just to see our beautiful landscape was a wonderful welcome home.

Of course, I escaped during the extremely cold spell, but not totally. It was below zero when I was in Chicago, and Lake Michigan can't compare to Denali. (I do love Chicago, tho', in spite of their bizarre politics).

January is the 'lull before the storm' in Anchorage, because things are gearing up for the big Fur Rendezvous celebration, and the start of the Iditarod Dog Sled Races. These two events have unofficially merged . . . back to back at the end of February. In the holding pattern, there are many offerings in sports and arts. The Anchorage Opera continues and Anchorage Concert Association is filled with programs throughout the 'school year' . . . . The University of Alaska (UAA) is noteworthy this winter for the nationally recognized women's basketball team. Unfortunately, women's sports still don't draw a crowd, but it's probably better entertainment than men's at this time.

Come to Anchorage in the winter. You'll love our Town Square. And the best part is that there's no construction going on . . . remember the old adage, "There are two seasons in Anchorage, winter and construction".

Missing Alaska

2009-01-15T10:45:00.003-09:00

It's always sad to leave Alaska for too long, and this month has made me realize that no matter how far you travel, you can't beat Alaska for the good life. . . just to update my blog, tho', I'll give you a quick rundown on the past month . .. .
After arriving in Tampa, I drove a great Chevy rental to Naples, and this was an easy 3 hour trip south . . . my condo was quite large and over looked the Gulf, but you also have to ignore the brush between you and the sandy beach. . . Pelican Bay runs a golf cart shuttle back and forth all day, and it's quite nice, but a bit inconvenient . .. they have a beautiful Philharmonic Hall that draws big crowds to all their performances . .. however, everything in Naples caters to the idle rich and price there are pretty scary . .. back to Tampa, and taking off on Carnival's Inspiration for the New Year's Week .. good Las Vegas type shows, good food, and ports of call were pretty neat, too, as we toured Cozumel (first time since Earthquake) again, and Grand Cayman . .. back to Tampa, and flew up to Fayetteville NC to visit DD at Cape Fear hospital (visiting nurse from Anchorage) . . . but this city is also home to Fort Bragg, which is an absolutely huge post with great museums, and everything else military offers .. .. back to Tampa and some good restaurants andother things . . I love Bahama Breeze, which is trendy place on a non-island between Tampa and Clearwater . .. and also some movies, Marley and Me, and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button . ... and some dances . .. and church . . . you know, the usual from a nice city which could also be considered a resort. .. I'm thinking of that now, as I'm sitting in Chicago, freezing my xxxxx off .... I couldn't believe it could be colder than Anchorage, but sure enough, it is. .. last night we went to Navy Pier for dinner and were the only ones in the restaurant. . . I noted in todays paper that several schools and businesses are closed due to the weather, and here I am, wearing all my Florida clothing - at once, in layers -- to keep warm. .. ah, but I hear tomorrow will be better, and thank goodness for that because my family is driving down for the weekend to visit, which is the purpose of my trip . . . but Sunday is coming soon enough, and I'm heading back to big A, with busted pipes in my condo, I hear, and other problems, but it'll be good to get home. . . check back with me, because I'll be writing about some big things coming up in February with Fur Rendezvous and the Iditarod Races forthcoming.

Christmas in Anchorage

2008-12-12T09:33:00.003-09:00

The title is a misnomer, because I won’t see Christmas in Anchorage. I’m one of those snowbirds that leaves town, preferably at the first drop of snow. A later departure this year, I can report on what’s happening in Anchorage this month. As in other cities across USA, the parties are at every corner and every day. Last night was one of the best, as a local civil engineering company, PND, sponsored a great feast at the Petroleum Club. Dennis always tries to outdo the other sponsors, and succeed, he does. They served ‘bottomless’ wine, wild boar, elk, shrimp and King Crab legs. Of course, all the usual sides, like brie, fruits, desserts and such. Even better than the food and drink selection was the friends and conversation. So this writer will be on holiday leaving good memories behind.
Yesterday's local newspaper reported a kind of sad travesty. It seems the ski slopes are not attracting the young people like they used to. Perhaps it's because we're in the electronic era, where computer games and Wii are providing enough entertainment and exercise to satisfy our youth. It's okay for a senior citizen to become more sedentary, but surely the adolescents need to get outdoors and enjoy winter. I can remember skiing in the zero temperatures and thinking, oh, it hurts so good. Those days are gone. Also, I note that the schools seem to pile on more homework these days. I don't know that 'more' means 'better' because the test score are not rising at a comparable rate. So this ends my lecture, on which I could continue, but let's just think of the happy days of Christmas break. . . and a Happy New Year's, too!

Thanksgiving in Alaska

2008-11-28T19:12:00.003-09:00

November has flown by, and that's okay with me because I'm leaving the state for a month. The beautiful white snow doesn't seem as good as it used to because I'm not skiing these day, nor doing much outdoors at all. Swimming is still going great, but then you can swim anywhere. There's a lot on the front burner, but the big thing was doing some turkey dinners along the way. I had three or four turkey dinners at varius places, but the most memorable one was at the beautiful Millenium Hotel. I had a piano gig there, so spent the whole day watching the families, and couples, and strays attend. This is a truly Alaskan Hotel, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see the 'real' Alaska. The lobby has mounted heads of all the wild animals, and the setting includes a huge stone fireplace, and adjacent bar which overlooks Lake Hood. For those who haven't visited Anchorage yet, this is right at the airport, and there are planes on floats, or now skiis, lining the perimeter. From the hotel restaurant, you might see a plane land on the lake and taxi up to the restaurant for a quick bite. This may sound a bit like a commercial, but then, I'm trying to lure you up here for a visit. Black Friday was its usual confusion, as it was all over the country. Well, we survived that one, and now on to Christmas in Florida.

Alaska Survives the Election & Sarah Palin, too!

2008-11-06T11:07:00.002-09:00

I'm sure you're as happy as I am that the election is over, regardless of the results. Sparing you any images, Alaska have probably re-elected Senator Stevens, in spite of him being accused of being a felon. Most locals agree that if the trial had been held in Anchorage, he would have been acquitted without question, as it's the "Alaska Way" to help your neighbors, and his only crime was that he didn't report it on the financial statement. But I won't go further into that.
This morning, the local news shows the Governor deplaning in Anchorage, to return to her main job, raising her family in Wasilla, and her secondary job, running the big state and promoting our oil and gas reserves. This might be better served is she were closer to the capital (where???) which is a 2 hour plane ride away, but here I am giving opinions, and that's really not my intention.
So let's get back to your inspiration to visit Alaska. I really thought I had written a blog about our new convention center, called Dena'ina Center. My webpage would direct you to my other blog, where I know it's displayed, but this is to report that it's filled the month of November with many Christmas bazaars, art shows, events, and has turned out to be a real draw to go downtown. Locals have been avoiding going downtown for the past few years, during the total construction of all the roads and buildings, but as winter approaches, things are smoothed out and the heated sidewalks on F Street are a welcome addition. There is also a new parking garage on F Street, making things more reachable. Thank heavens -- we've needed this for a long time. We're just getting to be a big city, and kind of pretty, too!

Foucault Pendulum at the University of Alaska Anchorage

2008-10-14T07:08:00.002-08:00

The Foucault Pendulum is named for the French physicist Jean Foucault (pronounced "Foo-koh"), who first used it in 1851 to demonstrate the rotation of the earth. It was the first satisfactory demonstration of the earth's rotation using laboratory apparatus rather than astronomical observations. The direction along which the pendulum swings rotates with time because of Earth's daily rotation.

The beautiful new library at UAA (University of Alaska Anchorage) houses the pendulum in a large setting on the first floor, extending thru the second floor. The dedication ceremony was last night, and all of us who bought 'a degree' were there to toast this piece of art. This should be a real tourist attraction, but unfortunately, even most locals are unfamiliar with this.
The University continues to grow into a major force in our city, with continual building, and spreading out which now requires shuttles to operate for the students to reach classes. The Arts Building is at the East end, and almost butts into the smaller school, Alaska Pacific University. These centers of higher education are a source of pride for Anchorage.

Theatre in Alaska

2008-10-04T09:59:00.004-08:00

The deluge of theatrical productions has hit the fall season, and Anchorage was privileged to have a local production, with Bridget Sullivan rivaling Madonna's portrayal of "Evita". I may seem prejudiced, but the local paper/critics agreed with me on this one. You can click here to verify. You see, I've known Bridget over ten years. . . now in her mid-twenties, has turned into a beautiful, talented gal.
Outside of this, it's hard to write about events in Anchorage without going a little political, but suffice to say, we've thrown our hat in the ring by donating our governor, and hoping for the best. Hopefully, voters will look beyond the rhetoric, and remember that the best speakers are not always the best performers.

Sitka, Alaska!

2008-09-22T09:02:00.006-08:00

If you want to see the real Alaska, fly to Baranof Island and you'll see . . . Sitka, the first Russian Capital of our Great State. When you land, it's the same feeling as landing on water, because you're surrounded by lots of water, and islands interspersed.

Since I've been there before, I was smart enough to bring along a big rainhat, because their weather is like no other. (Perhaps Ketchikan can compete for the 'rainiest' title.)

Sitka is located on the West Side of this Baranof Island, making it a long detour for the cruise ships, who normally dock there only on the southbound route from Haines and Juneau. There is no deep water dock, so passengers have to be lightered in to a delightful 'tourist area'. Each year the season extends a little longer, so we found tourists there on September 20, which is pretty late in the year. Normally, the first stop is Centennial Hall, where they have the Archangel Dancers, who are a group of local women, some playing the men's role, of Russian dancers. The narrator is costumed in beautiful Russian dress and tiara. This weekend, the Pioneers of Alaska were having their state convention there, so the dancers were bumped. This was the reason I was in Sitka -- as we Pioneers are a group of older people who have been preserving the history of Alaska for 100 yrs. In fact, last year's tour in Nome celebrated "100 years on the Trail" . . . and most of them have stories to tell. It makes my 42 yrs. here seem like I'm a newcomer. One of the highlights of the convention is Banquet Night, where the ladies dress in old time costumes, and the men look like riverboat gamblers. Imagine stuffing all those puffed sleeves into your allotted suitcase space. Well, I wish I had some images of this to show you, but suffice to way, it was a lovely get-together with a mix of business and pleasure.

Flying Out of Alaska

2008-09-05T16:28:00.005-08:00

I never leave Alaska for too long, or without a good reason, but I thought the Texas Association of Magicians Convention was worthy of a trip to the hot climate for a week. . . and especially since it was honoring a friend of mine, and a friend of magic, Walter Zaney Blaney. You see him here pictured with two of his 3 daughters, Becky and Carol. Walter has spend 60 of his 80 years in magic, both performing, and inventing props. In the field, he is well known for his levitation and suspension props, as well as performing around the world with his late wife, Joyce.

I was concerned with the heat of the area, but we got the edge of hurricane Gustav there and the rain cooled things down, just when I couldn't take any more heat outdoors. However, the Renaissance Worthington Hotel was first-class, and there was no reason to leave, with magic performances all day long, plus a great dealer room. After three days of this, with each show better than the last one, I retreated to a long time friend's home in nearby Dallas, and spent another three days doing the usual 'girl' things, like shopping, eating, visiting, sightseeing.

Of course, with the big news coming out of Alaska about our governor being selected as the vice presidential candidate for the Republicans, I spent plenty of time in front of the television set. That was all the big news there, as well as here in Alaska, with most of the people I talked to, being favorably impressed. But this is NOT a political blog, so I'll just close out right here!!!

Alaska State Fair

2008-08-26T20:21:00.004-08:00

It should come as no surprise to you that we have a super state fair. Everything in Alaska is big, and this image shows what a 10 hr. a day of daylight can do for veggies. Here's the caption I copied from their website:

Scott Robb tends to his giant cabbages in his Palmer yard last week. Robb competes in the annual cabbage competition at the Alaska State Fair and holds seven state fair records. He admits he has a bit of an obsession; his wife has a slightly different description. "I call him psychogrower," she said

There are a minimal number of farm animals at the fair, and the usual petting zoo. I like the loggers, and never tire of watching them roll on the logs. Add the usual rides, booths, and exhibits and you have an idea of 'how to spend a long day'. This is a pretty small report on a big event for Alaska, but you get the idea.

One of the special events at the fair is the introduction of the new Alaska Quarter, which took a while for the government to issue, but they will be giving some out and selling more at the fair. So many reasons to visit big, wild Alaska, but especially so because the rains have finally stops and the big yellow ball is in the sky. . .

Summer was yesterday

2008-08-18T08:50:00.002-08:00

At least we had ONE good day in Anchorage, which we will call summer. It surely has not been the best summer, weatherwise, and otherwise. It seems that all I've been doing is going to funerals, or should I say celebrations of life. Golf season was okay if you like to play in the rain. Downtown Anchorage is in the process of re-growth .. . there is no way to get from point A to point B, directly. I have finally figured out how to do it, even tho' it may require breaking the law. . . for example, I was traveling west on 9th Avenue, which is adjacent to the park strip, when I arrived at G Street, which is one way south.. . luck that I had a red light to stop and think of what to do.. . the sign said, street closed, so I couldn't proceed west on 9th, nor could I turn right (north on G, which is one way south) nor could I turn left (park is at the end of G Street), so the only option was to make a U-turn, or cut thru a parking lot to a 2 way path. . . don't turn me in . . . I had no choice. . . this is just one example. . . in the meantime, let me tell you that the growth of Anchorage includes finally getting a Target store, and a Walgreens. . . so we're catching on, but we can't catch up. Remember, we still have to work our way around the bears and moose, who still have the right-of-way in town.. . the paper has even started a daily column on bear sightings, as some of the victims of bear attacks lie in the hospital, recovering.
If this is supposed to encourage you to visit Alaska, I guess I am not doing a great job, but then I'm just being honest.
By the way, I haven't mentioned politics here, but then I dont want to start on that.

Noah's Ark in Alaska?

2008-07-28T20:05:00.002-08:00

Start building. . . dodge the raindrops . . . gather the wildlife for the ark, because the rains just won't stop. . . . the tourist numbers are down, perhaps because of the rising fuel prices, and other pricing. . . so many things seem to have failed this summer. Our Anchorage Bucs (.com) baseball team has been a real disappointment, as they just can't get it together. Right now, they're at the bottom of the Alaska Baseball League, and there are only 3 games left . .. that is, if the rains don't cancel them out.
Downtown Anchorage has been a real disaster, as it seems the current mayor wants to totally re-do the streets at the same time. . . most residents, like myself, avoid going down this summer. They even had to change the routing of the Fourth of July parade to find a street that was open, and there were were very few participants . . . one float . .. one rag-tag band . . . a few military things. I won't even get into politics, because this isn't that kind of a blog, but rest assured, that would fit into the summer doldrums.
The golf tournaments have been played in the rain . . tennis tournaments cancelled, or moved indoors, baseball gets half a game played before it's called. I'm not kidding you. I've lived here 42 years, and this is the summer to forget.
Let's hope next summer gets us back on track. I'm ready.

Time Flies in Alaska

2008-06-28T13:53:00.003-08:00

Wyonna and Naomi Judd visited Anchorage yesterday. They did a show at Elmendorf AFB, drawing a crowd of over 10,000. It was also telecast locally, and it was well received. One of the highlights of the program was when they called some military families to the stage, and they had TV access with their loved ones who were on the screen in Iraq. It brought tears to your eyes, and to Wyonna's, too.

After the 2 1/2 hour show, they had a huge bonfire on the tarmack - how do you spell that? I know - go to spellcheck. Anyhow, it was a great send-off for the Military "Thunder" weekend. The Thunderbirds are putting on their airshow today, and tomorrow, too. This is all in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of statehood for Alaska. There's always a heap of activity this time of year, and the visitors are abundant on the downtown streets.
The baseball season continues, and the Bucs are near the top of the heap. So much for an inkling of reasons to visit Alaska!

Homer Alaska

2008-06-16T19:49:00.006-08:00

When you visit Homer, you will find a different world down there. This is primarily a fishing village, but also a quality art community, too, as the Arts are thriving. There are two lovely galleries there, The Pratt Museum, and Bunnell Art Gallery, plus a multitude of shops ranging from the popular Wild Berry Products, to Cups, a restaurant which has broken pieces of cups lining the walls.

This is the statewide logo for Made In Alaska, and I think it's so clever the way they have nested the mama bear and baby bear.

Besides the hospitality of the locals, I was also privileged to attend a barbecue party at the home of a UAA Music Professor. She had a 3 piece jazz combo playing in her living room, and they were all professionals, but the real great was a visit for a former vocalist who can belt out a song like no other. So it was a memorable few days in Homer.

The flight from Anchorage to Homer is only a half hour, but it is also a beautiful drive. That take over four hours, and the road is very good, except if there's an accident. That could hold you up for hours. But the scenery is like no other. There are some interesting places along the way to visit, like Hope, Alaska, and Moose Pass. You would enjoy this side trip to the Kenai Peninsula.

Elton John Conquers Alaska

2008-05-29T14:46:00.001-08:00

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I've been listening to Sir Elton for over 30 years now, and he's been acceptable but no big deal. However, last night I saw this musician in action, as he did his first (of two) shows in Anchorage. The large arena where he played to a sold-out audience, is hardly noted for its acoustics, so I wasn't expecting much, when I accepted the invitation of friends to join them in the first row. Well, I was wrong . . . this was a great show as he played to the masses, and he really knew how to work the crowd of all ages. Some near us were decked out in boas, and funny eyeglasses, etc. to join the feel of this quirky guy, and he started off with "Your Song". He finished non-stop almost 3 hours later with "Crocodile Rock", the crowd of all ages (ahem!) were mesmerized. So now I've taken in by the ultimate international entertainer.

As a bonus, he did strut around the stage, wearing his "Music Magic" ornate coat, throwing kisses to the audience and waves, and at one point even signed autographs for several people who raced to the stage after what I thought was the end of the evening. It wasn't. He added "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and "Benny and the Jets" and it seemed like he just couldn't stop playing. Kudos to the lighting techies, as the light show behind the stage, about 40 ft. high also added a lot to this one-man show.

I don't know about him, but today, I'm still exhausted as I felt I was working right along with him. If you get a chance, spend your life savings and go see him when he comes to your town.

Busy Happenings in Alaska

2008-05-27T20:50:00.003-08:00

Although this isn't one of my piano students, I thought I'd share this shot of a relative . . . ahem . . . my students did a non-recital at the Pioneer Home recently in conjunction with the Strawberry Festival, an annual event put on by the Women's Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska. This relieves stress level.

Memorial Day was lovely as we had a ceremony at the downtown cemetery at the Pioneer Tract, followed by a mug-up at the Pioneer Hall. In case you wonder what all I'm talking about, the Pioneers of Alaska have been 'one hundred years on the trai' which started in Nome, and there are chapters, called Igloos, all over the state. .. this year, I'm the chaplain of our Igloo, so that's how come I did the prayers. Somehow, I also ended up as the moderator of the Presbyterian Woman, who chose to have their 3 day Synod meeting in Anchorage at the same time. So you can see that I'm glad this weekend is over.
Somehow, two of my blogs were not posted, and I'm searching to find out just why. You'd think I'd have this thing licked by now.

Alaska Wedding

2008-05-19T09:38:00.004-08:00

Following up my recent blog on the Ice "Museum" which is a hotel at Chena Hot Springs, I felt I just had to post this neat picture in the morning paper of a couple getting married there. Here's part of the article:

What would happen if Barbie came to life and got married? Oh, and she lived in Alaska and wanted a unique wedding. And she liked the idea of being a princess.
Her big day would look just like Anchorage residents Mechelle Sharp and Shawn Boquist's wedding April 26 at Chena Hot Springs Resort.
"I'm the girl playing with Barbie all her life," said Mechelle, who still has 300 of them tucked away in a trunk.
"I'm just really grateful that there is an ice castle in Alaska."
Outside of all that, this was a weekend to focus on the 'kids'. My piano students played some neat music for the residents of the Pioneer Home on Saturday for the Strawberry Festival, an annual event sponsored by the Pioneers of Alaska. . . Women's Igloo #4 . . . and the Children's School of Dance gave a great performance of the "Wizard of Oz" at West High school, with over a hundred kiddies on stage together, and no one ran into each other. I am amazed over the number of 4 - 7 yr olds. who participated, wearing great costumes, and of course, there are always a few who don't 'join the group' and wander off, but they were ably grabbed by some teen age girls who herded them back to the 'chorus line'. It was such fun to watch, and brought a tear to my eye as I was laughing at the same time. Kudos to the teachers/director.

Outside activities of the weekend included a women's triathalon that drew a number of the younger set of ably fit gals, and the newspaper gave good coverage of this event. This is really a running city, and in the winter, a cross-country skiing draw for national and international competitors. Until next time, keep planning your trip to big A! You'll love it here.

Alaska Wild

2008-04-29T08:55:00.003-08:00

That's the name of our local football team in case you're wondering, and last night I attended my first game at the Sullivan Arena. The IFL (Intense Football League) was founded in 2003, and Anchorage has one of the three (of 9) teams located outside Texas. Since they play in a smaller stadium, it is more personal, and I feel particularly involved since the Petroleum Club recently had their 2nd meet-and-greet. I won four tickets at this event, which motivated me at attend a game, now in it's second year. By the way, the team colors are maroon and gold, but I couldn't duplicate it on the blog, so just trying to get close.

The parking lot was pretty full when I arrived, and there were several tailgate parties going on. The playing field is only 50 yards, but I felt the biggest problem was the sidelines which have boards (not unlike hockey) only a foot out-of-bounds, and the players frequently hit them hard and climb over into the attendees. There are just 8 players on a team, and sometimes it seems crowded out there.

The cheerleaders were quite outstanding. Of course, they're good looking and well costumed, but their dances/cheers were obviously well rehearsed and real crowd pleasers. The opponents were the San Angelo Stampede Express and lost pretty bad... but it was good entertainment, nonetheless, and a great way to spend the evening.

Back in Alaska

2008-04-21T20:39:00.004-08:00

I've been back for a week now, but would you believe I couldn't seem to log on . .. now I love Google, but sometimes it doesn't love me. . . so I switch over to my more commercial blog, which is alaskab4udie.wordpress.com . . . I stole that name from a rather famous vanity license plate, but don't seem to worry about copyrights online. . . well, not yet. I really want to promote inbound travel to Alaska, and I try to stay focused on this. I do want to share a clever program of The Student Gypsy, I attended in San Francisco. . . .like it?

One of the highlights of my trip outside was my stopover in Tacoma to visit a longtime friend. We went to the great daffodil parade, but I don't have any images of that. However, this image is taken from the Glass Museum, which is a Dale Chuhuly project. Dale started teaching glass blowing and glass art at Pilchuck, a small place north of Mt. Vernon, and has some impressive work, plus the work of his students. This is taken from the brochure. Enjoy.

My Alaska is BIG!

2008-03-31T15:28:00.004-08:00

I love this map, as it really shows how vast Alaska is. A trip anywhere in the state in always exciting, and this year, I've had meetings to attend in Fairbanks, Nome, and Sitka so far. I usually get to Juneau and Ketchkan, and they're all a long way. I don't have a favorite spot, but I like my home in Anchorage as I'm only 3 miles from the big International Airport, and 2 miles to downtown, so everything is reachable in a few minutes time.

However, I am leaving the state for a few weeks to attend some meetings in California. No, it's not to play poker, altho' as a magician, I frequent all the magic stores and clubs along the way. So I'm putting this card on the blog as a reminder of my magic hobby. I'll try to post sometime on the way.

2008-03-31T15:24:00.001-08:00

It's been said that there are two seasons in Alaska, winter and construction. We're in the latter one now, altho' there has been some construction going on all winter. The image on your left is an almost-finished church going up on Fireweed Lane, within a mile of my condo. I drive by it daily and for a long time I wondered, like everyone else, what it was going to turn into . .. a church of some non-traditional religion. I don't plan on entering it any time soon.
Downtown is so full of building, annexing, remodeling that driving is not pleasant, and it's getting harder to park on the street anymore. That used to be one of the pleasures of Anchorage as you could just drive downtown, put a quarter in the meter and get 20 minutes of parking. Now, if you're lucky enough to find a meter in the few parking spaces left, it'll be a quarter for 12 minutes. Fewer and fewer people drive downtown unless they really need to for the Performing Arts Center programs, and Nordstroms and Penneys, who have ignored the many shopping malls in every corner in mid-town and beyond. The weather is really turning into sunny springtime, but the temp is still not quite shirtsleeve weather. But check back, and start planning your trip to Alaska, as this summer should be a great tourist season.

Mystery

2008-03-21T10:18:00.003-08:00

Here I am at my favorite blogspot and I find that yesterday's blog is floating somewhere in cyberspace . .. no matter, I just had two images on it you might enjoy -- the bagpiper from St. Patrick's day . . . yes, I know he's Scottish . . . and a polar bear which is no longer on the endangered species list. . . I'll be back . ..

Winter Wind-Up

2008-03-15T09:02:00.003-08:00

I think we are having an early break-up. This is not the best time to visit Alaska, as there are puddles, potholes, and mess from the winter run of dogs, and such. But you should be planning on coming here in another month or so. This summer will be a good one, as the Anchorage Bucs prepare for a super ball season, and the golf courses should be in good shape from all the snow insulation all winter. Some of my personal tub-stumping projects include:
1. Having the name of the Daily News arts blog change their name from "Artsnob"
2. Having the Municipality plunk some money into replacing the long time astroturf greens at our 9 hole Russian Jack golf course, so we can be accredited by USGA, and record scores for handicapping.
3. Voting for the least bad candiate for all levels.
4. Getting a group together for a wine cruise out of state.
5. Chairing the "Pioneers of Alaska" social night, called "Rockin' to the Fifties".
6. Getting some students ready for their piano recital.
There's more, but I'm afraid if I go on, you'll just stop reading. . . with several good parties for St. Patrick's Day coming up, and the big Easter kids party at the Petroleum Club, and American Legion, this promises to be a good week for us locals, in spite of the ground cover.