~~Road to Whittier, AK~~

Whitter, AK, is another quirky little town about 60 miles southeast of Anchorage.  I traveled along the Turnagain Arm on Seward Highway and had to pull off for a few beautiful shots.

You can only get to Whittier by water or by traveling through the mountain through Whittier Tunnel, the longest tunnel in North America. It is one lane...and shares space with a train.

This is the tunnel opening to two and a half miles of claustrophobic terror!

An over generous about of snow and ice kept me from getting close to the harbor.

As quirky has it, most of the 200+ residents live in this 

Army barracks condo conversion, Begich Towers.

And then there is the abandoned military building, the Buckner Building.

The sites upon leaving Whittier were as lovely as Alaska gets!

~~Bundles of Joy~~

Getting ready to go play outside in Anchorage in February takes about a half an hour. Two sets of socks, two pairs of leggings, two shirts, two hats, hand warmers and gloves topped with a ski coat and vest,  I got too hot to stay in... I welcomed the chill of the outdoors.

I made my way to the costume footrace.... There was so much excitement, music and street noise.  It was fun to watch all these "bundles of joy."

~~Snow Day Ruminations~~

The weatherman on television keeps reminding me the Anchorage has not had this much snow in the last five years combined.  How can that make me feel better?  It doesn't, so he can quit now.

I am amazed that people are amazed that I took a trip to Alaska, all alone, for two weeks...in February. Now that I write that, I get it.  It does sound "outrageous."

But really, what is so outrageous about chasing a dream?  To me, it is more outrageous NOT to.

Yes, I planned. I researched. I wrote copious note about how to photograph the Northern Lights (Automatic focus, ISO 800, 30 second shutter.... tripod, trigger, etc.)  I'd be lying if I said that I am not disappointed that the Anchorage atmosphere didn't give me even one lousy clear night. I am.

There are life lessons in every experience.  I love that.  One of the greatest life lessons is that you can plan for events, but you need to let life surprise you.  If you plan too much, life can be disappointing. I choose to be surprised!


I didn't plan for this....but I was happily surprised....

So.......

~~Love me some MOOSE~~

~~Out and About~~

Anchorage Skyline from Cook's Inlet

Glacier Brewhouse

Crab Cakes

Hummus

~~Last Chance for the Dance~~

The weather has not been cooperating...but the weatherman told me...maybe tonight....

~~Kincaid Park~~

Popular in Anchorage...

but not so much on the day I went....

Sunrise at Kincaid

Swimming Hole

Isolation

Back at Humpy's in Anchorage....Comfort Chili!

~~Anchorage...before it wakes...~~

Visiting towns before they wake up allows you to see more than traffic...

~~Seriously~~

I rented a roller skate for a car...big mistake!  It was the first car I have ever rented that comes with its own shovel in the back seat.

And what is this, and how in the hell do I use it??

~~Let Life Surprise You~~

Drove that little "roller skate" car to Eagle River this morning.... Even before I got on to Glen Highway, I saw so many vehicles upside down in the 5 foot deep snow.  It was horrifying to see the highway littered with upended cars.  I think of the terror that the drivers and passengers endured.

Drove 20 miles north of Anchorage to Eagle River Nature Center.  I made it there, but the snow was too deep for me to walk the three-mile loop.  At least the drive was nice.

I wanted to find Skyline Drive, as it is supposed to be a cool Aurora watching spot.  My roller skate got stuck in the deep snow...I had to back down the phucking mountain.

Holy Stuff...the sun then came out.  I thought I'd never see it again until I returned to the Valley of the Sun!!!  I wanted to see what Anchorage from the Cook Inlet looked like.... So, I went.

This spot is so appealing because each time you go, the light and time and elements are different.  New shot every time!

And then, as everyone knows, I am a foodie.  It was after 1p and I was hungry.  The hotel has breakfast, but it is a breakfast of "egg like food."  So...um...no.  I grabbed an apple and left.

Glacier Brewhouse looked interesting and got great ratings from Trip Advisor.  I walked the 1/2 mile there, and the frigid walk was worth it!!  The wine kept me warm on the walk back.