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Published: August 5th 2014
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Not the State - the blog.
We spent the night at the Talkeetna Lodge. The terrace of this property faces Denali and when the weather cooperates it offers a spectacular view. The weather was not cooperating. The guys and Ann went down to town for dinner while ML and I ate in the lodge. A sign on the door warns that a bear has been sighted on the property, but not by us. We had a window table that would have offered a great view, but......
The last day of our land tour begins early and we have breakfast at the same table, still no view, and are on the road at 7:30. We take the Parks Highway into Anchorage and stop at the Anchorage Museum. While the group goes looking for lunch, I head to the second level and stroll the gallery dedicated to the history of Alaska. I am virtually alone and have plenty of time to admire the detail in the dioramas and begin to understand how the native peoples really lived. The artifacts progress from simple to quite complex and also very beautifully made with great attention to detail and beautifully
executed details. This is just a small sample of the archeological artifacts, thousands of items had been housed in the Smithsonian in DC and have now returned home to Alaska. Native elders are given an opportunity to examine them hands on and understand how these objects were made. The rest of us can enjoy their beauty and admire the ingenuity of the people who made them.
All to soon it was back on the bus for the final drive of our journey, Anchorage to Seward on the Seward Highway. The road parallels the railroad tracks for much of the way so I have seen this all before but it didn't get old. We follow the highway around Turnagain Arm , through Moose Pass and arrive in Seward around 2:30. Our final stop before boarding is the Sea Life Center, a research, educational and animal rescue facility. It was originally funded with part of the settlement for the Exxon Valdez spill and offers the only aquarium in Alaska. Before we can wander around we go to Poop school. Sounds like something everyone wants to do on their vacation, right?
We are seated at tables of
six and are given samples of sanitized Steller Sea Lion poop, tweezers, a magnifying glass, an electronic microscope and asked to identify the solid bits. This would tell us what the animal was feeding on. This experiment will be repeated over time to see if there is a change in diet. All of this is in aid of making sure the species will survive. After school we explore the tanks and viewing stations. My favorite was the underwater viewing of the diving birds. They actually use their wings to fly through the water.
Now it was time to say goodby to Phil and Carlene and board the Radiance of the Sea. Embarkation was quick and we were soon in our cabin. The safety drill was one of the quickest I have ever encountered and while we were waiting we were entertained by a sea otter hanging out near the dock.
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