Let's try this again

Our Twelve Months in the Land of the Frozen Tundra

If you know why Richard and I are spending twelve months in Alaska, and what we did while we were here, feel free to skip the following Intro.

SKIP INTRO

 

                                                                                        

          Many years ago, after spending several summers in Alaska, my dear husband and I decided to make spending one full year in Alaska an item on our Bucket List.  We thought about it long and hard and decided to invite friends and family to pick 7 to 10 days they’d like to fly into Fairbanks in the interior of the 49^th state of the United States.  We bought a small rv and drove it to Fairbanks were we had rented a house from the end of June to the 12^th of October.   That way we would have plenty of room for Richard and me plus the couple who would be with us for their requested time.

         Richard and I had spent a lot of time in the area of the Midnight Sun, and there was plenty of sunshine at midnight.  We planned events and attractions for our guests to see. You would think Richard and I would get bored with seeing the same things over and over again during the three month we hosted our guests. I have always wanted to own and run a bed and breakfast.  I was right to think I would love it. Each couple who came was so different, and it all went so fast, it didn’t give us time to get bored. Of course, my rule for hosting a B&B is different than most. They went as follows:

Dolores’s Bed and Breakfast

YOU MAKE BOTH.

          One of my high school friends, James Morris, and his wife, Becky, met up with us at our house. For the next two months we traveled together to Lincolnton, Georgia for two concerts, then across the lower 48, then through Canada.  We had a really good time traveling together, eating together, playing cards, and just having fun.  We laughed a lot, especially me and Becky.  We thought everything was funny.

                                                                         

Becky and Me

            I had written a couple of pages of blog early in our trip.  I won’t go into why I hadn’t written more than the original copy.  Anyway, those blog posts are immediately behind this one.

            Now, let’s get started with the blog I promised everyone when we left home.

End Intro

     We began the next leg of our trip from the Canadian/Alaskan border south to Anchorage where we spent a couple of days at our friend Tony’s. After Tony’s, we headed’em up and moved’em out. Jim set his GPS on the dashboard and he and Becky pulled their Conestoga wagon in behind our Radio Flyer putt-putt wagon (more on this later) and we began our trip to Homer by way of the Kenai Peninsula. 
                                                                          

Jim's GPS aka Hemi

Day 35, May 31, 2019

        South of Anchorage is a waterway called Turnagain Arm. It goes northwest into the Gulf of Alaska. Turnagain Arm has the second highest tides in North America after the Bay of Fundy. These tides can reach 40 feet and come in so quickly that they produce a wave known as a bore tide.

          On the highway that runs next to Turnagain Arm is Beluga Point. This pull-out is a great place to see whales and watch the bore tide come in at about 6 feet high at a possible speed of 20 miles an hour. Skies were grey.  We were two weeks from the warm summer days.
                                                                               

Turnagain Arms location of Bore Tide

Highway along Turnagain Arms

We stopped at the animal refuge in Girdwood where injured animals from all over Alaska have been brought to be treated and nursed back to health. Skies were grey.   We were two weeks from the warm summer days.

Our next stop was in Whittier, Alaska.  The town and a nearby glacier were named after John Greenleaf Whittier in 1916.  During World War II, the U.S. Army built a military base, complete with port and railroad near Whittier Glacier.  The spur of the Alaska Railroad was completed in 1943 and the port became the entrance for the U.S. soldiers into Alaska.  We ate supper there.  Skies were grey..  We were two weeks from the summer days.

There are two major buildings in Whittier.  There is a 14-story building which was completed in 1957 and contains 150 two-and-three bedroom apartments plus bachelor efficiency units.  Dependent families and Civil Service employees were moved into this high-rise.

The other building in town was completed in 1953. It was called “city under one roof.”  It was abandoned and I saw an episode of Ghost Hunters that was filmed inside the abandoned building. I’ve been around the building and, I have to admit, it gives me the creeps. This building is called the Buckner Building.  The one which became a condominium was named the Begich Building.  At one time, the two buildings were the largest buildings in Alaska. 
                                                                         

Begich Building

             I wanted very much for Becky to see the beautiful Fireweed flowers that line the highway, but, as we had already discovered, the skies were grey and we were two weeks from summer and the blue skies and the Fireweed.
                                                                  

Some of the pictures in this blog were taken
by Jim or Becky Morris

The first time Richard and I went to Whittier (1997) the only way to get there was by boat or train. Fifteen years ago, they started allowing cars to drive through the tunnel at alternative times with the train.  Yes, it causes me to be claustrophobic, but the best part is the fact that there are about 8 safe rooms along the wall in the tunnel. 
                                                             

Inside Whittier Tunnel
Safe Room on left
(by James Morris)

Exiting Whittier Tunnel
(Thank Heavens)
by Jim Morris

         If there is an accident inside the tunnel, you know, like a head-on crash with a train (just kidding), you leave your car and go into one of the safe rooms where you can get oxygen, and be safe from the fire raging around your car. Of course, if this happened to me, I would hope they also had clean underwear stashed in the safe room.  You know, as Bill Cosby once said, if you are in an accident, first you say it, then you do it.
Until later,
Dolores

P.S.  My goal is to post every one to three days until we get caught up-to- date.  After that I'll post what we have done that particular day.  Please leave a comment so I know which of my friends and family are keeping up with me now that I'm back on track with my writing.  If you don't want to join by blog, you can go back to Facebook where this was posted and leave a comment there.  Look forward to hearing from you even if you just say "Hey There."  
P.S.S. Please share this with anyone you think might enjoy it.  Also, let me know if there is anyplace or any event in Alaska you would like to know about, if we have visited I'd be glad to write about that place and post pictures.