Happy Solstice!!

Hello Readers!!

Summer Solstice is a BIG deal in Alaska. I bet there were at least 10 large festivals / events here in Anchorage yesterday along with a marathon that draws running clubs from around the country. For Sherri and I, it has become a yearly tradition that we stay up almost all night with friends to watch the sunset (11:45pm) and then the sunrise a couple of hours later. It really is amazing to see the sun barely dip below the horizon.

It never gets totally dark here right now, the darkest it gets is more of a "dusk".

Next summer we are hoping to go to Fairbanks for Summer Solstice. They have a baseball game that has been named one of the top 10 "must see" games in all of baseball. The game starts at 10:30pm and ends around 1:30am and they play the entire game using no stadium lights. It is a game that draws baseball fans from around the country and we have never been, so I think next year it is time that we go!!

Here are some photos from last night!!

(Sunset, around 11:30PM)

(Sky getting lighter for sunrise, 2am.
This is about as dark as it gets right now.)

Looking to start over?? Pack Your Bags!!!!!

Here is a great article that came out today that a friend linked to on Facebook and I wanted to post.

Click here for the article.

YES!! We're #1!! And, I could not agree more with this article! What a great place to live and the opportunities here are amazing!

We recently had some friends stay with us who are considering relocating to Anchorage and they asked a very interesting question at dinner one night, a question I don't think I have ever been asked. They asked us:

we see a lot of great things about Anchorage, but what do you NOT like about living here?

It honestly took us a minute of thinking and the ONLY thing we could come up with is that it is far away from family. It is certainly more difficult to feel "involved" in life from such a distance, but that was the only thing we could think of that we didn't like. I would say that is pretty good!

So pack your bags, you can even stay with us while you are looking for houses!

See you soon "neighbors"!

Nancy Lake

This weekend we went and stayed two nights at one of the Public Use Cabins on Nancy Lake, about a 90 minute drive North of Anchorage, with our friends Jason and Jana.

The State of Alaska has built a lot of these cabins all over the state that are for the recreational use of residents and visitors. Some are accessible by car, but a lot of them are only accessible by boat, plane or hiking trail. The cabins are pretty basic with a wood stove, picnic table, counter space and a few wooden sleeping platforms. But they are perfect for quick and cheap getaways! The cabin we stayed at is one of four that are located on Nancy Lake. The cabin is about a 1 mile hike from the parking lot, but it is a pretty well defined trail, so it isn't very hard.

These cabins are a great benefit and I am very glad that the State of Alaska built them because it really encourages people to get out and enjoy their state. They are a big step up from a tent and give you a great shelter that lets you enjoy being "outside" no matter what the weather does.

This weekend we played Yahtzee and Dutch Blitz, talked a lot, drove into Talkeetna and enjoyed a Saturday in the town, killed a million mosquitoes, I even took a quick, but cold, dip in the lake and Sherri took a quick, but painful tumble down a hill (she is fine).

It was a great weekend, we were able to enjoy a great cabin, a beautiful lake and excellent company!

(Our packs all ready to go! Sherri's is the one with the purse strapped to the outside, imagine that. You should see her with her pack on, she is 5'1 and her pack is probably 3'0, kinda funny)

(View from the waters edge, right outside our cabin)

(Inside the cabin)

Mini Getaway

For my birthday some friends gave us a gift card to Alyeska Resort. It is located in Girdwood, about 45 minutes from Anchorage and is a world class ski resort in the winter and a mountain biking / hiking destination in the summer. At the resort they have a great 4 star hotel that we stayed at last Friday night. The hotel is really nice and the area around the hotel is just so beautiful. We hung out in our room, watched a movie and enjoyed an amazing dessert called a "Baked Alyeska" that is made with: milk, dark and white chocolate mousse, brownie, liquid chocolate center and Italian meringue and it was AMAZING!!

The following morning we spent some time walking around the property enjoying some morning coffee and the scenery.

It was a great little getaway that we both really enjoyed!

Here are some pictures:

(Alyeska Resort Hotel)

(Sherri relaxing in a chair and enjoying the view)

(The view from our room. You can see the tram going up the mountain. At the top of the mountain there is a 5 Diamond restaurant that is one of the best in the state along with a museum, a cafeteria and some great views!!)

Memorial Day Camping

On Memorial Day weekend we went camping for 2 nights at Bertha Creek Campground about an hour and a half outside of Anchorage. It is a campground we have been to 3 times now and we really enjoy it because it is a quick, easy drive and it is in an amazing setting! The first night we camped by ourselves, but the second night 2 other couples joined us and we had a great time!

Sherri has never been a big fan of camping because she says that she can't get comfortable and its cold at night, and camping is one of my favorite activities so over the past couple of years we have outfitted ourselves with great quality camping gear and for the first time, Sherri said that she was comfortable and was only cold at the beginning of the night, once in our bags and blankets she warmed up! So apparently the hundreds of dollars spent at REI have been worth it!

The campground is at about 2,000 feet elevation in one of the snowiest areas of Alaska so at night the temp got into the upper 30's and during the day was mid 60's. During the days we had a mix of clouds and sun and at night it rained on us, but fortunately none of our stuff got wet.

Here are some pictures from Memorial Day Weekend Camping!

(Bertha Creek, where the campground is)

(A waterfall we stopped at on the drive to the campground)

(Sherri and I at Quartz Creek / Kenai Lake)

(Our campsite. Quite the view)

(The whole crew, The Harts, Grenns and Us)