Our Trip To Alaska - Part I

Note: This is the first in a series of blog entries that describe our recent trip to Alaska. I realize that most readers will find this pretty boring. I'm doing it mainly so I'll have a record of what we did. Regular blogging will resume tomorrow.

Departure and Arrival

We drove to Phoenix and took an 8:00 pm flight to Anchorage. We arrived shortly after midnight, and it was still light outside. I was expecting this, but it was still surprising to actually see it. After studying a 650 pound halibut mounted on the wall, we eventually figured out how to get to the rental car place and got a car. We drove to a rather seedy Super 8 motel and got some sleep.

The next morning we got up, ate breakfast, and realized we had some time to kill before picking up the Toads. We drove south toward Seward, and saw some beautiful scenery -- including several sheep on the mountains. They were so far away, I didn't bother taking any photos -- they would have appeared as 4 white pixels.

We went about 30 miles south, and then turned around to go back into town to find the Costco to load up on supplies. Unlike every other Costco I've been in, they had a separate check out for the liquor. I wasn't expecting a state like Alaska to have such restrictive liquor laws. In any case, we loaded the vehicle with $300 worth of food and $150 worth of booze, and then headed back to the airport to pick up Mr. and Mrs. Toad.

The Toads arrived on time. We had met the Toads before, so there were no surprises. They hadn't changed a bit. Toad was as ugly as ever, and Mrs. Toad was as beautiful as ever. Through some computer glitch, they ended up with first class seats at coach fair prices -- so they had to thoroughly rub it in.

To Talkeetna

Next we headed the vehicle -- packed with food, booze, luggage, and humans -- north to Talkeetna. It was about a three hour drive. The weather was great, sunny and warm. We were expecting rain, so it was a pleasant surprise. The drive to Talkeetna had nice scenery, but nothing really spectacular. We turned off the main road, and hit the 14-mile "spur" road that dead-ends in Talkeetna. The town was pretty much as I expected. Very small, kind of quaint, and filled with tourists who come in on tour buses. Our rental cabin was off the main street, and was very nice.

Esther had gotten to the cabin earlier and prepared for our arrival by dressing up Mr. Monkey (the WWR mascot), and leaving a welcome note along with some halibut and fiddlehead ferns. We unpacked the car, put away the food, and had a few cocktails. Toad called Jim and Esther, and they showed up for dinner.

I've been listening to Whole Wheat Radio for more than two years, and I've seen lots of photos of Jim and Esther. When they arrived, it was like seeing old friends. They were exactly as I expected them to be.

We grilled some steaks, drank a lot, and had a grand old time. I don't know what time they left, but it was much later than it seemed because it was still light outside.

(Continued in Part II)