Sunday, June 24, 2012
Muskox and Gold in Nome
I wish I could have stayed another day in Nome. I couldn't get a room. There were several events going on. Summer Sun Festival, a reunion, and lots of gold seekers or dredgers. On the sightseeing tour we saw a small version of a modern day gold rush tent town. The price of gold added to the reality TV show has people flocking to Nome again. We saw some old dredges that are no longer working and we saw some new ones that men are working all day in good weather. They go down under water with 2 hoses. One has their air and the other has warm water that goes through their diving suit to keep them warm in those frigid waters. They are dredging the bottom for gold. We also saw 3 different groups of Muskox. It was so neat to get to see these in the wild. I had seen them in the Anchorage zoo.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
More Nome
I have internet tonight, so I'll go ahead and talk about subsistant living. Many of the Native Alaskan people are still living or trying to live as they have for hundreds, even thousands of years. They teach their children how to hunt, fish , gather berries, etc. I heard on the news that because of the very cold winter this year that some of the salmon are slow in returning to spawn. This means that the people haven't been able to catch their limits or enough to feed their families this next winter. One lady said that maybe they will all need food stamps this year, but that's not what they want. They want to be able to fish this certain kind of salmon for longer this year. I didn't know they were so many different kinds of salmon and they all come different times and places. I hope to be down on the Kenai when some of them are coming. I saw a net at Costco that was 4 1/2 feet across the diameter and had a 17 ft handle. I asked a couple what it was for and she told me :Catching salmon".
Hopefully, I will get to see some wild muskox tomorrow. Even though you can not drive to Nome there are 3 roads that lead out of here going to villages, toward the Bering land bridge(you still can't get all the way there), and I can't remember where else, but should know after the tour I'm taking.
Hopefully, I will get to see some wild muskox tomorrow. Even though you can not drive to Nome there are 3 roads that lead out of here going to villages, toward the Bering land bridge(you still can't get all the way there), and I can't remember where else, but should know after the tour I'm taking.
Nome
You do see cars here, but there are more 4 wheelers. You have to bring these all here on boats or planes. You can not drive to Nome. |
The Nugget Inn |
Well, I visited with quite a few people around town today. Everyone says they love living here and that it was warmer last week. I hope to see some mining or at least panning for gold tomorrow. The boats did not go out yesterday or today because of the weather. Nome is one if the few places in the Alaskan "bush" where you can buy alcohol. The guide books said I would probably see some "drunks staggering down the street", and I did, but most everyone is very friendly and interesting to talk to. The drop out rate is very high here. More than half of the kids that start kinder do not graduate.
Flying to Nome
Well, I decided to check out Nome, Ak. I barely got 2 nights in a hotel. I couldn't get any in Barrow (top of the world) until next week. It is the summer solstice which is big stuff around here! I had to park my camper in an airport lot next to the float plane field aka Lake Hood. Our flight was delayed for an hour, but I visited with a Native Alaskan family. Mom seemed older than me, but her daughter was about 35. They live in Kotzebue, which we stopped at on the way to Nome. If Jordan and I fly back up there in a month she said she will take us berry picking. We flew over ice floes in the Bering Sea. It was awesome looking! I'm staying at the Nugget Inn on the Bering Sea. From my window it looks like it could be a Texas beach! I know that it is very cold though. The gold hunters have returned to Nome. They are having to stay in today because the water is too rough. I saw some of their boats and things last night. Well I'm going to a Ranger led thing at 2, so got to go.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Anchorage
Well, I've been exploring Anchorage for several days now. I can not believe how warm it is getting. It was 62 yesterday and I was able to wear a short sleeve shirt for the first time. Yesterday was a really sunny, the first in more than a week. I went to several farmers markets with my cousin Jessica. She is my daughters age and lives here. She eats very healthy and was looking for fresh produce. It amazes me how many flowers there are here. It seems that everyone has hanging baskets and beautiful flowering trees and shrubs. Wendy and my dad would probably know their names, but they are just beautiful to me. Even though it snowed on the mountains around Anchorage the other day, I can tell that lots of the snow up there has melted since I got here a month ago. I'm having lots of trouble getting on line so maybe I'll have to wait to post pictures.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Fishing on the Glen Hwy
Bear hunters |
Shar |
Glen Hwy
Matanuska River |
Pictures along the Glen Hwy. Look at the name of the town(Chickaloon). It made me think of Ivie, don't know why. I'm leaving the Ma-Su Valley tonight and going back to Anchorage. I need to have a door repaired on the camper. I was going to a baseball game ,but it has been raining for 3 days, so I'll have to skip it.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Matanuska Glacier .
A rock glacier |
Matanuska Glacier(See the jagged edges) |
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Matanuska River Park
This is the view across from the entrance of the park. |
Palmer Colony Days
Check out the scenery behind the booths and the parade. |
These guys were hilarious, they danced and acted like they really were on their hands. (Look close at the face looking out of the leg on the left one.) |
Palmer started after the "New Deal". Several thousand families were brought in and given land. The celebration today was all about this, but there was a parade and fair with food, fun, and animals. I had the very best fried raspberry pie I've ever eaten. There was a tamale booth, but I didn't try them.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Ma-Su Valley
Well, Hoa left on Sunday and I've been just chilling for a couple of days. I had to go to the dentist yesterday so stayed close to Anchorage. The lady we met in Whitehorse that lives here gave me the name of her dentist. He had to smooth down my crown and put me on antibiotics for inflammation. He grew up in San Saba, went to UT, and Baylor. Didn't charge me a penny. Told me to be careful and agreed with my boys that I should have brought a gun with me.
Well, I'm staying at a park called the Mat-Su River Park in Palmer. This is close to Wasilla. My brother Mike told me if I see Sarah P, I should ask her for fishing advice. Maybe not. Well, I seem to be having trouble posting this. Yea!!
Well, I'm staying at a park called the Mat-Su River Park in Palmer. This is close to Wasilla. My brother Mike told me if I see Sarah P, I should ask her for fishing advice. Maybe not. Well, I seem to be having trouble posting this. Yea!!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Anchorage Zoo and Float Planes
Well, before Hoa had to go home we went to the zoo. It is not big, but they have most of the animals that are found in Alaska. Most of the animals have been hurt or orphaned. It was a nice day and the warmest we've had so far. (62) All the owls and eagles had broken or damaged wings before they came here. We watched a snowy owl get dinner. He is spoiled and only wants quail. He swooped on to it just like he would have in the wild. The picture of the black bears make them look like cubs, but they were full grown, just playing like cubs.
We also sat and watched several float planes land and take off. They have a lake and strip of water right next to the airport. We counted about 40 or so float planes.
We also sat and watched several float planes land and take off. They have a lake and strip of water right next to the airport. We counted about 40 or so float planes.
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