Fish and a Moose on the Way Home

The day had arrived for us to return to the Lower 48.

I admired some of the fun Alaskan artwork on some beer cans while cleaning up around the airbnb. Kassik's Brewery's Beaver Tail Blonde Ale is a reference to the little plane we took to Denali.

The airbnb was so dreamlike they left us a gift basket of snacks and it even contained a gift card to the local Resurrect Art Coffee House.

I think repurposed churches are super fun.

The Alaska SeaLife Center was a funny example of how this 2,700 population town clearly is punching above its weight due to tourism.

There was a bit where you could pet various sea creatures but I think they were pumping water in directly from outside because it was hand numbingly cold.

I learned a lot about ice today.

Even the gas station on the drive back to Anchorage was scenic.

We saw a moose on the side of the road! This was right next to the airport so it was like the last possible moment for this big... girl? to make an appearance.

Ern was happy to be back at home with yet another fun week of experiences under his belt.

Alaskan Launch

It's a good thing that Lydia and I have a good chunk of parental leave because Ernesto has been demanding to see the world and go on lots of trips.

My big chunky baby outgrew his little swing. I thought it was kind of sad that he'll never ride in this again and he has no way of knowing that's happening. He used to like to spend time in the swing and I had a red, white, and black takeout bag from Din Tai Fung hanging from the kitchen table that he liked to stare and and smile.

Alaska was actually supposed to be our first trip after St. Louis, as a domestic starter practice adventure. I was able to get us those fancy tickets to Japan on short notice though, so Lydia was a trooper and rescheduled the Alaska journey.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was very impressive. It had a lot of depictions of Alaskan animals, geography, and culture and really served as a great starting point for a tourist.

Ted Stevens is a big ole deal in Alaska. He was influential in getting Alaska accepted into the union as a state, and the served as senator 1968 to 2009. He was actually involved in a plane crash at the airport in 1978 in which he survived but his wife was killed. He himself was killed in a 2010 crash north of Dillingham, AK. I'm not sure I would personally want an airport named after me after all of that but why not? He was a big deal in getting pork barrel spending for Alaskan projects so if I was a gambler I'd guess he's the one who got this fancy airport built in the first place.

Alaska is big.

While we were in line getting our rental car sorted out I was amused to find a salmon recipe on the counter for people to take. I'm starting to get the impression that this state is different from all the others.