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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Alaska, Day 1!

We arrived in Alaska Sunday night around 11:30pm local time….which to our tired body clocks was 3:30am Monday morning! Luckily the hotel we were staying at had a 24/7 shuttle service, and didn’t even bat an eye at our 2 big duffels full of quilts, one small suitcase full of books, my suitcase, my laptop bag, and DH’s suitcase, and HIS laptop bag.

Tired doesn’t BEGIN to describe how we felt. It’s just not easy to get to Anchorage from Greensboro NC! Continental airlines took us from Greensboro to HOUSTON to Seattle to Anchorage. But we caught all connections, and had a fun time.

So what did we do in Anchorage? WE SLEPT! And we didn’t sleep too late, there were things to attend to! First off ---BREAKFAST. We were starving. And we had to pick up a rental car…so that came first.

Get the car, find the food! So far, so good!

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If you ever make it to Anchorage, GO HERE! It was fabulous! Eggs, bacon, and sourdough pancakes gave us the energy to start the morning! And I was wondering just WHAT else they put in DH’s french toast because he said “Do you want to hit some quilt shops?!?”

I quickly said yes, and put a message out to facebook for recommendations on where to go. He cracked up over the fact that within 8 minutes, there were something like 30 responses..LOL! He just does NOT understand quilters!

We picked two shops…((I’m not pushing this gift horse farther than he is willing to go!)) and started off here:

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I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for, but they had some really neat batiks with Alaskan motifs on it….and they found their way into my suitcase! I’m not sure what I’ll do with them yet, but I can’t come here and NOT get something commemorative! I also found some fun black on white prints for my “collection” ---

There was another shop we hit…oh, I’m drawing a blank! It was inside a shopping mall and was the local bernina dealership. Some fun fabrics were found there also…they had SCRAP BAGS! Why did I need scrap bags when I had so much at home? Well, I didn’t have THESE scrap bags. Easy answer, right?

From here we headed south toward Seward and Moose Pass! DH’s cousin NIkki and her family have been residents outside of Moose Pass for a long time, and we hadn’t seen them in over 25 years!

Along the way….we stopped at every turn out and scenic viewing place that we could find. The weather has not been very cooperative, but you know what? Even rainy raw weather presents such a beauty to the nature here, that I don’t mind!

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We stopped here along the road at a view point….DH saw some “Other guys” with binoculars looking up the mountain side, and he wanted to see what that was all about so he got out his binoculars and we spotted goats wandering way up the side of this mountain! Further down the road, we did see a mama moose and her baby calf grazing in a marshy area, but we were driving too fast and there was no where to pull over and get pictures….

And the scenery continued!

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This is the view from the car window on the way to Moose Pass!

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I loved this sign! And we didn’t see any moose here, but it was a good place to stop for a break! We watched some float planes take off and land on the water..that was fun! And being the adventurous sort that I am, I had to give THIS a try:

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I was wondering if it was Donner or Blitzen that I had on my bun, but it was VERY good! LOL!

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I asked why the water is a funny milky silver color…and was told that it is from the glacier run off. It makes the reflections of the mountains in the water look so neat, because the water is opaque!

We wound our way back to where the turn off for NIkki & Curtis’s house is --- we had to wait until Nikki was off work to pop in on them, and the reunion was sweet! I can’t believe the view from their house! Can you imagine waking up to this out of your front door every morning?

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This is the view from the side of the house across the front yard! GORGEOUS!!

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And if that isn’t enough for you, this is the view of the FRONT of the house looking at the BACK YARD! WOW!!!

We really enjoyed our visit with Dave’s cousin and her family. Next post I’ll include more pictures of the hike we took--- where I’m staying now in Delta Junction doesn’t have the fastest internet and I don’t want to overload this post picture wise!

We are loving our Alaskan Adventure!

15 comments:

cityquilter grace said...

oh gee i'm the first! well, sounds like you are having the time of your life. carry on!

Jenny said...

What glorious scenery! We were very lucky to stay for a week at my penfriend Diane's home in Juneau some years ago, and the scenery there was amazing too. We were at the right time to see the salmon swimming up the streams too.

Jenny from New Zealand

ana s. said...

I think I have sat at that same outlook on the Seward Hiway. Recognize the outcropping. I LOVE Alaska.

Anonymous said...

The quilt shop in the mall is Seams Like Home! Just love looking at your pictures.I'm lucky enough to live here and see this kind of scenery every day! Have a great time. Hoped to come to Delta for your classes but I am unable to travel the distance. Have a great time!
Joy in Wasilla.

Debbie said...

Want to be there...now! Your photos are giving me the longing to visit again. enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Be sure to try the reindeer chili. I'd love to go back to Alaska this time of year.

Kim said...

How very beautiful.
Enjoy!

Happy Sewing

Karen said...

The "goats" you saw are actually Dall Sheep. We were in Alaska 6 days before we saw any. You are so lucky to see them so soon! And rainy days are the best for seeing the wild life. Love the clouds hanging over the mountain behind you in the 4th picture.

Nancy said...

Everything is so GREEN!!!!! It looks like you are having a great time. Have fun!

Janet O. said...

So refreshing to the soul to get out in nature like this. Keep posting those pics--lovin' them! (I would have bought scrap bags, too!)

Amy said...

Ooo, ooo, you ate at Gwennie's. It's an institution in Anchorage. If DH is a beer drinker, make sure he tries some of the Alaskan Amber brand. And if you get back to Anchorage, go to the Glacier Brew House. It's touristy, but the micro brew is excellent.

Patricia said...

I'm glad you like Alaska. I live here in the Chugach Mountains. If you get the chance, stop at Dina's Cozy Cabin Quilts in Eagle River. It is just off the exit (the second ER exit as you head back to Anchorage) to the right off the Glenn Hwy. I would love to take a class from you but didn't know you were going to be in "town"!!

Salem Stitcher said...

I've got to have the recipe for that French Toast!

Wanda said...

Bonnie I am so sorry I missed you. I was at both Quilt Tree and Seams Like Home on Monday. :( Would loved to have gotten to meet you. The third shop in town in Quilt Zone.

Beth said...

Amazing scenery! Thanks for sharing your travels with us once again.

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