Goodbye Girdwood!

Bird Point

Today was our last full day in Girdwood.  While we're looking forward to what lies ahead we're going to miss this place!  It's incredibly beautiful and peaceful, with great food and friendly people.  We haven't left yet, but we're already looking forward to coming back.
As usual we started our day with an hour or so in the hotel pool and hot tub.  Afterwards we took advantage of the hotels "sorta" complimentary bikes.  I say "sorta" because the hotel has a $10 per night "resort fee".  That's not bad. It gives you use of the pool, hot tub and fitness center, high speed internet, in-room premium coffee and the bikes.
We rode the Indian Trail Bike Path, which is also known as the "Bird to Gird" Path because it runs from Bird Point, which is located on the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet to the township of Girdwood.  We started at the hotel, and roundtrip it was around 19-20 miles.  It was a paved, shared (bike/pedestrian) path.  There are several long gradual climbs along the way that weren't too bad.  The good news was that every long climb was followed by a long gradual downhill stretch.  The net elevation gain was less than 300 feet.  If you are in Girdwood, but not staying at Alyeska, there is at least one bike rental shop in town. It is called Powder Hound, and it is located at the base of the ski area.
Bird Point is an observation deck along the tidal area of Turnagain Arm.  The name "Turnagain Arm" came from a mistake made by Captain James Cook when he was exploring this area.  He thought by sailing down it he could reach Prince William Sound.  When he reached the dead end he had to "turn again", hence the name.

The bike path is actually the remains of the original Seward Highway.  The highway has been rebuilt and widened.  It runs parallel to the road, but a few hundred yards away from the bike path, making it a safe and scenic ride.

Along the Bird to Gird Bike Path.  This was a Spruce Forrest before 1964.  During the Good Friday Earthquake the ground in this area dropped eight feet to below sea level.  The Spruce Trees were killed by the saltwater intrusion.  The area is now a marsh that is home to numerous birds, fish and small animals

The fastest lady on two wheels.  Along the Bird to Gird Bike Path

The plants in the foreground are Fireweed.  The blooms start just above the green leaves.  According to Alaskans, when the blooms reach the tip of the plant it means that fall is here and it's time to start getting prepared for winter.  The tips of the plants are blooming!

We enjoyed a picnic at the Bird Point Observation Area and looked for Beluga Whales.  The tide was going out so we didn't see any, but we did learn an interesting fact about these unusual looking whales.  They sometimes get caught in the shallow areas as the tide goes out, and will lay exposed until the tide comes back in.  The whales typically survive these strandings without any problems.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/765598678/Stranded-beluga-whales-spotted-in-Turnagain-Arm.html

Tomorrow morning we'll be checking out and heading further inland.  We'll be taking a private shuttle to Anchorage Airport where we will pick up a rental car (rental car rates drop significantly in Alaska on Sept. 1).  It'll be a short drive to the Wasilla/Palmer area.  We have one night in Wasilla and are looking forward to going to the Alaska State Fair in Palmer.  I can't wait to blog about the fair food that we find.  I'm sure it will be unique.  We're also looking forward to seeing some of the giant vegetables that are grown in Alaska...…….we're easily amused!  Who knows, maybe we'll run into Wasilla's most famous resident, Sarah Palin...…….remember her?

http://www.alaskastatefair.org/site/#alaska-state-fair

You have to check out this pumpkin!

https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2018/08/28/giant-pumpkin-sets-new-alaska-state-fair-record/

Alyeska Hotel

Alyeska Hotel

Beth and her favorite moose

Sometimes you have to stare danger right in the eyes...………..

other times you have to give it a bear hug!

One other Girdwood restaurant recommendation, the Double Musky.  Excellent Cajun style food!

https://www.doublemuskyinn.com/framed.html

Fun Alaska Trivia

The Northern Lights.  We're hoping to catch a glimpse of them in the next couple of weeks

Alaska is such a magnificent piece of real estate, and what a bargain it was at just a little over two cents per acre.  The purchase from Russia wasn't real popular at the time the deal was made and was frequently referred to as "Seward's Folly" (William Seward was Andrew Johnson's Secretary of State and the one who negotiated the purchase).   It was such a bargain back in 1867 that even in todays prices it would still be less than fifty cents per acre.  Oh yeah, and the oil and gas reserves of Alaska are estimated to be worth over $200 billion dollars!  No wonder Putin always has such a sour look on his face!

The hotel has a nice section of Alaska Trivia in their directory.  Here's a few nuggets (no pun intended) as well as some other tidbits you can use to amaze your friends with your depth of knowledge on Alaska.

• The "Official" State Bird is the Willow Ptarmigan.  The "Unofficial" State Bird is the Mosquito.
• The State Sport is Dog Mushing
• The State Fossil is the Wooly Mammoth
• Alaska's population is around 740,000 which works out to one person for every 1.3 square miles
• Anchorage is the largest city with a population of just over 300,000
• The highest temperature recorded in Alaska was 100 at Fort Yukon in 1915
• The lowest recorded temperature was a balmy -80 degrees in Prospect Creek Canyon in 1971
• Fairbanks has the widest temperature spread of any city on earth.  Recorded temperatures have ranged from 99 to -66 degrees Fahrenheit
• If the state of Alaska was cut in half Texas would then become the third largest state (land mass)

• The 9.2 Richter Scale earthquake that occurred on Good Friday in 1964 was the largest ever recorded in North America
• Of the twenty tallest mountain peaks in the US, seventeen are in Alaska
• Students from South Naknek ride the nations only flying school bus.  The school is on the opposite side of the river in Naknek and there is no connecting bridge.  Students are flown across the river at the beginning and end of every school day

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/education/2016/06/04/air-taxi-delivers-south-naknek-students-to-school-slowing-villages-decline/

• The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is 800 miles in length and can move up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour
• The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend is a trust fund that was established for all Alaska residents.  There are "rules and restrictions" but annually it pays a subsidy to all full time Alaska residents.  The amount varies by years but currently is around $1,500 per year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Permanent_Fund

• The average hours of daylight in Girdwood in June is nineteen
• The average hours of daylight in Girdwood in December is less than six
• Alyeska recorded a record 283 inches (almost 24 feet) in December, 2006 with over 100 inches falling during the Christmas week (gives new meaning to "White Christmas")
• The Alaska Baseball League is a summer collegiate baseball league.  All players must have attended one year of college and have at least one year of eligibility remaining.  The league runs from June until early August.  It features a game called the "Midnight Sun Classic" that is played at Growden Field in Fairbanks.  It is played annually on the longest day of the year.  The start time of the game is 10:00 PM which means it finishes after midnight.  Lights have never been used for this game!

http://alaskabaseballleague.org/view/alaskabaseballleague/

• Over 300 alumni from the Alaska Baseball League have gone over to play in the major leagues including Barry Bonds, JD Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Giambi, Luis Gonzalez, Randy Johnson, Aaron Judge, Tom Sever and Dave Winfield.  In his Hall of Fame induction speech Dave Winfield referred to his two years in the Alaska Baseball League as "the best baseball in the country; in the prettiest, most majestic state in the union".
• The North Star Golf Course in Fairbanks is the northern most golf course in the United States.

You might find yourself sharing the North Star Golf Course with a moose or two

If a Raven or a Fox steals your ball you are allowed a free drop

https://northstargolf.com/golf/

So there you go, a few fun facts about this amazing state!  If you ever find yourself on Jeopardy and the category "Alaska Trivia" comes up you should be in pretty good shape.

Little did we know............

Moose Meadows along the pedestrian/bike path between the Alyeska Hotel and Girdwood Township

Our goal for today was a pretty simple one.  Sit in the hot tub, enjoy the hotel amenities, roam around Girdwood a bit and do our laundry.  This is the eleventh day of this adventure and while quite a few articles of clothing had been rinsed in the sink it was time for a real washing with real laundry detergent.
Our priorities were in proper order so of course we started with the hot tub.  Just like yesterday we met several couples who are from Anchorage, which is just 37 miles away.  They told us they like to use the Alyeska hotel as a quick getaway, their version of a "staycation".  It's interesting to talk with them and learn what it's like to live here, especially in the winter.  The consensus seemed to be that you just hunker down and survive it, although there are numerous outdoor activities such as skiing, snow shoeing, dog sledding, etc.  Every time we're in Alaska I always think it would be fun to experience in the winter.  I also think that as soon as I stepped out of the airport that I'd be thinking "just exactly what was I thinking".  Who knows it may happen one of these days.
Next up on the agenda was laundry and lunch in town.  Now when I say "town" keep in mind that Girdwood is absolutely awesome but it is also very small (less than 2,000 residents) and downtown is a square block with a few shops, restaurants a post office and the world famous Girdwood Laundromall.  Don't take my word for it, just look at the picture below.  It was even voted #1 in America by those who vote on such things!

It just doesn't get much better than this!

The ceiling of the Laundromall was painted by three artists from the lower 48 states (one from Texas and two from Maryland).  It has all the constellations seen in the Alaska sky in March.  According to the information provided they are in their correct celestial position.  The Sistine Chapel has nothing on the Girdwood Laundromall!

We've done laundry all over the globe and I will have to say that without question the Girdwood Laundromall is the most full service laundry we've ever seen.  We could have taken a hot shower (greatly appreciated by the many campers and hikers in the area), had a massage, got our hair done, surfed the web, withdrawn some cash from our bank, admired artwork, eaten some Thai food and smoked a little pot all before the clothes were washed and dried!   As I looked around the very clean, well decorated building I thought to myself "they certainly would get my vote for the top laundry facility.
Needing only to do laundry and not needing a shower, massage, a hair cut, internet, money or a craving for Thai food or pot we had lunch at the Chair 5 Restaurant which had come highly recommended by every local.  It not only lived up to it's advanced billing but the King Crab Cakes were out of this world!  If you're wandering through Girdwood on your travels check out the Chair 5 as well as the Laundromall.

If you're in Girdwood check out the Chair 5!

Amazing King Crab Cakes!

After all the excitement of the Laundromall we came back to the hotel and enjoyed relaxing outside on a sunny Alaska day.  Later in the day we walked the two and a half miles along a great bike/pedestrian path back into Girdwood.  We strolled around the town square, stopping to take in great views of the surrounding mountains from a bench in Town Square Park.  Of course, we saluted the Girdwood Laundromall as we ambled past.  Little did we know we were in the presence of greatness when we woke up this morning with dirty laundry!

Supper tonight was a little different than last night.  Microwaved Teriyaki Chow Mein noodles in the hotel room.  Somewhat different than last nights meal at the Seven Glaciers, although the room has a nice view and the company was equally fantastic!

Riding the rails and picking the berries!

From the Dome Car on the Alaska Rail Road

We finished our Monday in Seward with a new experience.  Our hotel, the Alyeska Resort, is located in Girdwood which is about half way between Seward and Anchorage.  There were several options available to get us the approximately 75 miles to Girdwood.  We chose to take the Alaska Railroad Coastal Explorer.  This passenger train runs daily between Anchorage and Seward in the morning and returning to Anchorage in the evening.  It took close to three hours to cover the distance.  What the train lacked in speed it made up for in scenery.  The route passed along the shores of several pristine lakes that were so still the surrounding mountains reflected on the surface of the water.  There were also glaciers, glacier rivers, dense green forests, eagles, trumpeter swans, a brief glimpse of a moose and salmon spawning in the streams.  The railroad plays a key role in moving both people and goods around Alaska.  It was our first experience on the train and we're already looking forward to our return trip on it in a few weeks when we take it from Anchorage back to Seward.

A Glacial Lake along the route

Chugging through the forest

This looked like the perfect place to spot a moose.  Somebody forgot to tell the moose.   At least there was a glacier in the background to enjoy.

It had been kind of a rainy day but it ended on a high note.

The Alyeska Resort is actually a ski resort, the only one in Alaska.  Suprisingly the ski season doesn't start here until around November but once it does they can get up to 1,000 inches of snow annually.  We're catching it at a good time of year.  The summer season is rapidly coming to a close and the ski season is still a few months away.  The rates are much lower at this time of year and thanks to Hotwire we were able to secure a significantly discounted rate off the already discounted rate.  There are numerous services out there like Hotwire, Expedia and Trivago to name a couple.  We will check multiple sites but have generally had the most success on Hotwire.  Even though the name of the hotel isn't revealed until you pay it's pretty easy to figure out when you use the various filters such as location, trip advisor rating and amenities.  Beth is a master at this game.  She gets us great rates at nice hotels with no unwanted suprises.
Today was a sunny day with temperatures reaching into the lower 60's.  Perfect weather to explore one of the many trails near the hotel.  During our pre-hike hot tub session we met a super nice local couple.  They live in Girdwood and have a membership to the hotels fitness center, pool and mountain tram.  They shared with us some tips on the best local restaurants, which we are looking forward to trying over the next few days, as well as some hiking recommendations. After hearing all the choices we chose the Winner Creek Trail.  There were a couple of things about it that made the choice rather easy.  It was fairly flat, there seemed to be some points of interest along the way, the trail was popular so the chance of running into a bear was low and there were wild blueberries growing along the trail.
Although it was a little muddy in a few places due to the recent rains it was a great recommendation.  The scenery through the forest and along the creek was amazing.  There was a bridge that is used primarily in the winter to move snow equipment that made for a perfect picnic spot.  The most interesting feature was a hand tram where you get in a small basket and pull yourself across a gorge that looked to be about 50 yards wide and 30 yards deep.  Thankfully there were a few other hikers at the hand tram at the same time we were there so we all helped pull each other across.
The promise of blueberries along the trail was also true.  While most of the ones you could reach from the trail had been picked, a short diversion of ten yards or less off the trail and you were surrounded by blueberries.  We picked 2-3 pints in no time at all which we enjoyed with our picnic (it was the first time we had ever had peanut butter and blueberry sandwiches...…..not bad) as well as for a post hike treat.  We have plenty left over for breakfast in the morning.

Now that the salmon are running the bears have switched their main food source to fish...…….and hikers who take their blueberries

The bag could have been filled up quicker if I hadn't have been eating while picking

Winner Creek

Peanut Butter and Blueberry Sandwich on the Snow Cat Bridge

Winner Creek

Along the Winner Creek Trail

The Winner Creek Gorge Hand Tram.  It was a pretty good upper body workout!

We finished off the day doing something pretty unusual for us, eating at a high tone restaurant.  The Seven Glaciers Restaurant is located at the top of the ski area.  You can get there one of two ways, a long uphill hike or by the Alyeska Tram.  As much as we enjoy hiking, we prefer our hikes to be on relatively flat ground, so like everyone except for a few extreme hikers we took the tram to the top.  The best deal on the tram tickets was a "ride and dine" package so that's what we chose.  Very nice food served with a little different atmosphere than our normal "cheap eats" places.  Beth even ate her first raw oyster.  Actually she claimed that she ate two oysters at once...…….her first and last!

Passing the other tram car on our way up.  Thankfully this wasn't a "hand tram"

Upper Tram Station with a few of the Seven Glaciers in the background

View from the top with Girdwood Valley at the base

Even on a day without much wind it was windy at the top!

Alyeska Resort is on the left side

  

Hubbard Glacier and Seward

Mile 0 of the Iditarod Trail...……...just 2,300 miles to Nome.  Even as much as we enjoy walking we opted out of hiking it!

As impressive as the Margerie Glacier was it was no match for the Hubbard Glacier.  As best as we can remember (which isn't real good anymore) it was our first time seeing the Hubbard Glacier.  Last year we were supposed to visit the Hubbard Glacier but it was in the spring and there was still too much ice in the water to get close enough to view it.  The wait was worth it and this year we had conditions that allowed the captain to get the ship to within a mile or so of the face of the glacier.
By comparison, the Margerie Glacier was around a mile wide and 250 feet tall.  The Hubbard Glacier is over 6 miles wide, 450 feet tall and extends back into the Alaska wilderness for over 60 miles!
It was quite a site.

Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier Panoramic 

One of the many large icebergs near the Glacier.  This one looked to be around 50 feet in length with 15-20 sticking out of the water.

We've now said "see you in a couple of weeks" to the Norwegian Jewel and started our two weeks on land.  We got off the ship around 9:00 AM yesterday (Monday).  We spent the day in the small port city of Seward where we visited the Alaska Sea Life Center as well as the public library/museum which offered "2 Movies @ 2:00".  They were both documentaries.  The first was on the Iditarod Trail, which actually begins in Seward and runs over 2,300 miles to Nome (the sled dog race is 1,049 miles and starts in Anchorage).  The second was on the "Good Friday Earthquake of 1964".  They were both interesting but it was really interesting to learn about the earthquake which registered 9.2 on the Richter Scale.  The earthquake and tsunami that it caused completely destroyed the town and twelve lives were lost.  However, if you are going to live in Alaska you're going to be tough and the hearty people went right back to work rebuilding the town.  They had completely restored water and electricity within four months.  Today Seward is a thriving port city with a population of nearly 3,000 permanent residents, and is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists and travelers every year.

Puffin-Alaska Sea Life Center

Sea Lion-Alaska Sea Life Center

An Alaskan Safari!

The Traveling Idiots and the Margerie Glacier

It’s been five days since we set sail from Vancouver.  Along our journey so far we’ve seen Orca and Humpback Whales, five black bears and three grizzles (brown bears) and more eagles, harbor seals and sea otters than we could possibly count. After spending a day in each of the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway we cruised Glacier Bay.  The calm waters and low hanging fog over the surrounding mountains made for a spectacular backdrop for viewing the glaciers.  The highlight of the five tidewater glaciers we saw today was the Margerie Glacier. It towers more than 250 feet above the surface of the water and is more than a mile wide.  Although it is extremely impressive in size it makes up just a small portion of the landscape of this incredible area of Alaska.

http://www.alaska.org/detail/margerie-glacier

Cruising into Glacier Bay

Johns Hopkins Glacier-  The guy who discovered it named it after his alma mater.

Margerie Glacier-250 Feet High, Over a mile wide and 150+ feet below the surface

The three small dots along the shoreline are actually brown bears.  A mom and two cubs.