Fairbanks Convention

The Fairbanks IDEA curriculum fair started today. We have a nice booth location just inside the door. We weren't able to use our new gray tablecloths because they are designed for eight-foot tables, and the tables at this event are six-foot. The blue ones are some we had from last year. It was just serendipity that they match the draping at this event so well.

 This event is held at the Carlson Center, which, it turns out, is the arena for the Alaska Nanooks ice hockey team. Late in the afternoon, when traffic in the vendor hall had slowed down, I went out and hunted the stairs up to the mezzanine to take a "bird's eye view" picture.

 You can see our booth in the left corner, against the wall. Our "sister company," BookShark, is on the right. That's why there are five on our "team"-- three for Sonlight, and two for BookShark.

After work, our team went to the Silver Gulch Brewery for dinner. I'm not sure why most of the restaurants in Alaska seem to be breweries. I had seafood fettuccine and a "Shirley Temple" (which turned out to be a cherry Sprite). Both were delicious!

Outside of Fairbanks

For our day off today, we drove out into the country. Our first stop was the Alaska Pipeline. I learned that the reason it is above ground is because the oil is warm (about 100 degrees F) as it flows through the pipe. The ground, however, is frozen permafrost. If the pipeline were buried it would thaw the ground and  make it unstable. I hadn't thought of that before. I guess I figured it was the other way around-- that the ground would make the oil too cold. But no.

A stream ran parallel to the Pipeline. It was still frozen along the edges. We were fascinated with the ice crystals. So delicate and beautiful.

 Then we drove up to the Chena Hot Springs Resort, about an hour outside of Fairbanks. We ate lunch there and enjoyed walking around. There were several old vehicles of various kinds, just rusting away... lots of log buildings with moose racks galore... and pen of reindeer sleeping under trees... another pen of chickens and goats hanging out together. Just random, interesting stuff.

We didn't get into the hot springs, but we dipped our hands in to see if it really was "hot." It was. It also smelled like sulphur. The middle picture is the "ice skating pond." I decided my ice skates probably wouldn't work on it in that condition.

It was a fun, relaxing day. Tomorrow we'll be back to work at the Fairbanks IDEA convention.

Denali Viewpoint South

The second "sight-seeing" stop of yesterday's road trip was at the Denali Viewpoint South. It involved a short uphill hike for the best view. I wasn't too sure where it would take us, so I asked some ladies coming down if the hike was worth the view. They assured me that it definitely was, and that I was almost there. So I kept going.

The strip of photos in the collage above shows the trail, starting from the bottom picture and going up. I could just barely see the top of the mountain as I started up. The background picture was taken from the viewpoint at the top of the trail. As were these...

The view of the mountain from this vantage point was breathtaking. At over 20,000 feet, Denali is the tallest mountain on the North American continent. Apparently, Mount McKinley is the official name, but the "real" name of the mountain is Denali. If you're like me, you've heard all this before but may not remember it at the moment.

As with most major mountains, seeing it on a sunny day is rare. We were thrilled that the weather cooperated for a stunning view just for us.

Talkeetna, Alaska

On our road trip today we enjoyed a detour to the little town of Talkeetna.

Tourists that we are, we decided that it was a quintessential Alaskan town.

 We walked down the street lined with authentic log cabins...

...whimsical buildings...

...and even a yurt!

I would have liked to try this coffee shop, but it didn't seem to be open when we were there.

We followed the signs to the "river view trail"... past the Mexican Moose where this little girl was selling cinnamon roasted nuts, along with random Mexican-y style gifts under the awning behind her. We never did understand why Mexican. In Alaska. Just to be different maybe. I have no idea.

The river view was well worth the hike.

A photographer was rafting down the river with his collapsible bicycle in the raft with him. In case you didn't recognize it, yes, that is indeed Mount McKinley way off in the distance.

Here. Let me zoom in on it for you.

You know what? I think it just needs its own post. But it's getting late. So I'll post those pictures tomorrow.

Out and About in Anchorage

Last night we had dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse in downtown Anchorage. This restaurant is just down the street from the convention center, so we walked over. Obviously, brewed drinks are their specialty, but they had some unique beverage choices in the non-alcoholic section of the menu. I chose Blackberry Basil Lemonade. It was delicious! I would have never thought to add the basil, but it was a lovely variation on mint.

We enjoyed the Alaskan ambiance, not the least of which was the wonderful smell of woodsmoke when we stepped in the door. The large fireplace in the center of the dining room had a gas fire, so it was just for looks. The food was cooked over a wood fire.

 I had the salmon. It just seemed like the thing to order when in Alaska. And yes, it was quite as tasty as it looks.

Then we decided we needed dessert. But not much. So we ordered one slice of "crustless chocolate torte" with 5 forks. The waitress laughed at us, but she brought 5 forks. We passed the plate around and around the table savoring the torte one bite at a time. I have to admit I only had a bite about the first 3 times the plate went past me before "crying uncle." I can only handle so much of uber-rich chocolate desserts.

The convention center where we were working featured this stunning artwork in the lobby. I immediately recognized that it was inspired by the northern lights.

I was amazed to read about the hand-work involved and the method the artist used to create this piece.

It was hung to drape down into the lower level and then over into the hall.

When the convention was over this evening, we took a few minutes to walk around downtown and visit some shops.

We encountered a bear. He wasn't real. But he was large.

And thus ends our sojourn in Anchorage. Tomorrow we will be driving to Fairbanks. We are hoping for some great adventures along the way.