Travel Blog Posts
February 3rd 2007
I know most of you know that I am no longer in Alaska but I couldn't move on without a blog on Denali National Park. My sister, Sherry, my neice, Natalie, nephew, Brennen, Morgan and I visited Denali in July. Denali, "High One" named by the local Athabascan native Alaskans was formerly named McKinley National Park. It was renamed Denali by Carter in 1980. It is a 6 million acre sub-arctic park, larger than the state of Massachusetts. It remains mostly wild and unspoiled. Most surprising is how small the trees are. According to the park guides, the permafrost (the thin layer of topsoil that thaws each summer) leaves the spruce trees small and spindly. While the mountains are large the fauna is minature and dwarfed. Mt. McKinley is usually cloud-covered and rarely able to be ... read more
November 12th 2006
When in Alaska, all will advise you to go to the Kenai (Kee-nie) Peninsula and they know what they're talking about. Homer is the town at the end of the road in the Kenai Peninsula, on the bank of the Kachemak Bay and called the Halibut Capital of the world. During the summer months, Homer is known for trout, salmon and halibut fishing, hiking, sea-kayaking, clamming and mountain biking. Charter tours to see wildlife and glaciers and fishing abound. Dorothy, Al, Renee and I took a fishing charter with Rainbow Tours, Captain Art Morris and the Jackpot (see pictures). Highly recommended! Both Dorothy and I caught Halibut, wildlife was abundant and all had a great time. After fishing, make sure you head over to the Salty Dawg Saloon to share fishing stories. While I haven't been ... read more
Anchorage in the Summer
Published: September 12th 2006North America » United States » Alaska » Anchorage
September 12th 2006
While it takes many trips outside of Anchorage to get the true feel of Alaska, Anchorage has much to offer. Flowers and artwork are everywhere. During the short summer here, you can see workers constantly tending them. There are the usual museums, cultural centers, zoo, botanical gardens and parks. My neice and nephew's favorite was the polar bear at the zoo which played with its toys for hours. Dorothy, a good friend, loved the Alaska Native Heritage Center where they had storytelling, ulu knife demonstrations and native artwork. But for any of you that know me, I love the trails. Bike trails abound in the city, one I can ride to work and another goes along the coast. It is also the best place to see moose and up to now I have seen approximately 13 ... read more
July 10th 2006
Bureaucracy is alive and well even in Alaska. I am working at the Alaska Native Medical Center here in Anchorage and orientation is 2 weeks and sometimes it's hard to stay awake. One highlight--we went through cultural and geographic orientation. The native Alaskans seem very organized and strong up here. There are 12 native "corporations" and they seem to run most native Alaskan business up here. Many of them at least grew up living a subsistence life, ie fishing, hunting and growing their own foods. A common question if you are eating fish is if you caught it or bought it! Did you know that there are more bald eagles in Prince William Sound (a small area of Alaska) than all the other states combined. So far I have seen 3. There are more earthquakes here ... read more
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