NEXT THREE DAYS IN PALMER - A COUPLE OF DOWN DAYS & A DAY IN ANCHORAGE - Wednesday, May 31 - Friday, June 2, 2023

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

It was drizzling rain off and on all day, and I wasn't feeling very well so Mel decided to go to Wasilla to check on two truck tires. During his journey, he found out that Midas in Palmer had the best price and set up an appointment of have them put on the truck on Friday, June 2.

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Woke up to another cloudy day. It had rained overnight, and the temperature was 45 degrees. We decided we would drive up to the Independence Mine State Historical Park and see if we could walk up to the site. (They had said on the internet that the gate was closed, but that you could walk in.)

On the way to the Independence Mine site, we experienced all types of weather -- rain, sleet and then snow.

It was pretty cold and it was snowing pretty heavily, so we decided not to venture out. (We will plan to do this when we come back to this area in few weeks.)

We drove back and ran some errands -- got gas at the Tesoro Gas Station; stopped at Camper Valley Service Center to get a new lock for the RV blocks box; went to Home Depot and got a new ice maker; made a quick stop at Wells Fargo and then went to Matanuska Brewery for lunch.

I had the "All American Burger" as shown above, while Mel had the "Spicy Burger" as shown below.

Friday, June 2, 2023

Mel had an appointment for 7:30 a.m. at Midas in Palmer to get the two truck tires put on the rims, balanced and put on the truck. When he got back, we decided to take off for a day in Anchorage. Even though today again started out as cloudy and rainy day, with a temperature of 44 degrees, we decided not to let the rain discourage us.  We left for Anchorage around 9:45 a.m.

Located at sea level, Anchorage has a population of 297,483, and is known for its walking and bicycle paths that run through many wooded areas of town as well as along the shore of Cook Inlet from downtown to way past the airport.  

Navigating in downtown Anchorage is fairly easy – numbered avenues run east to west and alphabetical streets run north to south. 

Anchorage began as an anchorage on Ship Creek in 1915 and a staging ground for construction of a railroad to the Interior. Today, it is Alaska’s largest city and its railroad and port remain crucial to the transportation of goods and resources. Some 90 percent of the merchandise goods for 85 percent of Alaska’s population come through the Port of Anchorage. 

Covering 1,961 square miles (1,697 square miles of land, 264 of water), Anchorage lies between the Chugach Mountains on the east and Knik Arm of Cook Inlet on the west. The surrounding mountain ranges—the Chugach, the Kenais, the Talkeetnas, the icy peaks of the Tordrillo Mountains across Cook Inlet, the dramatic peaks of the Alaska Range and the Aleutian Range surround the city in scenic splendor. Perched within the edge of Alaska’s vast, varied expanse of forests, mountains, rivers, taiga and tundra, the city offers abundant wilderness experiences in every direction.

Anchorage is Mile 0 of the Glenn Highway and Mile 127 (the end) of the Seward Highway. Within the city limits of Anchorage, there are an estimated 1,500 moose, nearly 250 black bears, and almost 60 brown bears.

Our first stop was at Earthquake Park located at 5101 Point Woronzof Road in Anchorage. In 1964, Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska were permanently damaged by the strongest earthquake to ever shake North America. This massive quake, which registered a whopping 9.2-magnitude on the Richter Scale, sent out 40-foot tsunami waves which caused the most damage and loss of life in both Valdez and Seward. Other coastal cities like Kodiak, Cordova, and Whittier were also severely damaged. They suffered the complete loss of their ports and adjacent fishing, railroad, and industrial facilities. 

This Good Friday earthquake destroyed or severely restricted all forms of transportation, utilities, and communications over a large part of Southcentral Alaska. Other ports were wiped out. Only the Port of Anchorage was partially operational after the earthquake. 

The loss of the ports in Valdez and Seward in particular was crippling, as these were the only all-weather, ice-free ports with road and rail access to Interior Alaska. The destruction of these ports permanently changed the economic pattern of water and rail transport in the state, bringing major shipping to Anchorage. In contrast, Anchorage suffered more damage from the earthquake than from tsunami waves, despite being surrounded on three sides by the water in Cook Inlet and its two "arms," Turnagain Arm and Knik Arm. The interpretive trail and exhibits in Earthquake Park commemorate the devastating event.

We drove around the Earthquake Park road and by the coastal water.

A big airplane crossed above us.

We then drove to downtown Anchorage to go to the Log Cabin Visitor Center.

Above is the Anchorage Historic City Hall and below is the Anchorage Air Crossroads of the World sign post.

The Old Anchorage City Hall was home to the administration of the city of Anchorage from its inception in 1936 through 1979. The building was designed by architect E. Ellsworth Sedille in the Beaux-Arts architectural style. Also known as Historic City Hall, the building is constructed from cast concrete. A range of masonry techniques were used for the round-arch opening.  The Old Anchorage City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Mel is standing in front of the Log Cabin Visitor Center in Anchorage. We walked inside and looked around for information we might need on Anchorage.

Above is one of the many information boards in downtown Anchorage. This one is particularly interesting because it is about Texas -- proclaiming Alaska's statehood which is twice as big as Texas.

Above is one of the many bear statues around downtown Anchorage.

As Mel wanted to get a craft beer at 49th State Brewing Company, I decided to get a root beer float since they too made their own root beer.

My root beer float above, and below is Mel with his tasters of craft beer.

The Eisenhower Alaska Statehood Monument overlooks the Alaska Railroad Depot.

We drove by the Alaska Railroad Corporation building and then on to the Alaska Ship Creek fishing area. The Alaska Railroad established its headquarters near the mouth of Ship Creek and Anchorage began as a tent city in 1914. The railroad was followed by development of the Port of Anchorage and a highway system linking Alaska's major communities.

And down to the boat launch area.

Then since we were looking to buy a Ulu Knife and wooden cutting bowl at the Ulu Factory, we went inside and watched the demonstration. 

The Alaska ULU knife (pronounced oo-loo) has been used for centuries by the Indigenous people of the Arctic. Ulus were first shaped from slate – a stone that can often be found, in its natural shape, curved or tapered to a fine edge. Used to skin, fillet, sew, and eat, the ulu was and still is, their most popular cutting tool. 

Today, the ulu has become a familiar sight in many modern kitchens, and its uses are as varied as the people who use it. From chopping nuts to slicing cheese and meats, the unique design of the ulu increases dexterity and leverage. The Ulu Factory is located at 211 West Ship Creek Avenue in Anchorage.

Below is the Ulu and bowl we bought at the Ulu Factory in Anchorage.

After we left the Ulu Factory, we drove to the Glen Alps Flattop Trailhead on Hillside Drive.

The view of Anchorage was pretty neat from up at the top of Hillside Drive.

Before going back to Palmer to our campsite, we stopped by New Sagaya Midtown Market and bought a couple fillets of Copper River Red Salmon and a few other groceries. (The Copper River Red Salmon was fresh on ice, and the fish department fillet them for us.)

Next we stopped at Taco King for lunch/dinner. We both had King Buritos at $14.95 each. The King Burrito is a flour tortilla filled with beans and our choice of meat (I had grilled chicken and Mel had carne asada), cilantro, cotija cheese, and onion. It was topped with guacamole and sour cream and a little taste of enchilada sauce. Neither one of us were too impressed.

We then left to head back to the Mt View RV Park in Palmer.

We got home around 5:30 p.m. and chilled for the rest of the night, after a short day in Anchorage, Alaska.

Shirley & Mel