3 Days in Anchorage

7/15/17


Bus picked us up at 9:15 this morning.  Finally, we got a good bus - a Prevost with comfortable seats and big scenic windows.  The bus driver was also our guide.  He took us downtown Anchorage for a movie (about 20 minutes) about the Iditarod and the native Indians (we had really seen all of this before).  The ladies all wanted to go to the flea market across the street, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.






After the movie, the driver took us to Ship Creek where a tent city was set up after the 1964 earthquake -- a 9.5 quake (the largest recorded in North America) hit the Anchorage area and moved a lot of land.  It killed over 100 people, mostly from the tsunami that followed.  While we were in this area, we went to the Ulu Factory, an old form of a knife, used by the local natives for thousands of years.  In fact, they had an old one in the case that was dated back 3000 years.  I bought one to take home (I think everybody else did too).





Lunch was at the 49th State Brewing Company, a micro brewery.  The food was good, and so was the company.  We had lunch with Trish and Bev from Victoria, BC.  Then we all got back on the bus and headed for Lake Hood, a center of float plane activity.  The bus driver made a bad turn and had to turn around.  He chose a gravel area in front of the docked float planes, but when he pulled in, the rear wheels got stuck in a dip and would go nowhere.  Also, the back end dragged on the pavement.

Bus rear wheels stuck in the gravel

It drug on the pavement

 

Everyone tried to help

Bob tried to put wood behind the wheels

 

We all got out of the bus and everyone tried to help him.  Bob (one of our group) even got wood and placed it behind the rear wheels, but nothing worked, so the bus driver called for help.    I felt so bad for the driver, as he was so embarrassed.  He said he had been driving for 40 years, and this had never happened before.  He couldn't have had a better group on board, as all of us at one time or another, has gotten our rig stuck or damaged and had to call for help. 

Meanwhile, we watched the planes take off and land while we waited for help to arrive.  Here are some float plane pictures. 

Float plane taking off

Float planes moored on Lake Hood

Finally, help arrived and we all loaded back up while he took up to an overlook above Anchorage.  We all got pictures, but I think the event with the bus stuck was the highlight for everyone. 

Anchorage downtown from the overlook

Back to the RV.  Tom took care of the dogs and had a nap, while I finished my blog.  Hooray - I am caught up!














7/16/17


Today is free for all of us.  No scheduled events.  Tom and I, along with Trish and Bev (from Victoria, BC) left around 9:45 for the flea market, which opened at 10:00 in downtown Anchorage.  Bev has a bad case of neuropathy in her feet, so she came on her German-built scooter.  What a great little machine.  It was light weight (about 35 pounds) and folds down so it fits in the trunk of the car.  It runs on a battery that lasts all day.  It gives her total mobility, and she can handle it easily.  I got the information for you, Dad.  I was really impressed by this machine.  We arrived at the flea market, but about 1/3 of the vendors were gone, but we had fun anyway.  We got fried bread and coffee - YUM!  It has been almost 50 years since I've had fried bread.




I bought some fruit and a great photo book, put together by a local professional photographer of Alaskan scenes and animals.  It is a beautiful book and the pictures are far better than I could ever get.  Trish also picked up a couple of things, and we left.  We walked to the Wild Berries Candy Shop and bought some candy.  Then we went to the Alaska Mint, which I thought must be a coin shop, but turned out to be a family-owned jewelry store.  Trish was looking for a pendant for her gold chain.  The three of us wandered all through the store and ended up in the same section, which was a raised area that showed white quartz with gold veining stones.  All three of us bought jewelry and we were all so pleased with our 'finds'.




We went back to the car and unloaded our goodies and drove to our next stop, a musk ox knitting co-op, run by native Alaskans.  This stop was my call as I saw an advertisement about this place.  The yarn made from the undercoat of the musk ox was advertised as "warmer than wool, but doesn't itch like wool; lighter in weight than wool, and softer than cashmere".  We found the location and visited with the lady at the counter.  The knitted products really were just a soft and light weight as advertised, but they did not have very much inventory - - and, it was very expensive.  A small knitted hat was over $250.  We left a little disappointed.




We moved the car to another "Pay to Park" lot, and Bev stayed in the car.  Trish picked this spot.  The three of us were interested in Trapper Jacks Souvenir shop and figured we weren't going to be very long.  We didn't find anything.  Bev didn't even see the guy who came through and put a ticket on the windshield.  So we split the cost of parking and the ticket and called it a day.  It was worth it - we really had a great day together.




When we got back to the RV, Tom spent the afternoon cleaning up the outside of the RV.  It was covered with dirt and rain spots, and now it looks really good.  I read for a while, then made dinner.








7/17/17


On our own again today.  We have personal things to get done today.  Tom and I and the dogs went to a shopping center and I got a haircut, the dogs got their nails trimmed, and I shopped for a few grocery items at Target.  We got home and put everything away, and had lunch, and did our laundry.    I laid down to have a nap, and fell sound asleep for 2 solid hours.  Wow - I must have been spent.  We went to the Wagonmaster meeting at 5:00.  They brought pizza for dinner and talked about our travel day tomorrow to Homer.  It sounds like a great drive, and a beautiful RV Park.  That is all for Anchorage.