The Final Frontier (AK #50)

When I originally established this blog my goal was to take you along on my visits all 50 states (plus DC) by the time I turned 50.  My adventure required some rethinking because on my 50th birthday I was in Hawaii, my 49th state. I wasn't too awfully upset, I was with my love in paradise and I had been to 49 states! I could have raced to get them all done by the time I turned 51, but once I had missed the goal, I just wasn't in a hurry anymore.

In September 2015 I made a bittersweet trip to my "final frontier" after I asked  Phil if there was anything left he wanted to do and he said "I want us to go to Alaska!" After a call to a friend who lives on Kodiak Island and Phil's cousin who lives in Anchorage we booked our Alaskan Adventure and left two weeks later.

It took 11 hours and 15 minutes with stops in Los Angeles and Seattle to get to Alaska. Phil had not seen his cousin Barb in 40 years, but the two of them clicked just like when they were kids. She asked if we were tired...NOPE we were ready for an adventure, so she whisked us off to her cabin on Saddleback Island in Big Lake. It was truly paradise and I think it was Phil's perfect place.

We only got to spend a couple of days before we took a train to Talkeetna where we hoped to get a glimpse of Denali. We were treated to spectacular fall colors on our train trip. Talkeetna is the town that inspired the 1990 series Northern Exposure and the town Mayor was a cat. The town consists of several blocks where climbers and air excursions for Denali are staged. We grabbed lunch and a very good beer sampler at Denali Brewing Company before the bus took us to Denali Mountain Lodge.

The lodge was only open for four more days, so it was pretty quiet. We hiked, went for a hot tub and hoped to see the elusive Denali. While we didn't get to see the great mountain, the highlight of the trip was taking the shuttle bus around the complex to see a mamma moose and her baby.

Our next destination was Kodiak Island to visit one of my craziest and sweetest letterboxing friends and her husband. Knowing my 50/50 desire, Denise had made several offers for me to come for a visit. Around Labor Day I called her and she insisted we come as soon as possible. Two weeks later we were on her porch overlooking the harbor. I am so grateful we got to go while Phil was still able to be active. We hiked, went out looking for wildlife on their boat to watch seals, scoured every road on the island looking for the Kodiak Island bear. Phil went fishing with the guys, Denise and I went to garage sales and thrift shopping. The people of this state are different than any other place I have been, they are awesome and our visit was filled with a lot of laughter.

Unfortunately the only bears we saw were stuffed, but Denise made sure I saw every one of them including the one in the local Walmart. We also enjoyed the "Touch Tank" at the Alaska Fisheries Research Center. But it was spending time with Denise and Robert exploring, meeting other people that topped our Kodiak lsland list. Phil and Denise found a letterbox at low tide, we had a $10 burger and craft brew at the Best Western and drank beer at Kodiak Island Brewing Company with a guy from The Deadliest Catch, a government official and the local director of the Baranov Museum, located in the oldest building in Alaska, a circa 1805 Russian magazine.

I remember the people they were hearty and hardworking yet laid back and welcoming. They are truly special. It wan't until we returned from Alaska that I realized Phil had gifted me with this extraordinary experience of visiting my final frontier with him.

South Dakota (#40) - Great Faces, Great Places

This was my second visit to this beautiful state and the west side is (in my book) hands down...the best side! My first visit was in 2000 with my mom and two sons. Phil stayed home and paid for the trip while the four of us took mom back to Vegas for a visit. That trip we went via all the National Parks we could fit in on a one month trip there and back. While that trip is most cherished and memorable, I have the digital pictures from this trip and it was close to being just as awesome...only this time I was alone...and enjoying some much needed me time.

My trips primary purpose was to get to North Dakota, but I was not about to miss another opportunity to visit the Black Hills area. I entered the state from Nebraska following US385 on the west side of the state. Just before I turned to continue on to Hot Springs I saw a sign for a microbrewery in Rapid City so I decided that was my destination for the evening and I was going to stay in a motel to boot. Hot Springs on the south end of the Black Hills would have been another good choice to stop and take advantage of the springs and numerous spas up on the bluffs...next time. The nineteenth century town had an amazing amount of its original limestone architecture. I stopped momentarily before heading off to Mount Rushmore via Custer State Park.

Custer State Park is undoubtedly one of the great wildlife viewing parks I have had the pleasure of visiting. Within a few miles of entering the park I saw: bison, prairie dogs, coyote, elk, mule deer, antelope and mountain goats...oh and a few black squirrels too. I went into animal overload and took about a third of all the pictures I took the whole trip. I went past the beautiful State Game Lodge and just before leaving the park I happened upon the spot where Austin & Jacob (then 10 & 7) fed the "wild burros." it was there that a lovely women went around sticking carrots in the hands of all the kids who were stopped there. To this day that "wild burro" incident is one of the boys most favorite vacation moments...even though we broke the law!

Snaking my way up 16A to the Peter Norbeck Overlook from south to north is the better route choice. Going this direction allows a surprise first peek of presidents as you drive into one of the three tunnels along this stretch of road. Mount Rushmore is perfectly framed within the tunnel and I wondered just how they figured it so precisely. I reached the overlook and this time had the place all to myself. I also savored the lack of traffic on this last day of April, because it allowed me to just stop virtually anywhere and take pictures, including the interesting pig tail bridges.

I reached Mount Rushmore at 5pm and they had quit taking the $10 parking fee at the gate for lack of patrons!! I walked through the Avenue of Flags and found both Michigan and Texas flags. On to the observation area, except this time I was no alone. It appeared I was amongst several Amish people, until they asked me to take there picture, I decided they must be Mennonite. I asked them to reciprocate by taking my picture and they shared they were from Alberta, Canada and wanted their picture taken with my presidents. I told them to return in a couple years to see Obama added to the end. Not thinking I was that funny they nearly rolled on the ground with laughter. I spent way too much money in their, oh so neat, gift shop and headed for Rapid City.

Beer was calling my name! I quickly secured a motel room and headed straight to the Firehouse Brewing Company. This microbrewery is located in a beautifully refurbished two story firehouse from the early twentieth century. This was my dream at the end of grad school - renovate a historic building and start a microbrewery - I was like a pig in mud! My bartender informed me they ambitiously brewed more than 30 varieties of beer, but usually had 5 offerings available so I ordered up my usual sampler.

The building was used as a firehouse until 1991 when it underwent a stunning renovation to a restaurant. They had even hung some of the original antique fire fighting equipment from the ceiling. One of particular interest was the hand pump water tank were three people stood on each side as the pumpers worked to expel water from the tank. My Yellowfin Tuna was masterfully cooked and both Porter and Stout were super yummy. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

CHEERS!