June 19-23 - Wasilla and Anchorage

June  19 -- Well, we went to check out the Montana Creek campground and walked a ways to where the people were fishing for King Salmon.  Some people told us to look out for Lynn and Mary and he would tell us how to rig up.  There were lots of people fishing and we saw several Kings caught. We found Mary and Lynn and visited with them quite awhile. They have lived in Alaska since he got out of the Navy. In the course of things we found out that Lynn grew up in Fort Collins and was born in the same town I was, Fairbury, Nebraska.  I'm telling you Alaska is huge and the world is getting smaller and smaller.

We went back and got our gear and fished for awhile.  No luck.

June 20 -- Here is a picture of what they call "combat fishing."

You are sitting shoulder to shoulder.  This is Roger in the foreground - not his idea of fun.  I must say the people are very nice and courteous but about 40 percent are packing a gun.  This was a real cultural experience.  One of the guys we got acquainted with was Steven and his girl friend Bobbie.  He expressed his feelings many times about being nice to people and wildlife and children.  At the end of the day he got into a spat with another guy and ended up breaking the other guy's nose and breaking his own finger.  His finger looked like an "s" and he didn't have any health insurance so he said it would probably just stay that way.  I don't think his girlfriend had any teeth and they were probably in their late 40's. Many people here still consider fishing and hunting a subsistance necessity.

Gary ended up catching a king salmon.

I had 2 on.  One I lost and the other one was foul hooked and you can't keep those.  It took me about 10 minutes to get him in so he could be taken off the hook.  That was quite an exercise.

June 21 - This morning we drove to Wasilla.  It really is a nice town.  Yesterday I asked Steve and his girl what they thought about Sarah.  They thought she would be a wonderful president and then they proceeded to tell me how Obama had redecorated the White House in arabic patterned fabric.  Of course I had to look it up on Snopes and found that the same drapes in the Oval Office had been there through several presidents.  People will believe anything - I swear.

It was 55 degrees out and we saw some little kids swimming in one of the city lakes.  Brrrrr.  They think 55 is warm.

Gary got a haircut; I got my nails done.  Got the truck washed.

We stayed in a  nice campground.  Wasilla was a really nice town. 

Sure wouldn't want to be one of those who ran into one of the 201!

Mountains around Wasilla

June 22 - Today we drove to Anchorage and arrived at Karen's RV to get one of our windows replaced.   The window was structurally unsound.  This took most of the day.  While that was being replaced we went to WalMart and got heavier fishing equipment.  We have 6 lb test on our poles and need poles that can handle 20 lb test. 

We checked with PetSmart and found that they have a Pet Hotel so we signed the girls up for a bath and  doggie day camp for tomorrow.  We had lunch at IHop. It was enough food to feed us dinner too.   A pretty boring day but sometimes you just have to take a break and do some chores.

June 23 - Our anniversary - and they said we'd never make it!  33 years.  We took the girls to the PetSmart Doggie Hotel and went to the Alaska Native Heritage Museum.  This is a very interesting place.  They not only had exhibits but also demonstrations of Alaskan dances, games and storytelling. Spent about 4 hours there.

They had some videos with comments about the changes at the time that Alaska became a state.  Alaskans are freedom loving people and statehood brought state and federal regulations e.g. game and fishing bag limits.  Also, prior to that time personal ownership of property was very limited.  These are examples of just two of the changes they had to adjust to.





Dance demonstration

Underground houses for warmth.  Some of these houses were large enough to hold a whole village (1000 people).

Grey whale bones



Whale jaw bones



A rain parka made from fish skin





After leaving the Heritage Center we went downtown. There we saw a movie on the aurora borealis and an exhibit about the 1964 earthquake.  There was a wonderful young man playing violin in the park so we spent a few minutes there.  Then off to do our grocery shopping and to pick up the girls from their "spa" day.  While downtown we met - guess who -   LOL.

 Time to call it a day and to meet Jane and Roger for our evening cocktail.  Tomorrow I'll do a load of clothes, Gary will get the oil changed in the truck and we'll be off down the Kenai peninsula.