Monday, August 30, 2010
Off to a good start...
If this past weekend is any indication of how my I-can-have-fun-every-weekend-because-I-don't-have-to-worry-about-homework-or-classes year is going to go, I think I'm on course to have a tremendously fun time. This weekend I enjoyed happy hour drinks with friends, had a night out with Josh, went for a 65 mile bike ride, ate pizza and watched movies at home, and spent a full day kayaking on Lake Pleasant with Josh and Mom. It was relaxing and fun and awesome. Three cheers for escaping the self-induced academic guilt!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Back to Virginia..
This past weekend I went back Virginia to see the first boy I ever kissed get married. It had been six years since I'd been back to VA, four years since I'd seen Jake, and two years since I'd seen my dad. Obviously, a trip was overdue, and I'm glad that Jake's wedding gave me the kick I needed to go back and visit.
I don't know what kind of differences I was expecting, but things haven't changed much from what I remember. I spent a morning driving around Ashland, checking out places we lived over the years, driving past random places I recognized. With the exception of the occasional fresh new coat of paint, most places looked just as I remember them. I tried to think of an Ashland-analogous town here in AZ, and just couldn't imagine what the best comparison would be. Bisbee is about the same population size, but is very different in terms of demographics and history... although I suppose one might get a similar small-town feel from both. Anyway, my point is that where I live now and where I grew are two very different places, and that really stuck with me on my return this past weekend.
Another thing I noticed while driving around is that Richmond is actually a very charming city. Cobblestone streets, tree-lined avenues of historic brownstones, Monument Avenue, the James River... I think I have been very willing to ignore these things for the last decade. I still hold my vow to never live in Virginia again, but, I admit that perhaps I've been a bit harsh on Richmond in my absence. Sorry, Richmond. You're actually very pretty, in your own way. I did some quick drive-by photography, drove by a few other houses we once inhabited, did a lap around Hollywood cemetery, longingly watched people splashing and kayaking in the river, toured through Carytown, and ate at a diner in Shockoe Bottom with Dad. It was a nice refresher.
The Jake-Ali wedding festivities were quite fun, and it was great to be able to catch up with some people I hadn't seen in a very, very long time. Jake is the only person from high school that I actually keep in touch with at all anymore, and is definitely the only person whose wedding I would travel across the country to attend. I could tell that my being there meant a lot, and I was happy to be a part of the celebration. The ceremony and party were, appropriately, held at the Williamson farm. The farm looked beautiful with flowers everywhere, lanterns and candles lit, and tents set up for the event. There was live music (both a fun bluegrass band and a terrific wedding cover band), wonderful food from a local BBQ place, and tons of tremendous positive energy and happy people. It was the perfect party for Jake and Ali. Congrats to them.
I don't know what kind of differences I was expecting, but things haven't changed much from what I remember. I spent a morning driving around Ashland, checking out places we lived over the years, driving past random places I recognized. With the exception of the occasional fresh new coat of paint, most places looked just as I remember them. I tried to think of an Ashland-analogous town here in AZ, and just couldn't imagine what the best comparison would be. Bisbee is about the same population size, but is very different in terms of demographics and history... although I suppose one might get a similar small-town feel from both. Anyway, my point is that where I live now and where I grew are two very different places, and that really stuck with me on my return this past weekend.
Another thing I noticed while driving around is that Richmond is actually a very charming city. Cobblestone streets, tree-lined avenues of historic brownstones, Monument Avenue, the James River... I think I have been very willing to ignore these things for the last decade. I still hold my vow to never live in Virginia again, but, I admit that perhaps I've been a bit harsh on Richmond in my absence. Sorry, Richmond. You're actually very pretty, in your own way. I did some quick drive-by photography, drove by a few other houses we once inhabited, did a lap around Hollywood cemetery, longingly watched people splashing and kayaking in the river, toured through Carytown, and ate at a diner in Shockoe Bottom with Dad. It was a nice refresher.
The Jake-Ali wedding festivities were quite fun, and it was great to be able to catch up with some people I hadn't seen in a very, very long time. Jake is the only person from high school that I actually keep in touch with at all anymore, and is definitely the only person whose wedding I would travel across the country to attend. I could tell that my being there meant a lot, and I was happy to be a part of the celebration. The ceremony and party were, appropriately, held at the Williamson farm. The farm looked beautiful with flowers everywhere, lanterns and candles lit, and tents set up for the event. There was live music (both a fun bluegrass band and a terrific wedding cover band), wonderful food from a local BBQ place, and tons of tremendous positive energy and happy people. It was the perfect party for Jake and Ali. Congrats to them.
(Please ignore the shininess. I just can't handle the humidity.)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Alaska, Part 4
Now that I'm back, I cannot believe how incredibly comfortable my bed is. And how nice it is to have a full night of darkness in which to sleep. We had a fabulous trip, but I'm glad to be home.
Josh and I have both posted photos in our online albums. Some of his are on Flickr (he mixed a few of my shots in there too), mine are all on Picasa, and I will also be posting an album of all of my favorite shots from both of our cameras on Facebook. I know it's a bit of overkill, but not everybody has access to all of these pages. So:
Also, I wanted to link to a few of the cool places we visited. Josh said that it was good for their website stats if I put links up, plus, these are simply cool places that I'd recommend people visit when in the area.
Josh and I have both posted photos in our online albums. Some of his are on Flickr (he mixed a few of my shots in there too), mine are all on Picasa, and I will also be posting an album of all of my favorite shots from both of our cameras on Facebook. I know it's a bit of overkill, but not everybody has access to all of these pages. So:
Also, I wanted to link to a few of the cool places we visited. Josh said that it was good for their website stats if I put links up, plus, these are simply cool places that I'd recommend people visit when in the area.
- Denali Mountain Morning Hostel (Denali) - This funky little place provided us shelter and showers and a bed after a few very cold and rainy nights camping in Denali Nat'l Park. They have a free shuttle service to and from the park, a great kitchen, and really pretty log-cabin style buildings.
- Arctic Adventures Hostel (Anchorage) - It's a bit less funky and social than some other hostels, but this place was super clean and tidy, with lots of private rooms, and the best price in town.
- Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises (Whittier) - We took a day cruise with this company, and loved every minute of it. Awesome boat crew, awesome lunch, awesome cruise.
- Alaska Kayak Center (Palmer) - They've got some pricey trip options, but our half-day whitewater trip was just about perfect. Jim, the owner and our guide, was super knowledgeable and really nice (and saved us both when we got tossed in the arctic waters).
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (Portage) - This place is really great. They care for and house all kinds of wildlife (bears, oxen, caribou, moose, porcupines, eagles, etc) that can no longer live in the wild for one reason or another. I'm always a sucker for anything involving animal rehab, and when we walked around the grounds and a) read the stories of all of their baby animal rescues, and b) saw one of the employees having her faced sweetly nuzzled by a baby deer, I was sold.
- Glacier Brewhouse (Anchorage) - This is apparently the place to eat in downtown Anchorage. And it's quite good. We stuffed ourselves and were very happy to do so. Try the Imperial Blond ale, it's creamy and smooth, and 9% alcohol. Yum.
- Pump House Restaurant and Saloon (Fairbanks) - This was, hand down, the best seafood chowder I've ever eaten in my life. Wow. And the fresh sourdough bread was amazing. Oh, and mac&cheese with king crab meat?! I'm in heaven.
- Santa Claus House (North Pole) - Because if you're anywhere near Fairbanks, you just have to visit North Pole. And if you're in North Pole, you have to visit Santa's house. Duh. They've even got the reindeer hanging out back.
Next time (and yes, I would definitely go back to Alaska), I'd want to visit at a time of year when I could see the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, we just had too much daylight to see anything. And I'd love to explore more the coastal areas of Alaska, especially the rainforest-y areas over by Juneau and Ketchikan. I'll add it to my ever-growing list of places-I-want-to-travel.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Alaska, Part 3
I am SO glad we decided to travel down to Anchorage. The last few days have been really fun. Had we stayed in Fairbanks, we probably would have spent a lot of time trying to simply find things to do, whereas in Anchorage our main problem was trying to decide which things to do because there were so many options. And I must say, after a week of sleeping in our tent every night, it has been really nice to stay in a hostel and have access to a shower every day (especially considering how cloudy and rainy it has been).
In the last few days,we have explored downtown Anchorage, eaten at some very tasty restaurants, watched the famous bore tides come into Turnagain Arm, taken a day cruise to see wildlife and glaciers in Prince William Sound, visited the rehabilitated wildlife at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, gone whitewater kayaking, AND visited Santa at the North Pole. We've ended the trip on quite a few good notes, if you ask me, as we return to Tucson tomorrow morning.
The cruise through Prince William Sound was pretty awesome,and I'm so glad we did it. We got to see a glacier up close and to see/hear it calve and crash into the icy waters below, we ate a really delicious lunch of king crab cakes, we visited the largest salmon hatchery in North America and got to see a fishing boat reel in it's 20,000-pound load of pink salmon,and we got to see bald eagles, sea otter, seals, sea lions, and porpoises. It was spectacular, and we were lucky to have the most beautiful weather that the captain said he had seen in weeks. I'm trying to figure out how I can best smuggle a sea otter back to Arizona. Those things are sickeningly adorable. (My alternate plan is to break into one of the sled dog kennels and steal a husky puppy...)
Since we never got to take our planned canoe trip in Fairbanks,we decided that we wanted to try to do a day of either canoeing or kayaking before we left Anchorage. We had thought that we'd just rent a boat and hang out on one of the lakes or something,but we found a place in Wasilla (about 40 miles north of Anchorage) that would take us kayaking on some beginner-friendly rapids. So, yesterday we suited up in dry suits and helmets, got an intro lesson on how to whitewater kayak, and took off down the river. We had a guide with us, which was a very good thing because both Josh and I managed to flip ourselves out of our kayaks at different times on the trip. I don't think you really realize how cold 40-degree glacial rivers are until you are unexpectedly thrown into them. It was... shocking. And a bit stressful. But our guide was awesome and the rapids were actually quite fun (although I do admit that I chickened out and skirted around a few of the bigger ones after my wipeout.) We took along a cheapo waterproof disposable camera, so there are a few photos which I will try to get on the computer with the others pics at some point.
The area around Anchorage is gorgeous- and I can totally understand why the Seward highway is labelled as one of the prettiest scenic highways in the U.S. I could never live in a place like this, but I would certainly visit again.
Back to Tucson tomorrow. I'll post final links to photos and stuff after we've sorted through and gotten them posted on our respective albums. It's been a fun trip.
In the last few days,we have explored downtown Anchorage, eaten at some very tasty restaurants, watched the famous bore tides come into Turnagain Arm, taken a day cruise to see wildlife and glaciers in Prince William Sound, visited the rehabilitated wildlife at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, gone whitewater kayaking, AND visited Santa at the North Pole. We've ended the trip on quite a few good notes, if you ask me, as we return to Tucson tomorrow morning.
The cruise through Prince William Sound was pretty awesome,and I'm so glad we did it. We got to see a glacier up close and to see/hear it calve and crash into the icy waters below, we ate a really delicious lunch of king crab cakes, we visited the largest salmon hatchery in North America and got to see a fishing boat reel in it's 20,000-pound load of pink salmon,and we got to see bald eagles, sea otter, seals, sea lions, and porpoises. It was spectacular, and we were lucky to have the most beautiful weather that the captain said he had seen in weeks. I'm trying to figure out how I can best smuggle a sea otter back to Arizona. Those things are sickeningly adorable. (My alternate plan is to break into one of the sled dog kennels and steal a husky puppy...)
Since we never got to take our planned canoe trip in Fairbanks,we decided that we wanted to try to do a day of either canoeing or kayaking before we left Anchorage. We had thought that we'd just rent a boat and hang out on one of the lakes or something,but we found a place in Wasilla (about 40 miles north of Anchorage) that would take us kayaking on some beginner-friendly rapids. So, yesterday we suited up in dry suits and helmets, got an intro lesson on how to whitewater kayak, and took off down the river. We had a guide with us, which was a very good thing because both Josh and I managed to flip ourselves out of our kayaks at different times on the trip. I don't think you really realize how cold 40-degree glacial rivers are until you are unexpectedly thrown into them. It was... shocking. And a bit stressful. But our guide was awesome and the rapids were actually quite fun (although I do admit that I chickened out and skirted around a few of the bigger ones after my wipeout.) We took along a cheapo waterproof disposable camera, so there are a few photos which I will try to get on the computer with the others pics at some point.
The area around Anchorage is gorgeous- and I can totally understand why the Seward highway is labelled as one of the prettiest scenic highways in the U.S. I could never live in a place like this, but I would certainly visit again.
(This bear was rescued as a tiny cub when she was found by some hunters, abandoned by her mother and with hundreds of porcupine quills in her paws, thus unable to walk or do anything for herself. She's been raised by humans at the Wildlife Conservation Center and can no longer be let back into the wild.)
Back to Tucson tomorrow. I'll post final links to photos and stuff after we've sorted through and gotten them posted on our respective albums. It's been a fun trip.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Alaska, Part 2
Today I had my first "near moose"! Our car passed by a large moose cow and her calf on the side of the road, but unfortunately I wasn't fast enough with my camera to catch a shot of them. What huge, goofy-looking animals.
So, Denali:
Denali National Park is officially the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Holy cow. We got rained on, on and off, just about the entire time we were there, got eaten alive by ginormous mosquitoes, and never really got to see Mt. McKinley except for small pieces through the clouds... but it was still absolutely breathtaking. We camped out at Wonder Lake, which is 85 miles inside the park and only accessible by park shuttle bus. The bus ride took 5 hours one-way, and I was never bored for a minute of it. From the bus we saw caribou, dall sheep (like bighorns, but white), a huge kit fox, a golden eagle, a few moose (mooses?), and three grizzlies! I didn't really even try to capture the wildlife on my camera, as Josh made sure to take approximately 57 photos of every animal we saw (including the rabbits and squirrels). I'll post and/or link to some of his photos once we get back home. They are amazing.
After a few cold and rainy nights, we decided to go back to civilization and found a nice little hostel room to shower, and scored an awesome halibut/salmon dinner with wine. The train ride between Denali and Fairbanks was also really pretty, with huge windows and glass ceilings.
Since returning to the cabin in the woods, we have spent time doing home repairs. I even hit up one of the local outdoor shops and found myself some Carhartts. (Of course I should have known that they would carry women's-specific Carhartt work pants in Alaska!) Oh, and in case anybody was wondering... salmon jerky? Not as tasty as I had hoped. Pretty much tastes just like dried out, very fishy salmon. Kind of blech.
The weather has been rainy here in Fairbanks. We had been planning to take a canoe trip on the Chena River this week, but with the unpredictable weather, we've changed our plans. Since we've still got five full days to wander around, tomorrow morning we will head south to Anchorage to explore that area, do some hikes, maybe take a boat ride and check out a glacier or two. And eat lots more seafood.
So, Denali:
Denali National Park is officially the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Holy cow. We got rained on, on and off, just about the entire time we were there, got eaten alive by ginormous mosquitoes, and never really got to see Mt. McKinley except for small pieces through the clouds... but it was still absolutely breathtaking. We camped out at Wonder Lake, which is 85 miles inside the park and only accessible by park shuttle bus. The bus ride took 5 hours one-way, and I was never bored for a minute of it. From the bus we saw caribou, dall sheep (like bighorns, but white), a huge kit fox, a golden eagle, a few moose (mooses?), and three grizzlies! I didn't really even try to capture the wildlife on my camera, as Josh made sure to take approximately 57 photos of every animal we saw (including the rabbits and squirrels). I'll post and/or link to some of his photos once we get back home. They are amazing.
After a few cold and rainy nights, we decided to go back to civilization and found a nice little hostel room to shower, and scored an awesome halibut/salmon dinner with wine. The train ride between Denali and Fairbanks was also really pretty, with huge windows and glass ceilings.
Since returning to the cabin in the woods, we have spent time doing home repairs. I even hit up one of the local outdoor shops and found myself some Carhartts. (Of course I should have known that they would carry women's-specific Carhartt work pants in Alaska!) Oh, and in case anybody was wondering... salmon jerky? Not as tasty as I had hoped. Pretty much tastes just like dried out, very fishy salmon. Kind of blech.
The weather has been rainy here in Fairbanks. We had been planning to take a canoe trip on the Chena River this week, but with the unpredictable weather, we've changed our plans. Since we've still got five full days to wander around, tomorrow morning we will head south to Anchorage to explore that area, do some hikes, maybe take a boat ride and check out a glacier or two. And eat lots more seafood.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Alaska, Part 1.5
A few photos from my camera (Josh has all the good ones, but at least it's something.) Denali tomorrow!!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Alaska, Part 1
We're here!
Our flight from Seattle to Fairbanks left at 9pm Friday night, just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon. As we sat on the plane, the sky got progressively brighter. By the time we arrived in Fairbanks around midnight, it was indeed fully bright outside- still about an hour before "sunset". There is apparently about 2.5 hours of darkness each night right now, and that increases by a few minutes each day. For the last two nights we've been staying in a little rental cabin (thanks, Josh's dad) which thankfully has dark, heavy curtains... but I'm very curious to see how, and if, I'll sleep once we're camping. [I'm not thinking about the fact that I probably wouldn't sleep anyway because I'd be lying awake listening for bears. Yay.]
We hung out around Fairbanks yesterday, walked by the river, checked out some stores, visited the University of Alaska's museum. At one point, near downtown, we drove by a roadside gathering of the Interior Alaska Conservative Coalition. They had a table at which you could join the Tea Party, and they were selling full body armor suits for $100. Very creepy. I debated taking a photo, but didn't feel like pushing my luck. You don't taunt the grizzly bears when you're in the forest up here, and I wasn't going to push these guys' buttons either.
I've already had delicious halibut, rockfish, and king crab legs. I plan to eat as much seafood as possible in the next two weeks. And I know I'm easily excited by lush, green environment... but man, the plants and flowers here are absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait to see more of the wild flowers once we get further away from town. No good photos yet, but I'll try to post some when I get them.
This afternoon we will head out of town to Josh's dad's cabin, which is about 60 miles away from Fairbanks, in the mountains. We will probably stay there, tool around the property, play with the dogs, etc. until we come back through town to catch our train to Denali on Wednesday morning. We're camping at Denali for three nights. Expect some amazing photos of my feet upon our return.
Our flight from Seattle to Fairbanks left at 9pm Friday night, just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon. As we sat on the plane, the sky got progressively brighter. By the time we arrived in Fairbanks around midnight, it was indeed fully bright outside- still about an hour before "sunset". There is apparently about 2.5 hours of darkness each night right now, and that increases by a few minutes each day. For the last two nights we've been staying in a little rental cabin (thanks, Josh's dad) which thankfully has dark, heavy curtains... but I'm very curious to see how, and if, I'll sleep once we're camping. [I'm not thinking about the fact that I probably wouldn't sleep anyway because I'd be lying awake listening for bears. Yay.]
We hung out around Fairbanks yesterday, walked by the river, checked out some stores, visited the University of Alaska's museum. At one point, near downtown, we drove by a roadside gathering of the Interior Alaska Conservative Coalition. They had a table at which you could join the Tea Party, and they were selling full body armor suits for $100. Very creepy. I debated taking a photo, but didn't feel like pushing my luck. You don't taunt the grizzly bears when you're in the forest up here, and I wasn't going to push these guys' buttons either.
I've already had delicious halibut, rockfish, and king crab legs. I plan to eat as much seafood as possible in the next two weeks. And I know I'm easily excited by lush, green environment... but man, the plants and flowers here are absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait to see more of the wild flowers once we get further away from town. No good photos yet, but I'll try to post some when I get them.
This afternoon we will head out of town to Josh's dad's cabin, which is about 60 miles away from Fairbanks, in the mountains. We will probably stay there, tool around the property, play with the dogs, etc. until we come back through town to catch our train to Denali on Wednesday morning. We're camping at Denali for three nights. Expect some amazing photos of my feet upon our return.
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