Loving Alaska

It's been a while since I've posted a blog, but I had a reason . . . I've been traveling to escape the weather in Anchorage. I found myself wearing my coat more than I had anticipated, and even brought some summer attire I never wore. My bathing suit remained dry (and in my pullman). I visited 8 cities for 5 - 8 days each. Altho' it was sunny weather on arrival, it became rainy before I left each one!

I did have a wonderful odyssey, but I feel we can match most things I saw, and did. For instance, everyone of my friends' homes were at least 3 miles to the closest store/destination. Well, that's okay for once in a while, but I am speaking of multi-trips daily. In Anchorage, I am less than that distance to the airport (to the south) or downtown (to the north). My life is basically in mid-town, and walking distance to shopping, movies, clubs.

Some highlights of my trip are listed here:
The Museum of Science and Technology in San Francisco: great building and exhibits.
The Museum of Art - SF: featuring Vermeer's Girl with Pearl Earring and Dutch artists on one level, and Nureyev collection of his costumes, videos, etc.
Ritz-Carlton Hotel - Half-Moon Bay, CA: great jazz and sliders in their lounge, and the views of the Pacific were formidable. . .
. . my hostess with the mostest, and grandaughter.
San Luis Obispo - The world famous Madonna Hotel . . . my surrogate daughter and son who is being graduated from CalPoly in May!
. . .
the region includes Morro Bay, Cambria, Santa Maria, Cal Poly, etc.

The Magic Castle - Magical arts in fabulous art deco building with great magicians.
American Legion in Avondale AZ - suburb of Phoenix, theatre, lunch with long-lost friends, driving miles thru retirement areas.

Phoenix: a sprawling area of big city and senior/retirement cities.
Jackson MI: beautiful suburb of Flowood, and Million Dollar home with landscape to match . . . the rain didn't diminish the beautiful home's relaxing atmosphere. Biloxi: gaming but no live music around
Houston TX suburbs: Alley Theatre and activities with friends.
Lake Charles LA: visiting relatives, and city tour . . . smaller Mardi Gras
Tampa: Opening night of Ringling Bros. Circus - always great!

That's a quick look at some stops along the way. It's good to be back in Anchorage where we have no sales tax, no traffic snarls, little crime, equally great restaurants and theatre, and lots of live music!

The Coldest December

It's below zero again today, so I can't wait any longer -- I have to post something and forget about the comfort zone. It's true that I keep a space heater by my desk in addition to a fairly comfortable condo. My big mistake is going outside in all of this, and when you drive south in Anchorage, the sun hits you in the face. I've had to pull over several times just because you can't see the road. So far I've been lucky and no mishaps, but I avoid going out midday. Of course you're aware that our days are still getting shorter, and it's dark by 4 pm, which does affect your mood around here.

Cold or not, activities still abound, and being the Christmas season, there are more parties than ever in Anchorage. Shopping is still the big thing, altho' I read that more people are shopping online these days - it doesn't seem like it in the crowded downtown stores and malls.

My circle of activity was recently expanded and I find that Anchorage now had 2 Olive Gardens, a Coach store and Target. Now, I'm waiting for a Famous Dave's, or is that just a local one in Wisconsin. They advertise The Red Lobster and Macy's on TV, but that's in the future somewhere. But Anchorage is surely different from the Anchorage I first saw when we arrived in 1966. Kind of sad, really, as we don't see women wearing fur parkas, nor any totem poles around, and the parking meters downtown take credit card. We've just been absorbed by progress. I remember getting TV shows a week late, and reading scores in the paper before the games were shown. Now we have so many sports bars, but none as big as The Peanut Farm, which is too big to even explain -- it's huge, and I went there recently for a reunion of my college and it was so mobbed, I felt pretty small in the crowd.

Well, I'm off to an annual party by the visitors and convention bureau, which is now called "Visit Anchorage" -- why would they change the name. . .. perhaps, to spend a few bucks. Thanks to the oil companies, we are in much better financial position that the feds, so I'm in favor of secession, but I won't go into politics here. I promise . . .

Summer Flits by Anchorage

Do you mean to tell me that summer is on the downside already? The first sign is the Alaska Baseball League season ending. It was a colorful one, to be sure, and the Anchorage Bucs had theme nights including the Mexican night.

The other big event of the summer in Anchorage is the Petroleum Club Golf Tournament, which has over 400 entries. It's a time for reunion of former oil execs, who have returned to their state of origin, but the amazing thing is that the children often decide to remain in Alaska and reap all the benefits of living here.

On a personal basis, I have continued working as a 'travel concierge' and now as a 'relocation concierge' where I act as a hostess to welcome incoming fellows.

Altho' this is my world, I don't mean to neglect writing about the many other outdoor activities going on. There are so many bicycle races, foot races, and biathalon competitions every weekend. The annual Mt. Marathon race in Seward was saddened by the loss of an older fellow. They never found him after he reached the top, and the search and rescue was given up after several weeks.

The downtown merchants host a Block party with Fourth Avenue closed and a tent with a band, bar-be-cue, and margueritas at hand.

The weather has not always cooperated, altho' the beautiful days are welcomed, and most activities go on, rain or shine. Why, they ask. . . well, this is Alaska, and we're tough.

Freezin' in Anchorage!

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

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!

Here We Go, Anchorage

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.

Beware the Ides of March

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

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.

Calm January in Anchorage

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?

Anchorage Sets Record

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.

June is Busting Out All Over Anchorage

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

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 Breakup in Anchorage?

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

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!

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!

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!

Winter Beauty in Anchorge

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).

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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

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?

Br-r-r - Chilly in Anchorage

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

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.