AK – Playing in the Snow on Top of Mt. Alyeska & Disappearing Land

Me sitting in the snow on top of Mt Alyeska!!!  Snowball fight in August!!!     SNOW….in August?!  You bet!  After riding the tram up 2300′ from the Alyeska Lodge to the upper terminal where skiers catch a ride to the tippy-top in the winter, we decided to hike up a trail for another mile to the SNOW!  This trail was fraught with single track switchbacks and pretty steep runs.  There were a few ‘stop and check the scenery’ moments…LOL  We actually had no idea that we would encounter snow when we started…we just heard the view from the topRead More

AK – Alaskan Heritage – The Sky and Earth

 Two stops we made this trip to Anchorage were the AK Aviation Museum and the AK Native Heritage Museum.  In Alaska, the sky is a major avenue for travel even within the state as a very small percentage of it is developed…passable paved roadways are at a premium.  Residents of Alaska fly like the rest of us drive!!!  Most people have their own little private planes actually sitting in their yards!  So, the history of air travel here and its function personally and commercially is quite important.  The museum provided a wonderful visual of the old and the current aircraftRead More

AK – 1st Ride on the AK Railroad…Anchorage to Seward

Fun display across from the depot “All aboard” View of train from the upper landing as we were riding along the Kenai River  What a splendid gift!!!  Carl and I were gifted a round trip ride on the RR with Gold Star Service (meals, adult beverages and ongoing commentary along the route!) So, first, let me say thank you to those responsible for making this trip possible!!!      THE TRAIN – I can’t say enough about how great it was from picking up tickets to prompt departure and arrival to the over all service from the supervisor, the bartenderRead More

AK – Portage Glacier Cruise & AK Wildlife Conservation Center

Ptarmigan – Glacier Tour Boat Portage Glacier Turquoise Ice!!!  WOW!  Turquoise ice! Waterfalls hundreds of feet tall streaming down into a glacier fed pool!  That was what we got to see aboard the ‘Ptarmigan’ in Girdwood on the Kenai Peninsula.  What a splendid hour…we got within a couple hundred feet of the face of the Portage glacier…it was gorgeous!  There were icebergs bobbing in the cold waters around us.  This towering wall of ice is 6 miles long!  In addition to the extreme beauty of the experience, there was one fact that I learned from a staff member that trulyRead More