Friday, July 29, 2011

Question: Are Alaskans Friendly?

Jerrys Grayling
Off subject….. but this 18” Arctic Grayling is my friend!
Look at that dorsal fin!

In our travels around the country, we have almost always felt that the folks we interfaced with have been very friendly. I am talking about the “locals”, wherever we traveled. Sure, you run into the occasional asshole, but encounters with that breed are relatively rare.
Our friends who have been to Alaska, told us that Alaskans are very friendly to “outsiders” (people from outside of Alaska). At first I did not see any difference with Alaskans. But as we travel more around the state my perception is changing. I think they are a friendlier people.
I am talking about people who live in Alaska or at least spend the better part of every year up here. Not the tourists, like us who get a fleeting look at a small part of this huge state. Most of the Alaskans we meet, at one time, came from the outside. They came up to find work, such as on the pipeline or the Alaskan Highway. They fell in love with the country, while stationed up here in the military. They just stayed or came back to live here. They came up on vacation and then returned to live here after they retired. Sometimes they came up to visit relatives and just stayed. Sometimes they came just to “escape” something.
Regardless of how they got here, they want to stay. We have talked to very few Alaskans who yearn to be anywhere else. Sometimes they get away for a few weeks in the winter to a warmer place. But even those trips are not that frequent. They accept the harsh winter climate or the lack of sunlight, as just the way it is. They make the most of the sunny days and have plenty of activities during the long winter months. Hunting, skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing etc. give them plenty of options. There are plenty of social and community activities in every town and village. Volunteer opportunities are abundant. I guess it is like any place else, you have to get out and do things, try things, make friends.
Of course all these are generalizations. Which is very difficult when talking about individuals. But these are the perceptions that we come away with when we “generalize” about Alaskans. We have not had the opportunity to meet many life-long Alaskans. The ones we have met have typically been the children, of the folks who moved up here. I need to look up the statistics on what percent of the population has lived here all their lives. What percent are indigenous (big work, huh?). I have been reading a few books about the people who live away from the highways, in the bush or arctic country. We talk to a few folks in the cultural centers or read exhibits in the museums. Fascinating people living in such contrast to our way of life, where we take so much for granted.
Wow! I am supposed to be answering the question about friendliness. I find when write or even think, as I grow older (more mature) I drift around. Dee and I were talking yesterday about how we set out to do a task, get sidetracked, do something else, and forget what we started out to do. I suspect of few of you readers may have experienced this as well Winking smile Oh, well, I guess that is why we originally call this blog “ramblings”. Now back to the subject.
Alaskans are very friendly. People say Hi when you cross paths. Store keepers greet you when you come in. Of course they all ask “where are you from?”. But it is often not just a passing greeting. They truly are interested. You could spend hours with them talking about where we are from. It is then when I usually ask, What is your story? Why are you here? Do you like it here? Would you like the leave?  There answers are basis for most of the perceptions above.
When you ask someone for directions to some place, be prepared for a thorough, detailed reply. I remember I asked a gas station attendant in Fairbanks how to get a restaurant we had heard about. It was like listening to your GPS. He repeated it twice. THEN he asked me to repeat it back to him! (I passed the test, but still missed a turn). He also proceeded to tell me about other good places to eat. That is typical. People go out of their way to help.
In the campgrounds there are many tourists like us. But since we like the out-of-the-way places, we often camp with real Alaskans. We will often strike up a conversation. They are having fun, camping or fishing. Getting out with their families for the few really good weather months that they have each summer. Sometimes we feel guilty, but not that guilty, to be here in the summer months and head out when the going gets tough. But not that guilty that we won’t be heading back to Arizona when the weather starts to change. Smile
Marlene and Gary 7-21-2011 7-10-13 PM 3264x2448
Marlene and Gary – Our new long-time friends!
Recently we were on an all-day glacier and sea life viewing cruise out of Valdez. We were very fortunate to sit with a couple, Gary and Marlene. We became friends. Gary told me I needed to try Arctic Grayling fishing in the Clearwater River. They have a cabin nearby and have been coming up from New Hampshire each summer for 26 years. Before we parted I had directions, who to ask local permission from, a good fishing spot and what flies to use.
A few days later we walked into the Clearwater Lodge bar, which is right next to the campground on the Clearwater River. As promised, Gary and Marlene were there, chatting with friends at the bar. We were introduced to everyone and immediately felt at home. So much so that we have been back every night this week Smile Great people and all are real Alaskans. We know everyone by first name now. Yesterday LD and Dave both brought in some smoked salmon for us to try. They couldn’t believe we didn’t like salmon. They told us the salmon they had smoke would make converts out of us. We were skeptical but we LOVED it. We will be back there tonight to spend a few hours with those friendly Alaskans. Unfortunately, Gary and Marlene have to fly back “outside” today. We will miss them, but are we are fortunate to have became very close to them.
2011-07-28_18-02-32The smoked salmon was great!
2011-07-28_18-02-1The Gang at the Clearwater Lodge.
100_2458Ron, my fishing friend from North Pole.
The day we got to Clearwater a couple in a motor home parked next to us. I was getting my fishing gear set up when Ron walked over and introduced himself. He and Susan are from North Pole, up the road toward Fairbanks. He volunteered to show me where he fishes, actually right in front of the Clearwater Lodge. The next day he invited me to join him and Les, the campground host (also a true Alaskan), to go up stream in his jet-powered boat to fish for grayling. What an opportunity. Great guys. And I caught an 18” grayling.
Yesterday, Dee was walking Jaxon (I may have been taking a nap but I am not sure Winking smile, when she met a guy who was just pulling his boat out of the water. She asked him how he did and they struck up a conversation and found out he was from Rochester near where we lived. He gave her a fly to give to me, a gray sparkle dun, saying it had worked for him. Another nice friendly Alaskan. I wish I had not been napping.
In conclusion, Alaskans Are Very Friendly Folks! It is fun being up here. I was thinking about some words that might describe the typical Alaskan and they include proud, independent, self-sufficient, confident, resourceful, relaxed and friendly. all characteristics that I admire.
Well, I have written another long blog without covering some of the past tourist things we saw and did. One of these days I will catch up. Or maybe I will be diverted once again…………
Columbia Glacier 7-21-2011 11-59-04 AM 3264x2448

Sunday, July 24, 2011

We Are Fortunate……..

IMG_8272

OK, I am going to write something here that is not normal for me.

About two hours ago we pulled into this long, wide roadside rest area. No other people are around and it is very peaceful. Not a breathtaking view like so many of the places we have seen in Alaska, but quite pretty, with rolling, green hills all around. We can hear the Gulkana across the road, as it rushes southbound. There is only an occasional vehicle passing by on the Richardson Highway, which we are traveling northbound. We are about 3 miles north of Paxson where a mostly gravel road called the Denali Highway takes you 134 miles to the Parks Highway near Denali National Park. We are in a relatively remote area. At the far end of the parking lot is a restroom and a dumpster which is surrounded by a cage to keep the animals out. That is the setting. Relatively remote compared to many places we, and most other visitors to Alaska, spend their time.

When we stopped we walked Jaxon, who, in turn, walked us. We had traveled 197 miles, about our twice our normal travel day, from Valdez and it’s awesome setting on Prince William Sound. The drive is probably the most stunningly beautiful drive we have experienced in Alaska. But I am diverted once again…  We came back and Dee laid down on the sofa to read a book on her Kindle. She claims she did not fall asleep. I gathered up four books I wanted to look at, sat down in the recliner, pulled Jaxon up in my lap and immediately did fall asleep.

When I woke up it was about 5:30, well past the start of Happy Hour. So I had to rush to fix Dee her normal glass of white zinfandel and my bloody mary. I plugged the iPod into the stereo and we listened to the relaxing sounds of Nakai and his native American flute. I probably should “come out of the closet” here.. I bought a handmade native American flute from a local craftsman who was showing his work at the Anchorage Museum. I am still struggling with it, and probably will not book any concerts in the near future. But I struggled for a long time learning Mary Had a Little Lamb on the harmonica years ago. Don’t get your expectations up but I will learn it. But once again I digress…

So here we are in our motor home parked in a roadside rest, where we will spend the night before moving on. We are surrounded by almost all the comforts of a house anchored in one spot in one location. But we can choose to stay or go. We can choose to go in any direction we desire. We can choose to fix breakfast in the motor home or drive up the road a bit to some unknown diner or roadhouse that looks like it might make a good breakfast. We can get up at 6am or 10am. Tonight we can read or watch a movie or listen to music or take another nap Smile. Many, many times we don’t know where we will go tomorrow and I think that is when we are the happiest. We will see what the day brings and how we are feeling. Schedules and appointments are to be avoided if at all possible.

Right now it is 7:46pm with a bright sun shining in the window. It will be pretty bright for another 3 hours. We will probably go for another walk soon. I had celery and peanut butter and a diet root beer for supper. We were out of biscuits and gravy Winking smile Dee had celery and cheese. That’s because we had fish and chips and wonderful wild blueberry pie, heated and with ice cream, back down the road at the Sourdough Roadhouse.

All this rambling brings me back to the main idea I wanted to share in this post. We are extremely lucky to be living the lives that we live. We have just completed ten years of living and traveling in an RV. We don’t see an end in sight, but of course it must come some day. This life is not for everyone. As a matter of fact very few people would really want to live this way. Many say they would love to do it but don’t for one reason or another. These reasons are not wrong. They are what makes us all different. It works for us and we are very fortunate that we can do it and that both of us want to live this life. We are also fortunate that we are able to live this life. From both a health and a financial perspective it works for us. It can actually be less expensive to be a full time RVer than it is to live in a house. It all depends on how you approach it, but that is not the point. The point is to do what works for you. Try different things. Learn new things. Start new hobbies, or expand old ones that you enjoy. Travel to new places, near home or far away. Meet new people. I guess I could go on forever with this stuff, which is not my normal way or writing. Just enjoy and have fun!

This is a little off course but the thought just came to me. It is sometimes said that the planning for and anticipation of visiting a new place can be better than the actual arrival. I guess that is analogous to “Life is a journey, not a destination”.

We do know where we will go tomorrow! Unless we change our minds in the morning Winking smile We are going the Clearwater State Park near Delta Junction, Alaska. On Thursday we took a fantastic 9+ hour cruise out of Valdez. We saw all kinds of sea life and we saw a glacier calving. But I will save the details for another post. We were fortunate to sit with a very friendly couple from New Hampshire who have a cabin near Delta Junction, Gary and Marlene. They are only up here for two weeks this year. Gary and I spent a lot of time talking about fishing. He is an avid fly fisherman. I lamented that the type of fishing in Alaska does not really appeal to me. Boat fishing or “combat fishing” doesn’t work for us. We prefer a smaller, non crowded stream or river with smaller fish where we can fly fish. Often the first question our friends ask is “have you caught any fish?”. I was in a quandary on returning from Alaska, without wetting a line. Gary said I need to try Arctic Grayling fishing. You catch grayling in clear water, in streams or lakes, with a fly rod and dry fly. A big grayling might reach 20 inches. Before we split up I had a map of how to get to a good fishing hole, who to ask permission from and how to fish it. I can’t wait. This is part of the anticipation thing I diverted to earlier. So I guess it is all connected.

It’s time to take Jaxon for another walk, so I will close. We don’t have internet or cell service here so I will have to wait to send this out.

I hope some of these thoughts were of interest or made you think about how fortunate you are also. Sometimes we need to be reminded about that. We send our love from Alaska….

IMG_8269

Gotta keep the bears out of the dumpster someway…..

Grayling

In anticipation of……..the arctic grayling

As the saying goes on many of Dee’s t-shirts….

“LIFE IS GOOD!”

Monday, July 18, 2011

Kenai Peninsula–Part 2

From Homer we headed up the Sterling Highway, backtracking as is often required up here, to Anchor Point. It was a 23 mile trip and we were exhausted! Tom told us about the Halibut Campground and it was a winner. At the end of the most western highway in North America, it is where the Anchor River flows into the Cook Inlet. We were lucky to get the last spot as it was the Friday before the long 4th of July weekend.

Anchor Point Views-1

 

Jerry and Jaxon  IMG_7099

There were a lot of eagles and gulls on the beach. With very high tides made for interesting changes. When fishermen would clean their fish, they would toss the remains on the sand and the birds would converge. The eagles always demanded the utmost respect from the other birds.

Eagle eating Fish-3     

Hansome looking Eagle-2   Female & Young Bald Eagle

One day we took a drive around the area. Here is a beautiful view across the Inlet. And the clammers were out in full force at Clam Gulch!    Views ffom Sterling Hwy. Drive-5

      Claming at Clam Gulch

We were lucky to be at Anchor Point for their 4th of July celebration. A small town, friendly people and a lot of kids having fun made for a great day. Give me a small town any time…

Anchor River 4th of July-2    July 4th Parade-1

   July 4th Parade-6       Jerry,Jaxon&Little Boy

The highlight of the day was the Rubber Duck Race. Ducks were sold at many of the local businesses. Each one was numbered and there were red, yellow and blue ducks which cost $1, $2 and $5. The ducks were dropped of the Anchor River bridge. Kids were positioned downstream (only about 100 yards) with a net to catch the ducks and grab the ducks including the first ones. We didn’t win but it sure was fun to watch everyone getting in the fun!

July 4th Duck Race-2     July 4th Duck Race-4

July 4th Duck Race-11

I saved the best until last. Jaxon made a new girlfriend…

Jaxon & Tulula-1 

Tulula is a young, pet goat. At first Jaxon was a little standoffish.

But then they butted heads and became good friends.

     Jaxon & Tulula

Miniature Schgoats?  Not a chance!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Alaska’s Playground–Part 1

The Kenai Peninsula is often called Alaska’s Playground. It is a favorite destination for Alaskan’s as well as visitors from Outside. The awesome scenery coupled with great fishing make this a special place. We spent almost three weeks on the Kenai and really enjoyed it. It is a busy place, bustling with RVer’s, cruise ship passengers, Alaska railway passengers and the many Alaskan’s who here.

Hope

Our first stop was Hope. Since it was 27 miles off the Sterling Highway and there was only one way in and the same way out, it looked like our kind of place. Off the beaten path. And it was.

Sunset Turnagain Arm-3   

Sunset, about 12:30 AM! View from our motor home windshield.     

Walk around Hope, AK..-6

Catch of the Day – a prime Schnauzer. A Keeper!

Campsite at Seaview Cafe and Bar CG

Our campsite on the Touragain Arm at the Seaview Campground.

Jerry,Mora&Dee  Seaview Cafe        Walk around Hope, AK..-32

Mora, the waitress, and a couple tourists.

Resurrection Creek

Resurrection Creek

Walk around Hope, AK..-15

Neat home in Hope.

Jerry's Poached Eggs-14

Oops! But it WAS in Hope. I have been working on my egg poaching skills.

Homer

We left and drove west on the Sterling Highway to Soldotna. We stayed a night in the Fred Meyer’s parking lot where they have designated RV spots plus water and a dump station. Watched a couple of movies from the Redbox.

It was an easy drive down to Homer. Homer is a neat town at the end of the Sterling. It’s harbor, museums, scenic views, fishing and cruises make it a very popular area.    Cruise ships and the Alaskan Ferry dock out on the spit, which is four plus miles of shops, camping areas, fishing charters and food.

Homer Spit-1

We camped on the Spit, which you can see extending out into Katchemak Bay. It is said to be the longest road, extending out into the ocean, in the world.

Eagle near Fish Cleaning Station-3

Check out the Bald Eagle, stopping for an easy bite to eat.

Fish Cleaning on the Spit-13

Local residents (deceased).

We took a tour boat to the town of Seldovia only accessible by water. It is a charming town of a few hundred residents, who want to get away from the hustle and bustle on the mainland. Here are some photos of Seldovia, as well as the cruise to it.

 

Walking around Seldovia-1Tour Boat

 

  Walking around Seldovia-25       Otters-2Walking around Seldovia-50          Walking around Seldovia-52                 Walking around Seldovia-70Gull Island-13

                                Jaxon looking our at Sea

And back in Homer….

Big Chocolate Chipper-1        

A pretty good size chocolate chipper!!

And a nice motor home Smile

                                     Wooden Motor Home-1