It is another beautiful day - it is supposed to be in the 70s after a cool start. So we had a great day for traveling - although Anchorage is only about an hour away. It is a straight drive right into downtown Anchorage from Girdwood. We found a parking space right outside a shop that Dan wanted Amanda to check out. So we went in there first. They had some beautiful things, but I am constantly trying to eliminate clutter - although no one in my family will believe that! And I don't normally wear T shirts except to bed, I didn't really need more clothes, I have enough knicknacks. But I always try to buy magnets every place I go - I put them on my refrigerator or my file cabinet in my home office. They are small and easy to carry. I see them every day so I always have happy memories. So that is what I bought - plus postcards.
We needed to find an ATM machine - the first one was only for Bank of Alaska members it seemed because you needed a special ATM card to swipe. We walked a little further toward The Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center - there was an ATM outside, and we also hit the ladies room. I've said it before that my mother always said to never pass up a bathroom when you are traveling - you never know how long it will take to find the next one!! The convention center was huge - like Alaska! I read that Dena'ina is the original language of the Kenai peninsula and Cook Inlet - it means people.
I wanted to see the log cabin at the visitors center which was right there. We were enjoying the fragrance from the flowers which are everywhere like in Seattle.
Amanda in front of the Visitors Center log cabin.
We headed off to the Anchorage Market- and it is a pretty big market!
We agreed to meet back at the entrance in an hour. There were some nice displays - very nice art work - soaps - jewelry - clothes - Alaskan home made objects, but I resisted. I did buy an ornament that is pressed Alaskan flowers in glass - I am going to use it as a sun catcher. The woman who made it said that no 2 items are the same. I was thinking of buying a round plate to put on my mantel in Gortdromagh - but I decided to think about it and never went back.
There were religious tents in the last row - Mormons, born again Christians - and others - I was too hot to get into a conversation with them so kept walking.
It was getting pretty warm - I had already shed my fleece and I could feel my arms and face burning. So I went outside behind the band - there was shade there and a very light breeze. So I slathered myself in sun screen - pulled my sun hat from my knapsack - took off my knapsack so the back of my shirt would dry!!
Amanda arrived just before noon and ran off to buy some family gifts. When Mairead and Amanda were both there, I suggested buying some Alaskan vegetables to have with our salmon for supper. By the time we got to the stall, the purple cabbage I had seen had been bought up by a restaurant. So we settled for huge zucchini, summer squash, a huge onion, and native potatoes. My mouth was watering thinking of dinner!!
Amanda, MEM, and Mairead
We headed back to the car to drop off the bundles. We agreed to meet in another hour at the car. I was roasting and my right hip was hurting from the walking. I had put a Lidocaine patch on my lower back - it works great!! I have tried them on my hip but the OTC ones do not stick as well as the prescription brand so I haven't bothered since we have been here. I decided to sit in the car with the A/C on high to cool off. Of course the huge coffee roll was looking at me from the passenger seat. I finally gave in to its advances and tore open the plastic wrap. My god, it was delicious!! And it was so big! The white cream was melting all over me and my clothes. I was shoveling it into my mouth as fast as I could because it was melting and sticky - of course, I never thought about not finishing it - I ate every damn bite - and loved it - then I was licking my fingers and licking my lips to clean them off - why would I use my kleenex to wipe off the crumbs and icing when I could lick them off!!! Then I was searching for hand sanitizer to get the stickiness off my hands. That coffee roll was the best I've ever had. I wish I had another one right now!!
I decided to get out and wipe off my clothes - then I decided to walk to get some postcards. I saw Mairead going in and out of a couple of gift shops. She eventually arrived at the car - Amanda was on the phone a couple of doors down. Dan, Mairead and I all have Sprint - Amanda has Verizon and is the only one with cell phone service here in Alaska - that tells me something about all the money I pay Sprint!!
Our next stop was the Anchorage Museum on C Street. The building itself was massive! We started on the 4th floor at the Slow exhibit. I had read about this new Norwegian phenomena and saw something about it on PBS. I didn't know that Andy Warhol had started it. The purpose is to slow people down - sort of like stop and smell the roses - be aware of your surroundings. When we were going up in the huge elevator - it was the size of a freight elevator only bigger - there was a TV monitoring a herd of cows in a pasture. At first I thought it was a great still life - then I saw the grass blowing and a cow moving. The Slow movement would leave the camera on this field for days or months. Another example is the cameras trained on a birds' nest for months. Just showing that life does not have to be go, go, go! Unwind from electronics - spend time with family just talking - find out what is really important to you.
Well, Mairead would not slow down and headed off to the next exhibit about life in the North. This was very interesting - some of it was about Alaska during WWII.
Mairead was anxious to see the Arctic Inuit exhibit - there were pictures of individual Inuits with a brief story about them or their lives. This was also very interesting - especially the older Inuits who talk about changes in climate, changes in the state since their childhood, their hardships and ways of life.
This exhibit also contained 600 artifacts from the Smithsonian Museum's Arctic Studies program. There were all kinds of clothes, boots, hats, gloves, cooking utensils. I went and sat down to watch a couple of videos that recorded the lives of some of the Inuit people. It was interesting listening to them telling their stories. Many again talked about changes in the seasons.
My hip had had enough - I can't stand for very long unless I am walking. Standing reading about the exhibits had gotten to my hip which was already sore from walking through the market. I went down to the lobby to wait for Mairead. There were benches to sit on except that people were stretched out sleeping on them. Outside I could see people sleeping on the benches outside. I was amazed by this - I don't think you would see it at the Museum of Fine Arts!
Amanda came along next and then Mairead. We headed home to see what Dan was up to.
Amanda went to see what Dan had been up to - I cut up the vegetables that we had bought and put the potatoes on to boil - Mairead relaxed. We decided to cook the rest of the salmon. Amanda again cooked it on the grill in individual packets of aluminum foil and did the same with the veg. The dinner was fabulous!! Better than anything you would get in a restaurant. We sat around the table and talked for a long time. It was a great day!
MEM blogging on the deck in front of hot tub.
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