So George and I stagger to the airport ... uncharacteristically, I had packed last night so had little to do but dress this morning. There was almost NOTHING open at the airport ... could have had coffee, but something cold sounded good. So I bought a Jarrito Strawberry Soda ... not exactly Big Red, but close!
The Delta flights were a pleasant surprise. If I weren't such a Southwest fan, I might be converted. On time, spacious planes, even the puddle jumper that took us from Abq to Salt Lake. The big plane from Salt Lake to Anchorage was great ... supposed to be full but at the last minute someone didn't make it, so the seat next to me was empty. How's that for luck!
Salt Lake City airport is spacious and clean. However we came in at concourse B and flew out of concourse D. Thank heavens we had two hours. It was about a 30 minute walk, and I was not strolling along and shopping!
Slept most of the way to Anchorage. Woke once for a diet coke and two cookies. That was the extent of the food on a 4 hour flight. Oh well.
Arrive in Anchorage a little early at noon. The Anchorage airport is also spacious and beautiful. Lots of stone work and stone sculptures of wildlife. Bags arrived in a timely manner and the Holland America greeter took it from there. I haven't ever purchased transfers from the cruise line before, so this was a new experience. Nothing to decide or chase down. Once you are in their pipeline, you end up where you are supposed to be.
The motor coach driver took us on a bit of a scenic tour, giving commentary the whole way into Anchorage from the airport.Did you know that Lake Hood seaplane base is the busiest airport in the world? I think the shuttle driver said 8,000 planes a month take off and land on the lake. Remember, flying is the way lots of travel is done in Alaska due to lack of passable roads.
By the time I got checked in at the Hilton Inn, it was almost 2PM and I hadn't had anything to eat but those two cookies. I headed out on foot to prowl around downtown Anchorage and find some seafood. Now here's the thing. I LOVE seafood (oysters, lobster, shrimp, scallops) but am only so-so about fish (salmon, halibut, cod). Well, guess what Alaska has PLENTY of? Yep ... very fresh fish. So, when in Rome ...
I had asked the shuttle driver for some recommendations and found myself at Humpy's Ale House Not a bad choice. They have a great micro-brew selection and a seriously good halibut burger. Sounds weird, I know ... but this wasn't your ordinary fish sandwich. I LOVED it! Halibut was flaky, but not mushy, and really flavorful. I might have to change my mind about fish. The Kassiks Nut Brown was a great accompaniment.
Well, I had to walk off that lunch, so I headed two blocks west to the Oomingmak Musk Ox Co-Op, home of all things Qiviut. Of course my knitter friends know of Qiviut. For the rest of you, it is the VERY soft undercoat of the musk ox, harvested by hand, and the warmest fiber for its weight. They don't sell yarn there, because, as the store person told me, that would undercut their craftpersons who do this wonderful knitting by hand. But they do sell a hat kit. Of course, I bought one and will knit on it during the cruise.Here's a picture of the Kit:
I will post progress on my ravelry page. If you don't have a ravelry account, you probably aren't interested anyway.
Still felt like walking, so I headed back toward the Hilton, but on the corner opposite the hotel was the Anchorage Marketplace. It's several square blocks of open-air tents, kiosks, and vendors of all kind. Jewelry, food, sculpture, clothing, fur, and leather are just a few. I didn't buy anything particularly Alaskan, but I did get this precious t-shirt for Madison:
Then I headed back to the hotel to rest and get ready for tomorrow. I will be getting up early to visit The Quilted Raven, who is opening specially for us on Sunday morning before we catch the train to Seward. I will try to get Scotty out of bed as well, since they are primarily a fabric/quilting store.
Nite nite for now.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment