Downtown

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We woke up heaps more sore than we were yesterday…at least I did. Glenn felt surprisingly well considering how much we (originally “he” but Glenn didn’t like it) fell. In order to have full movement of our necks and arms our day began with massages. With a little more control of our aching neck and back muscles we decided to take it a bit easier today by putting another to work: our wallet.

Glenn had some input for today’s itinerary. While I was occupied setting up the blog Glenn discovered the “Alaska Channel” on tv. Our first touristy destination, as Glenn requested, was the Alaska Mint. After recharging the meter with coins that Glenn decided are hopeless because they don’t have numbers on them (not to mention that our dollars are all the same color, inconceivable!) we began our walk along historic Fourth Avenue.

The statue of the legendary lead dog Balto, located on 4th Avenue, marks the "official" starting point of the Iditarod. Balto was a Siberian Husky sled dog who led his team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, over 1000 miles, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Nenana, Alaska to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. The run is commemorated by the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Because Glenn came to Alaska for his love of huskies (and me) we have to stop at everything Iditarod or husky related. (There’s another statue of Balto in New York that we’ll have to visit too). We’ll be back here in two days to watch the beginning of the race on Saturday.

Continuing along 4th Ave we stopped at The Polar Bear Store—the largest souvenir store in Alaska according to the Alaska Channel Glenn tells me. Walking through the store we passed a brown toy husky with a collar naming it “Kiska.” Glenn quickly corrected me: all the brown ones are called “Cody” he joked. As my uncle said tonight, I think Glenn will be seeing quite a few more “Cody”s around here.

The lessons kept on coming when we walked through Town Park and I pointed towards some less than white snow and told Glenn that he shouldn’t eat it. And yet more learning experiences followed when we went to the Museum of History and Art. We made a rather quick stop in there before dinner and lights out.

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Photos

Fur Rondy
Glenn & Brittana taking in the Fur Rondy celebrations downtown Anchorage.

Glenn & Balto
Glenn's first Husky experience in Alaska. It's obvious he misses his dogs. Can't you see it in his face?

Aussie Huskies
Glenn's dogs: Jack & Cody

Where's Home?
The post points Glenn to Darwin, Australia, but Glenn can't see it--too cloudy