Wasilla to Eagle River and Anchorage, AK
Wasilla - population 7,028, home of Sarah Palin, and home of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race headqu
arters. Other than that, there is nothing exciting about the town. There was also nothing exciting about where we spent the night, either. We inquired about a Laundromat and were directed to the small building next to NAPA Autoparts. Parking in the lot across the street from NAPA, Ken went inside to get something he needed and they told him where we were parked was owned by the town and we could stay the night if we wanted - lots of people do. Very convenient as it was across the street from the Laundromat, behind McDonald's, Dairy Queen and across another street from Pizza Hut. What more could we ask for? How about peace and quiet. We have stayed in so many places that were virtually wilderness spots that this spot was an assault on our hearing and sanity. It did quiet down after midnight so that was acceptable but we were both ready to head out in the morning - which we did, making our way further south and closer to Anchorage.
arters. Other than that, there is nothing exciting about the town. There was also nothing exciting about where we spent the night, either. We inquired about a Laundromat and were directed to the small building next to NAPA Autoparts. Parking in the lot across the street from NAPA, Ken went inside to get something he needed and they told him where we were parked was owned by the town and we could stay the night if we wanted - lots of people do. Very convenient as it was across the street from the Laundromat, behind McDonald's, Dairy Queen and across another street from Pizza Hut. What more could we ask for? How about peace and quiet. We have stayed in so many places that were virtually wilderness spots that this spot was an assault on our hearing and sanity. It did quiet down after midnight so that was acceptable but we were both ready to head out in the morning - which we did, making our way further south and closer to Anchorage.After dinner at Pizza Hut we walked over to the Dairy Queen for dessert and stood in line with a Christian Motorcycle group that was also there for dessert and fellowship. They invited us to sit with them and it was a very pleasant evening. The topics were many and we found out Sarah Palin is the local hero. Not only is she "one of them" and just a "normal" person, she is also approachable and well liked in the area. We were told we needed to read her book to see what really happened during the campaign and we might, someday!
The next night found 
us in Eagle River at the Eagle River Campground in the 
Chugach State Park. Eagle River itself has a population of 22,000 and could be considered a suburb of Anchorage as it is only 13 miles from there. There wasn't much to see or do in Eagle River as it was pretty much a commercial area, but the park we were in had a great trail right beside the Eagle 
River and we were able to watch the 
rafters a couple of different times. We didn't see any bears but the evidence of them were visible, particularly at the dumpsters where a bear tried to break in. It wasn't successful, but as you can see, it tried pretty hard to conquer the lid and by the pile of bear scat on one of the trails.
us in Eagle River at the Eagle River Campground in the 
Chugach State Park. Eagle River itself has a population of 22,000 and could be considered a suburb of Anchorage as it is only 13 miles from there. There wasn't much to see or do in Eagle River as it was pretty much a commercial area, but the park we were in had a great trail right beside the Eagle 
River and we were able to watch the 
rafters a couple of different times. We didn't see any bears but the evidence of them were visible, particularly at the dumpsters where a bear tried to break in. It wasn't successful, but as you can see, it tried pretty hard to conquer the lid and by the pile of bear scat on one of the trails.We s
tayed four nights in the park and made a couple of trips into Anchorage to see what was there. We went to the Ulu Factory - Ulu's are special knives that have been in use for hundreds of years by the Nativ
e people of the Artic. They are used for everything an ordinary set of knives can do - chopping, fileting fish and whales, slicing and dicing to name a few. The blade is curved and it has a handle on top. Quite interesting. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of one but I was able to download from the internet. We walked along the Ship Creek to the Salmon Viewing ar
ea and watched some salmon fisherman, none of which were catching any. A ride out to Potter Point State Game Refuge was highly reco
mmended, although the day we went there it was extremely windy and cold and whatever bird life was supposed to be there, wasn't. This is a remnant of the construction of the Alaska Railroad system and after the railroad was completed, it was decided the marshy area should be left as a game refuge for the public to enjoy.
tayed four nights in the park and made a couple of trips into Anchorage to see what was there. We went to the Ulu Factory - Ulu's are special knives that have been in use for hundreds of years by the Nativ
e people of the Artic. They are used for everything an ordinary set of knives can do - chopping, fileting fish and whales, slicing and dicing to name a few. The blade is curved and it has a handle on top. Quite interesting. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of one but I was able to download from the internet. We walked along the Ship Creek to the Salmon Viewing ar
ea and watched some salmon fisherman, none of which were catching any. A ride out to Potter Point State Game Refuge was highly reco
mmended, although the day we went there it was extremely windy and cold and whatever bird life was supposed to be there, wasn't. This is a remnant of the construction of the Alaska Railroad system and after the railroad was completed, it was decided the marshy area should be left as a game refuge for the public to enjoy. A few facts about Anchorage: it is the largest city in Alaska with a population of 283,398. There are two higher education facilities - University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific, formerly Alaska Methodist. It has two military facilities, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base and it covers 1,961 square miles - 1,697 of land and 264 of water. There are five mountain ranges that surround the area -Chugach, the Kenais, the Talkeetnas, the icy peaks of the Tordrillo Mountains across Cook Inlet, and the dramatic peaks of the Alaska Range with Mount McKinley (Denali) visible on the northern horizon, weather permitting.
Now that we have gotten our mail, prescriptions and groceries we are ready to head further south 
but not until we have spent some time at Merrill Field, Lake Hood and Lake Spenard to watch the float planes land and take off. We couldn't believe there were that many small float planes anywhere. We talked to a woman that was walking her dog and she said 3 out of 5 residents have their pilots license and 1 out of 5 owns their own plane. That is amazing and they were certainly fun to watch for the short time we stayed. After that we headed out of the Anchorage area and will find out way to Crow Creek Mine in the Girdwood area.
but not until we have spent some time at Merrill Field, Lake Hood and Lake Spenard to watch the float planes land and take off. We couldn't believe there were that many small float planes anywhere. We talked to a woman that was walking her dog and she said 3 out of 5 residents have their pilots license and 1 out of 5 owns their own plane. That is amazing and they were certainly fun to watch for the short time we stayed. After that we headed out of the Anchorage area and will find out way to Crow Creek Mine in the Girdwood area.
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