Several people have asked to see more of our pictures from our trip to Alaska. I have uploaded them to the Kodak easyshare website, so you are welcome to view them there. Hopefully this link will work:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=xj4mh43.4mks28rb&Uy=-1p40ga&Ux=1
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Fun with cousins!
This week my dad's sister and 8 of her 9 children stayed with us from Wednesday until Saturday. We had 4 busy, fun days filled with swimming, talking, playing instruments, indoor games, basketball, etc... Of course whenever you have that many people there is a lot of cooking and eating and fellowship that goes on too. Sleeping is always a little tricky, but there is always plenty of floor space in the living room and a few extra mattresses and futons always come in handy. Thursday night we all headed down to mission bay for a bonfire and Saturday morning we visited Santee lakes and rented paddle boats for a hilarious spin around one of the lakes. (It was funny for those of us who were on the shore watching. :) )
the girls--Rachel, yours truly and Rebecca
the guys and the bonfire
we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the bay
fun in the pool with balls and friends--the Townsend family with their four girls made several activities more exciting
the paddle boats were harder than they looked--especially for the girls in skirts, I think
our annual shot of all the cousins on the sofa--that back row gets bigger every year!
the girls--Rachel, yours truly and Rebecca
the guys and the bonfire
we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the bay
fun in the pool with balls and friends--the Townsend family with their four girls made several activities more exciting
the paddle boats were harder than they looked--especially for the girls in skirts, I think
our annual shot of all the cousins on the sofa--that back row gets bigger every year!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
A few pictures from Alaska...
My parents and I with Mt. McKinley in the background
one of many shots of Mt. McKinley
a wild rose
A beutiful little pond in Anchorage
Flattop Mountain right outside of Anchorage
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The last few days of our trip....
Sorry for the interruption in my posts. While in Denali I was unable to get online.
On Saturday we drove up to Denali National Park and spend the day exploring it. In the morning we hiked to the top of Mount Healy Overlook and had lunch at the top enjoying the beautiful view. For a snack on the way down, we enjoyed some wild blueberries. :) At 2:00 we visited the park kennels and learned more about sled dogs first-hand. It was fun to watch them get so excited when they started hitching up the team for the demonstration. It seemed like each dog--regardless of its age or size--suddenly came alive and was pleading "pick me, pick me" to their trainers. Of course in doggy language "pick me" translates into frenzied barking and racing around in circles, but the message was clear--they love to run!!
The final activity of the day was a leisurely bus ride to Savage River. Along the way we saw a caribou and a mother grizzly and her two cubs. The most exciting part of the ride occurred when an unsuspecting photographer came upon the grizzly bears (as we were watching them from the safety of the bus). For a few minutes I was afraid that I was going to witness a mauling, but fortunately the mother bear decided to take her cubs and find a more secluded spot rather than continuing to charge the foolish man.
Sunday morning we spent resting, listening to a sermon, and reading our Bibles. Toward lunch we headed up to the park to get something to eat and enjoy the visitor center and science center. Since it was raining, all these indoor activities were more pleasant than anything outside. Fortunately it stopped raining in the early afternoon--just in time for our white water rafting tour. To protect us from the 38 degree water, we were told to dress warmly--as many layers as possible--and given dry suits which only left our hands and heads exposed. After signing our lives away and receiving detailed instructions concerning every possible emergency situation which might occur during such activities, we were helped into the large, sturdy rafts by our able guides. For the next two hours we enjoyed a thrilling, but not terrifying, ride through numerous rapids which were rated between categories 2 and 4. Our friendly lady guide was very experienced and chatted with us the entire way. After riding a bus back to the beginning, we decided to buy the picture they took of us to prove that we had done it!
Monday we drove back to Anchorage, but on the way stopped to hike around Byers Lake in the nearby state park. We enjoyed a leisurely hike of about 6 miles around the lake while taking numerous pictures of the beautiful landscape and unique creation we saw along the way. After a later dinner in Anchorage, we turned in early after a long day of riding in the car and hiking.
Tuesday we packed up all our dirty clothes, souvenirs, and paraphernalia and hit a few more tourist sites in Anchorage before eating lunch and turning our rental car in. My mom's cousin Steve Baker picked us up and took us out to his beautiful home in Eagle River--a suburb of Anchorage. We met his family and spent a nice afternoon and evening at their house. Around 12 midnight we headed to the airport to catch our 2:50AM flight home.
On the way we flew through San Francisco, but on the way home we flew through Seattle. We all agreed that we liked stopping in Seattle better because it broke it up more evenly. In Seattle we had breakfast and my dad and I started the process of weeding out our pictures. I took over 400 and I think he took about 200 so we had barely begun when they started boarding for our flight. We arrived home around 1:30PM and were able to unpack everything and eat lunch before crashing around 4PM for a couple hours of sleep.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to see such a beautiful part of God's creation. It was a wonderful break from the busy routine of our normal lives. God really blessed us above and beyond what we expected with regards to the weather, safety traveling, and wonderful Christian fellowship with our relatives.
I am continuing to go through all our pictures and hope to post some here soon.
On Saturday we drove up to Denali National Park and spend the day exploring it. In the morning we hiked to the top of Mount Healy Overlook and had lunch at the top enjoying the beautiful view. For a snack on the way down, we enjoyed some wild blueberries. :) At 2:00 we visited the park kennels and learned more about sled dogs first-hand. It was fun to watch them get so excited when they started hitching up the team for the demonstration. It seemed like each dog--regardless of its age or size--suddenly came alive and was pleading "pick me, pick me" to their trainers. Of course in doggy language "pick me" translates into frenzied barking and racing around in circles, but the message was clear--they love to run!!
The final activity of the day was a leisurely bus ride to Savage River. Along the way we saw a caribou and a mother grizzly and her two cubs. The most exciting part of the ride occurred when an unsuspecting photographer came upon the grizzly bears (as we were watching them from the safety of the bus). For a few minutes I was afraid that I was going to witness a mauling, but fortunately the mother bear decided to take her cubs and find a more secluded spot rather than continuing to charge the foolish man.
Sunday morning we spent resting, listening to a sermon, and reading our Bibles. Toward lunch we headed up to the park to get something to eat and enjoy the visitor center and science center. Since it was raining, all these indoor activities were more pleasant than anything outside. Fortunately it stopped raining in the early afternoon--just in time for our white water rafting tour. To protect us from the 38 degree water, we were told to dress warmly--as many layers as possible--and given dry suits which only left our hands and heads exposed. After signing our lives away and receiving detailed instructions concerning every possible emergency situation which might occur during such activities, we were helped into the large, sturdy rafts by our able guides. For the next two hours we enjoyed a thrilling, but not terrifying, ride through numerous rapids which were rated between categories 2 and 4. Our friendly lady guide was very experienced and chatted with us the entire way. After riding a bus back to the beginning, we decided to buy the picture they took of us to prove that we had done it!
Monday we drove back to Anchorage, but on the way stopped to hike around Byers Lake in the nearby state park. We enjoyed a leisurely hike of about 6 miles around the lake while taking numerous pictures of the beautiful landscape and unique creation we saw along the way. After a later dinner in Anchorage, we turned in early after a long day of riding in the car and hiking.
Tuesday we packed up all our dirty clothes, souvenirs, and paraphernalia and hit a few more tourist sites in Anchorage before eating lunch and turning our rental car in. My mom's cousin Steve Baker picked us up and took us out to his beautiful home in Eagle River--a suburb of Anchorage. We met his family and spent a nice afternoon and evening at their house. Around 12 midnight we headed to the airport to catch our 2:50AM flight home.
On the way we flew through San Francisco, but on the way home we flew through Seattle. We all agreed that we liked stopping in Seattle better because it broke it up more evenly. In Seattle we had breakfast and my dad and I started the process of weeding out our pictures. I took over 400 and I think he took about 200 so we had barely begun when they started boarding for our flight. We arrived home around 1:30PM and were able to unpack everything and eat lunch before crashing around 4PM for a couple hours of sleep.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to see such a beautiful part of God's creation. It was a wonderful break from the busy routine of our normal lives. God really blessed us above and beyond what we expected with regards to the weather, safety traveling, and wonderful Christian fellowship with our relatives.
I am continuing to go through all our pictures and hope to post some here soon.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Denali State Park
Today we drove a couple hours north of Anchorage to Talkeetna. On the way, we stopped by the Idiotrod Headquarters in Knik. It was interesting to learn about this famous sled dog race which is a vital part of Alaskan history as well. They had a few sled dog puppies out there--very cute! In Talkeetna, we took a jet boat tour of several nearby rivers. For the most part it was a quiet, peaceful ride, but we did have a little fun when the driver swung the boat around to the dock. After having lunch at the historic Roadhouse inn, restaurant, and bakery, we walked around the town and saw some of the other historic buildings. Around 4PM we headed up to our hotel. We have a picture perfect view of Mt McKinley from the deck of the main lodge. It is so nice an clear today too! I've gotten lots of pictures.
Tomorrow we are headed further into the park and are staying in a cabin for the next two nights. I am looking forward to some hiking and to NOT meeting any ferocious, deadly, or otherwise harmful animals--unless at a distance. :) I don't know if I will be able to post from the park, so it might be a few days until you hear from me again.
Tomorrow we are headed further into the park and are staying in a cabin for the next two nights. I am looking forward to some hiking and to NOT meeting any ferocious, deadly, or otherwise harmful animals--unless at a distance. :) I don't know if I will be able to post from the park, so it might be a few days until you hear from me again.
Back in Anchorage
Yesterday we got up early--beat the sun--so that we could be on the road by 7AM. We had to drive 2 1/2 hours to Whittier to catch our boat tour of the sound. We also had to take into consideration 30 min. road construction delays and waiting at the tunnel. The tunnel into Whittier is the second longest in the country, but is only one lane wide. Therefore, they have a scheduled times for driving into the town, out of the town, and also a time for the train. Apparently it is only in the last 5 years that this train tunnel has been open to cars at all. We ended up having plenty of extra time before our tunnel time--so I got some time in the Word in--I figured we would because my mom usually plans plenty of time for everything. Plus, we arrived in Whittier with an hour to spare, so we walked around the town and my mom got some postcard stamps and my dad replaced his sunglasses which broke yesterday. I thought that Seward was a little fishing town. Well, I had no idea what a little, dirty, backward fishing village looked like until I walked the streets of Whittier. This place was amazing. There is basically one huge building which everyone lives in and which houses the post office and other things. We saw the general store which has a little bit of everything. The rest of the town consists of a few dinky--and I mean dinky--shops along the wharf, plus about 5 to 7 tour boat companies. At 11AM we boarded our boat and found seats on the lower deck. The 6 hour tour included crab cakes for lunch and a narrated tour of about 5 or so of the inlets, bays and straights of Prince William Sound. A few of the highlights included seeing a hunk of glacier larger than our house calf off of Surprise Glacier; millions of salmon fighting to get up to their home stream outside of the hatchery; and several bear, bald eagles, and sea otters in their natural environment. After disembarking at Whittier, we made our way back through the tunnel and back along the Turnagain inlet up to Anchorage. On the way we saw several rainbows through the mist in the valleys we passed. By the way, it was pretty cold and misty in Whittier, but when we got out on the sound the fog lifted enough for us to see around pretty well. It was mostly cloudy the whole day, but the sun peaked through a few times. From what our tour guide said, we had above average weather and saw more calving of the glaciers than most. So, I would say that the Lord must be blessing us with not only safety traveling, but also good weather and extra special opportunities to see unique aspects of Alaska. We are thankful!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Salutations from Seward!
Today we took scenic Seward Hwy from Anchorage down to Seward. We stopped at several points of interest along the way including a mining camp, waterfall, lake, and glacier. Upon arriving in Seward we discovered that although we paid for the cheaper room without the view of the harbor, we were given a room with a spectacular view of the marina, harbor and rugged mountain peaks. After exploring the small fishing town for a few hours, we had some boiled halibut and Greek salad at a local restaurant. Now I am enjoying typing while watching fishermen clean their boats and otters play in the harbor. I think I'll be turning in early tonight because in order to make our cruise of Prince William Sound tomorrow, we need to leave the hotel tomorrow morning at 7:00AM.
Greetings from Anchorage!
Yes, I am in Alaska now. I am with my parents on our family vacation. We arrived early Tuesday morning (1:30AM). We were planning to sleep in and take it easy yesterday, but when we got in we found out that they only serve breakfast until 8:30. So, we ended up getting up for a free hot breakfast--who wouldn't?! :) After getting our rental car we decided to rent bikes and see the city. We found this beautiful bike path along the water and ended up taking it all the way to the point - about 9 miles. Needless to say, we were pretty hungry by the time we got back to the bike shop around 2:00. After enjoying a light lunch at a local fish shop, we headed to the visitor's center to get some information about Anchorage and the surrounding area. The friendly helpful people there suggested that we hike in the Chugash Mountains which surround the city and provide beautiful views of it. We ended up hiking 6 miles (round trip) up to Flattop Mountain. Under normal circumstances a 6 mile hike would be nothing for us, however, we were already tired from our 18 mile bike ride, and to top it off there was a 1300 ft elevation gain from the parking lot to the top. The last 1/2 mile or so was pretty much straight up--we clambered up it on all fours. Anyways, the view from the top was worth it all! We have probably taken between 100-150 pictures already! It was so beautiful and clear yesterday. We are thanking God the wonderful weather to enjoy His amazing creation in. The snow-capped peaks are breathtaking and the wildflowers abundant. I wish you could all be here to enjoy it with me.
I'm not sure how often I will have access to a computer, but I will try to update the blog whenever I do. Feel free to email me and post comments, because I might actually be able to respond! Alaska is not as backwards as I thought! :)
I'm not sure how often I will have access to a computer, but I will try to update the blog whenever I do. Feel free to email me and post comments, because I might actually be able to respond! Alaska is not as backwards as I thought! :)
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