Today was one of the clearest days I've seen since we've been here. We could see Mt. McKinley (aka "Denali," 20320 feet) from town!
So I've heard from multiple sources that Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area of California has the 2nd farthest vantage point in the world, next to Mt. Kilimanjaro. If that is the case, I wonder where Flat Top Mountain ranks. Flat Top is just east of Anchorage, and though we didn't make it to the summit today, there were views from the ascent that rival the views from Mt. Diablo.
But- that's from my perspective.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Anchorage Observations
Okay- so I wanted to take a second and talk a little bit about the "Municipality" of Anchorage for those of you curious about this city. I will do this in the form of a list (mostly of things that I've observed).
- Moose have no qualms about wandering throughout the city.
- The temperatures in the summer (and so I've heard about the winter) are rather mild, considering that most people think that it's always freezing.
- The population of Anchorage is roughly a third of the population of the entire state.
- If you drive just 20 minutes out of town, you feel like you are a million miles from civilization.
- The Chugach Mountains can be seen from pretty much everywhere in town (except on foggy days) and they lie to the east and south of the city.
- There is an inlet (Cook Inlet) to the west of the city.
- Anchorage suffered the worst earthquake in US history in 1964. 9.2 on the richter scale! There is a park approptiately named "Earthquake Park" in town that has been untouched so that people can see the extreme damage to the land.
- Most people I have come across are from somewhere else. Most of the people I work with are coincidentally from Florida.
- There are lots of Subway restaurants.
- In April, I noticed that every single vehicle on the road was filthy to the point that you could not make out the model. This is because of the melting snow exposing all the dirt. If there was a clean car, you could be sure that it's a rental.
- Most of the planes seen flying overhead are float planes, sea planes or fighter jets.
- People are generally friendlier than anywhere else!
- Minimum wage is $7.25, yet it is still incredibly expensive to live here!
- Some people put up their Christmas lights in October.
- There is a theater where you can sit at a table, order pizza and beer and watch a movie on the big screen.
These are just a few obsevations. I can guarantee there will be more later!
Introduction
Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska!
I wanted to create a blog so that my friends and family could keep track of what's going in the lives of Wiley and myself. I am constantly updating my Facebook status whenever something uniquely Alaskan happens (which lately has been frequent) and I'm sure that not everyone cares. But to some, such as yourself, it has proved entertaining or interesting. So this is for y'all.
Now- Wiley might stop picking on me about being on Facebook so much!
Last October, Wiley had gone online searching for colleges with good geology programs (even though we had already committed to attending Sacramento State University). He came across the University of Alaska in Anchorage and noticed that it not only had a good geology program but a good elementary education program, as well. Perfect for the both of us!! Wiley had also always wanted to go to Alaska (and I had too, just never thought of living there), so we both applied to the university and were accepted. Almost a year later, on August 11, 2009, we loaded up our Suburban with all of our worldly possessions and headed north on Interstate 5. From Stockton, CA we drove all the way to Bellingham, WA and boarded "The Columbia" (the ferry that would take us to Juneau).
The inside passage was beautiful and wild. At one point, I can recall seeing 3 bald eagles perched at the tops of the trees in one panoramic sweep. We also saw a few humpback whales and orcas (from a distance) as well as many jumping fish. I want to say they were silver salmon, but I can't be positive.
Waving to the Canadians was fun. The ferry actually stopped at one point and blew its horn to get the attention of some residents (and their dog) that lived right along the passage. They all came out, walked to the end of their dock and waved to all of us Alaska bound individuals.
We got off the ferry in Ketchikan and Petersburg and walked around. The towns were quaint, but we didn't have much time to really explore the area. In Ketchikan we did walk over a creek and to Wiley's joy, we saw a nice big salmon hanging out -probably resting before continuing his journey up the creek.
After arriving in, and spending a day in Juneau, we boarded the "Kennicott." That ferry took us in to Whittier, AK via the Gulf of Alaska. That leg of the trip was a little bumpier than the smooth ride up the inside passage.
Whittier was WINDY! But this is where we were able to drive our car off the vessel and from which we took our 45 minute drive to Anchorage! It was in Whitter that I felt the farthest from home. Perhaps this was because it no longer felt like a trip. We had arrived in Alaska and we knew that we would be staying here for a lengthy duration.
I wanted to create a blog so that my friends and family could keep track of what's going in the lives of Wiley and myself. I am constantly updating my Facebook status whenever something uniquely Alaskan happens (which lately has been frequent) and I'm sure that not everyone cares. But to some, such as yourself, it has proved entertaining or interesting. So this is for y'all.
Now- Wiley might stop picking on me about being on Facebook so much!
Last October, Wiley had gone online searching for colleges with good geology programs (even though we had already committed to attending Sacramento State University). He came across the University of Alaska in Anchorage and noticed that it not only had a good geology program but a good elementary education program, as well. Perfect for the both of us!! Wiley had also always wanted to go to Alaska (and I had too, just never thought of living there), so we both applied to the university and were accepted. Almost a year later, on August 11, 2009, we loaded up our Suburban with all of our worldly possessions and headed north on Interstate 5. From Stockton, CA we drove all the way to Bellingham, WA and boarded "The Columbia" (the ferry that would take us to Juneau).
The inside passage was beautiful and wild. At one point, I can recall seeing 3 bald eagles perched at the tops of the trees in one panoramic sweep. We also saw a few humpback whales and orcas (from a distance) as well as many jumping fish. I want to say they were silver salmon, but I can't be positive.
Waving to the Canadians was fun. The ferry actually stopped at one point and blew its horn to get the attention of some residents (and their dog) that lived right along the passage. They all came out, walked to the end of their dock and waved to all of us Alaska bound individuals.
We got off the ferry in Ketchikan and Petersburg and walked around. The towns were quaint, but we didn't have much time to really explore the area. In Ketchikan we did walk over a creek and to Wiley's joy, we saw a nice big salmon hanging out -probably resting before continuing his journey up the creek.
After arriving in, and spending a day in Juneau, we boarded the "Kennicott." That ferry took us in to Whittier, AK via the Gulf of Alaska. That leg of the trip was a little bumpier than the smooth ride up the inside passage.
Whittier was WINDY! But this is where we were able to drive our car off the vessel and from which we took our 45 minute drive to Anchorage! It was in Whitter that I felt the farthest from home. Perhaps this was because it no longer felt like a trip. We had arrived in Alaska and we knew that we would be staying here for a lengthy duration.
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