The Silent "I"

What's in Wasilla?

After spending the morning hanging out in Anchorage with my friend, Susanne, we loaded up the rental car to head to Denali National Park, via Wasilla and Talkeetna.  We were meeting up with Frank's stepmom, Chris, and her sister Ruth and Ruth's husband, Ralph, for a day tour of the national park.  The trip from Anchorage to Denali is about 250 miles on the two-lane Parks Highway.  The Highway (Alaska 3), runs right through Wasilla, the town most famous for being the headquarters of the Iditarod and hometown of Sarah Palin.

Longtime readers of this blog know that I am not a Palin fan, but I was curious to see what exactly was in Wasilla, perhaps looking for some explanation for why Palin is so unique.  Susanne warned us in advance that there is not much to see in Wasilla. 

Anchored Down in Anchorage

Our first morning in Anchorage came far too quickly.  We didn't get to bed until almost 2 am, but sleeping until 8 am seemed like we were waking up at noon.  The weather was gorgeous, and the first days of 70 degree weather seemed to make the residents a little giddy. 

We met up with my dear friend from law school, Susanne, a resident of Anchorage since we graduated in 1987.  Susanne married a local man and has worked for the Alaska Judiciary and courts since we graduated.  It is always great to see her, though our visits are too few and far between.

As a local, Susanne advised us on what to do and see while we're here, and full of information about the area.  We walked from the Hilton a few blocks to the Snow City Cafe.

The Cafe was crowded, and the crowd had spilled out onto the sidewalk.  We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table, so Susanne suggested that we stroll across the street to a scenic viewpoint of Cook Inlet.  
Just down the block from the Cafe, we found a viewing platform with a large statue of Captain Cook, famed 18th explorer who made his way to Alaska from Britain. We've seen other monuments to Captain Cook in our travels, from Nova Scotia to Hawaii.  The guy got around.

Captain Cook's statue is located in Resolution Park, with a beautiful view of Cook Inlet, looking across to Mount Susitna.  The mountain is called Susitna, a Native word meaning "Sleeping Lady."  Susanne explained that it was so named because from some angles, it looks like a woman lying on her side with her hair streaming out.  The photo at the top of the post is the view of the Inlet and Mountain from the viewing platform.

Susanne pointed out Ship Creek, one of the few urban salmon runs in the country.  My dad is an avid fisherman, and since he is joining us on Monday, Susanne noted that she would have suggested that he try his hand at fishing here, but it can be dangerous. She noted that the silt from the river is treacherous, and every year the fire department has to rescue some poor soul who gets stuck in the muck and can't get out.  One person lost her life when the tide came in and they were unable to free her from the clutches of the mud.  We agreed that this was not a place for either Alex or my dad to try out their salmon-catching skills.

North to Alaska

In case the last couple of pictures weren't enough of a clue, we've headed north to Alaska for the week.  Frank is chairing a technical conference in Anchorage, so we decided to make the trip a family affair.  My parents are coming from Ohio, along with Frank's stepmom, Chris from Indiana, and her sister Ruth and husband Ralph from Michigan.  We traveled with Chris, Ruth, and Ralph on another adventure involving bears on our trip to Churchill, Manitoba, to see polar bears in 2002.

Frank had to leave early, so Alex and I caught an Alaska Air flight after school and work from San Francisco to Seattle, with a connection on to Anchorage.  I give Alaska Air kudos for the friendliness of their flight crews.  Plus, they are one of the few US airlines that allows families with small kids to board early.

Alex asked if he could meet the pilot, and they obliged, showing him the hundreds of buttons, lights, and knobs on the control panel prior to take-off.  He found his way back to our seats and declared, "These pilots are the nicest ever!"

We landed in Anchorage at 1:00 am, and as we descended, the fellow across the aisle from us exclaimed, "Look! Northern lights!" pointing at the burnished red streaks on the horizon.  We checked it out, and I told Alex I thought it looked more like sunset.  I'm not sure if Northern Lights are visible in the summer, but it was a pretty spectacular sight, regardless.

Flying at odd hours, you don't get much in the way of food on these flights. Even though Frank snagged the two of us first class upgrades, we were served vegetables and hot dip on both legs of the journey.  Not being a fan of either spinach dip or celery, Alex was starving, so we hit the McDonald's in the airport, which was miraculously still open at 1:00 am. 

Walking outside, the still twilight was a little unnerving.  It was dark, but the sky was lit with purple and gold, pre-sunrise colors that made it seem like it was just about time to get up.

We arrived at the Hilton Anchorage, but even though we were tired from the trip, it was hard to get to sleep.  I think it was partly the excitement of a new travel adventure beginning, and the strangely beautiful twilight outside.  Either way, we were all happy to be together in an exotic new place.

Coming up: Downtown Anchorage, Wasilla, and Denali National Park.