Here is a quiz about the Statue of Liberty. I hope you have fun with it.
1) Point to the state where the Statue of Liberty is located.
2) Point to the state where you live.
3) What states would you travel through to get from your state to the statue's state ? What direction would you travel ?
When I was a kid, I could never figure out why Alaska was so hot and why it took so long to get to Hawaii. I mean, they're both just sound of CA, AZ, NM, and TX. Aren't they ?
4) This is a map of Europe. Point to the country that gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States.
5) The Statue of Liberty is the universal symbol of _________________. (Unscramble the answer: deerfom)
6) The framework of the Statue of Liberty's gigantic steel supports was designed by Eugene- Emmanuel
Viollet-le-Duc and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who is famous for his
design of the _______ _______.
7) This famous tower is located in __________, _____________. city country
8) In May of 1884, the statue was completed but had to be dismantled and shipped by boat to the United States. What does dismantled mean ?
9) The Statue of Liberty is made of copper. What coin is also made of copper ?
10)
This is what copper looks like on the left. But because of oxidation, copper will turn green. It looks like this:
The green tarnish that forms on copper because of oxidation is called what ?
11) The Statue of Liberty is on an island. What is an island ?
12) What do tourists ride to get to the Statue of Liberty ?
13) The seven spikes on the crown of the statue represent the seven seas and
seven continents of the world, according to the National Park Service.
Can you name the seven continents ? The letters are hints:
A_____
A_____
A_____
A_____
E_____
N_____A____
S_____ A_____
14) What continent do you live on ?
15) The Statue of Liberty holds a tablet in one hand and a ____________ in the other.
16) What do you like best about the Statue of Liberty ?
17) If you were going to ask a question about the Statue of Liberty, what would it be ?
18) Can you click on the link below ? You can check your answers there.
19) Find a sheet of paper and draw the Statue of Liberty.
20) If you will Facetime with me NOW, I'll send you a surprise.
My eight-year old granddaughter, Parker, has always been intrigued with the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. I promised her quite some time ago that I would post some of my photos of the Statue of Liberty. Since I've never been to France, the Eiffel Tower photos will just have to wait. It is on my Bucket List to attend The French Open.
Dear Parker,
There is a lot of information here, so don't try to real ALL of it at once.
Have fun.
I love you,
Gams
The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, in the New York Harbor. The island and its statue can only be reached by riding a ferry . . . or swimming.
The statue was to
be a symbol of welcome for all immigrants coming to America, as well as a universal symbol of freedom.
***************************
This is a bust and drawing of French historian Edouard de Laboulaye who had the idea of presenting a statue representing liberty as a gift to the United States.
The Statue of Liberty commemorates the American Declaration of Independence and was a gift from the people of France.
******************
****************** The Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. It was built with the help of hundreds of workers working ten hours every day, seven days a
week, for nine years !
Its framework of gigantic steel supports was designed by Eugene-Emmanuel
Viollet-le-Duc and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who is famous for his
design of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
In May of 1884, the statue was completed in France but had to be dismantled. The 350 individual copper sheets were packed into 214 crates and loaded onto a boat ride from France to New York. It took about three months for the boat to make the trip. It arrived in June of 1885 and was finally put back together on October 28, 1886.
That was 127 years ago.
*******
These are the ferries that take tourists to and from the statue.
If you look at the aerial view (2nd photo above), you can probably figure out where I was standing when I took this picture.
This is our friend, Bill, sitting on a replica of the statue's foot.
Lady Liberty wears a size 879 shoe that are each 25 feet long.
What size shoe do you wear ? How many "feet" long are your shoes ?
(Inches ?)
The statue is made of copper and is now green in color because of oxidation (a chemical reaction between metal and water) from evaporation of the seawater surrounding it.
The foot above is what copper looks like before oxidation . . .
. . . and the green is what's happen after oxidation.
Patina is a tarnish that forms on the surface of copper.
So, at one time, the whole statue was the same color as the foot that Bill is sitting on.
I don't know how big the ear is.
The seven spikes on the crown of the statue represent the seven seas and
seven continents of the world, according to the National Park Service. This indicates the universal concept of liberty.
The seven continents are: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
The 'seven seas' are: Arctic, Antarctic, North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean
There are 25 windows in Lady Liberty's crown.
Lady Liberty holds a torch . . .
and a
tablet that has the date of the American Declaration
of Independence inscribed on it: July 4, 1776
Her index finger is 9 feet long.
How long is your index finger ?
This is a replica of the torch that Lady Liberty holds.
The torch is lit from within, making it clearly visible at night from
any direction.
Currently, 16 large floodlights provide light. The torch is visible
about 24 miles out to sea in clear conditions.
Visitors must climb 354 stairs which is equal to 20 floors to reach the Statue of Liberty's crown, or they can take an elevator to a lower part of the statue.
While riding the ferry there are great views of the New York skyline on the
waterfront.
The tallest building in this photo is The Chrysler Building.
Do you recognize a building in the above photo ?
This is The Empire State Building.
This photo was taken from the back of the ferry looking toward the NYC skyline.
The photos below were taken from the statue . . .
This looks like a regatta of a sailboat, tourist boat, and a ferry.
I think this is the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
It is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn.
There are a lot of bridges in the area.
I think this one is the Brooklyn Bridge.
There is another bridge in the background.
Silhouette
Another silhouette
This is the building where you buy your tickets.
Here are a few more photos . . .
Dear Parker,
I had so much fun creating this Statue of Liberty post for you, and I hope you enjoy reading about it.
With either a pulled muscle and/ or cartliage pulled away from a rib/OR perhaps having cracked a rib that:
1) coughing is almost next to impossible
2) sneezing is totally absolutely unequivocally without a doubt, out of the question
3) the word hiccup is no longer in my vocabulary and do not whisper the word around me
4) hollering for the dogs to come inside uses muscles in my rib-cage area I never realized were there.
5) people look at me as if I had two heads when they ask how me how I did ' it,' and I tell them I was coughing.
6) they would be more apt to believe me if I told them I was rappelling off a mountain side.
7 it's easier to use a candle snifter than trying to blow out the candles
8 it is easier to turn the steering wheel to the left than to the right
9 there is no way is it possible to vacumn . . . or dust. . . or change the sheets . . . or do the laundry . . .or basically do ANY type of housework
10) I won't being doing "PLANK" for awhile
11) using a heating pad at night masks the intensity of my hot flashes
12) slicing off part of my pointer finger tends to distract me from thinking about the pain in my side
13 ) my tetnus shot was up to date; that meant one less stick
14) I am obssessed with playing with the stitches that are protruding from that finger
15) they feel like those confused eyebrows that grow out of my chin
16) how much I use my left hand, especially the pointer finger on that hand
17) pain pills keep me awake all night
18) my heart now beats in the end of my finger
19) washing dishes is out of the question (the doctor said so for at least 24 hours 48 hours 1 week forever) (See #9)
20) it's foggy, raining, cold . . .the dogs have been fed . . . I'm going back to bed to read "Orange is the New Black" . . .
. . . and eat watermelon . . .
and make Ree's Tomato Sherried Soup . . . please take note: That is a full bottle of sherry ! "Yes, I cook with sherry. Sometimes I even put it in the food."
We do it all the time, in passing, expecting to hear something like "Fine" or "OK" or "Busy" etc.
Anyone asking me that question today, beware and get ready for an earful. In other words, if you're not sincere about knowing how I REALLY am, don't bother with the question.
This is how my day started . . . didn't sleep well because I have either a cracked rib or cartilage pulled away from a rib due to coughing. Because I've had a sinus infection with lots of drainage. TMI ???
With that came asthma which I've not had in years. More coughing and wheezing.
If you've ever had a cracked rib or cartilage pulled away from one, you know it not only hurts like the dickens to cough or sneeze, it even hurts to breathe.
Therefore, I'm tired before my day even started. After feeding the dogs, I decided to deal with a watermelon in the refrigerator. It was so large that even lifting it out hurt my side, so my plan was to cut it into smaller pieces that were easier to deal with.
Yes, the serrated knife was very sharp. When I tried to cut through this very large watermelon, it slipped and the rest is history . . . and bloody.
At first I thought I had just knicked my finger, but upon closer inspection, I could see that the flesh was flapping around and the wound was rather deep.
The last time I did something as stupid, I chose not to have stitches and it took f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to heal.
Not wanting to sit for hours in the ER, I called the clinic and asked for the earliest opening. The receptionist asked what was going on, so I told her. She assured me there would be no problem seeing a doctor.
While standing in line waiting to see the receptionist, the very kind gentleman ahead of me noticed blood dripping from my hand and gave me his place in line.
Because all the docs were in a meeting, there was plenty of time to continue reading "Orange is the New Black." Reading Piper's story of her incarceration made my predicament seem rather insignificant.
Less than an hour after trying to remove part of the flesh from my finger, it was being sewn back back on. Yes, the numbing needle did stick a bit but in a matter of seconds I didn't even know I had a finger.
Finally get home with a numb finger and realize that only one dog is at home. June Bug. After looking for Ginger and Lola for about 10 minutes at the house and realizing that they definitely were not at the house, I loaded Bug into the van and we head down the driveway. Just as I'm about to pull out, I notice the 'dog police truck' coming up the street. Hmmm. Not a coincidence. We stop in the middle of the street and I asked if he had my dogs. He didn't. But it was indeed my dogs he was looking for because someone had reported them on the loose and not only that, but they had allegedly attacked another dog. I cannot post my words here because this a G-rated blog. Let's just say my words weren't, "Oh no."
There was this horrible sensation in my stomach as I visualized a dog being horribly injured or even worse, killed. Lola and Ginger are not mean dogs, and I just could not fathom this happening.
I told the officer to please tell the owner that whatever vet bills there might be, we would pay for them. I also asked him to call me if he found my dogs. For about the next 15 minutes my imagination went wild. What if they had killed a dog ? They would certainly have to be put down. Tears streamed down my face. I stopped and asked every person walking if they had seen Lola and Ginger. Nope. I drove up the hill in the direction the dog police went and found his parked truck. I waited. No sign of him. No dogs barking. The only sound I could hear was the beating of my heart. I waited for about 5 minutes, then continued my search. Nothing. Drove back to the where he had been parked. Truck was still there. Finally, he and a lady emerged from the house. I bailed out of the van and heard my name. I knew the lady. She was saying, "Kathy ! My dog is ok. He's not hurt."
Evidently, she and her little white poodle-type dog were walking in front of the house, and for some strange reason, Ginger decided to run out into the street. Lola decided to follow her. (The radio fence and their collars were not working. The gate was broken so it was open. Not a good combination.) Ginger didn't actually attack the dog, but she did succeed in scaring the bee-jee-bus out of Mary Ann. She called our house but because I was at the doctor's office, no one answered. Hence, the call to the dog police because she knew our dogs needed to be found.
I headed for the elementary school because the dogs love kids and when it's recess time, we can hear all those little voices at our house. No dogs on the playground.
Phone rings. Amigo Animal Clinic has been called and they give me the number of the gentleman who says he has the dogs.
I call the number.
No answer.
Call again.
No answer.
Phone rings. HOME AGAIN calls and lets me know the same gentleman has also called them. (Our dogs are chipped.) They connect me to him. He gives me his address and I head several miles to another neighborhood to find both dogs locked up in his backyard, playing with his dogs.
Can they look any more guilty ?
Everyone is now on lock down until the radio fence and gate are fixed.
By now, I had forgotten all about my finger.
That event seems like it happened days ago after all this.
All I know is having your dogs chipped is very important and the yearly subscription cost is worth every penny.
And here's June Bug.
I knew when I drove up to the house, that something was wrong because she was barking and whining and jumping all over me.
I guess it was her way of telling on her sisters.
June Bug, you were a good dog today !
To all the neighbors who were put on alert and on the look out for our little criminals, thank you for all your help.
Here is the update on my finger.
Moral to this Story:
If you ask me how my day 'was,' get ready for an earful because I plan to tell you in detail what has happened.
Dear HansMan: All this kind of $hi+ happens when you are gone.
The day isn't over.
I'm just waiting for the skunk to show up.
Now excuse me while I go have a piece of watermelon.
When my 'Little Friend' (she's mentioned in that link) asked me a few questions about Alaska, I started to reply to her e-mail with a couple of suggestions, then decided there was just too much to include in an e-mail.
My suggestions turned into a Seven-Part-Blog-Post about Alaska: (More Than You'll Ever Want to Know)
Obviously, there are many choices of places to visit and things to do in this state.
It is a very big place.
See . . .
Since I am a visually-spatially-challenged-type-person, it is necessary for me to see illustrations like this to assist me in understanding just how very big the state of Alaska is. Alaska is a geographical marvel. This scale map of Alaska superimposed on a map of the 48 lower states, shows that Alaska extends from coast
to coast.
In 1867 United States Secretary of State, William H. Seward, offered Russia $7,200,000, or two cents per acre, for Alaska. It was later named "Seward's Folly" and "Seward's Icebox."
At its closest point, Alaska is less than 3 miles from Russia. If Sarah
Palin had built her home on Little Diomede Island, she would have been
telling the truth about seeing Russia from her back porch !
Alaska has both the easternmost and westernmost points in the United
States, sort of ! The 180th meridian, the dividing line between east and
west longitudes, passes through the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska.
So, if you look at it this way, the westernmost point is Amatignak
Island at 179'10” west longitude. The easternmost is Pochnoi Point at
179'46” east longitude.
Alaska's name is based on the Eskimo word Alakshak meaning great lands or peninsula.
If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in Manhattan.
Alaska has 6 times as many pilots and 16 times as many aircraft per
capita as the rest of the country. Lake Hood, in Anchorage, is the
world’s busiest seaplane base averaging 800 takeoffs and landings on a
peak summer day.
This bus will take you to Denali or you can ride the train there or you can drive yourself there.
Rising to 20,320 feet, Mt. McKinley is the highest peak in the United
States. Locally, it is known as Denali, which means “Great One” in
Athabascan, the native language.
Alaska is home to 17 of the tallest 20 mountains in the U.S.
Fireweed: The weed everyone loves. It grows anywhere it wants to and is usually the first thing that grows back after a fire. It has
pink flowers … and in fall, the leaves turn a fiery red ….. hence the
name Fireweed. The flower above is NOT fireweed.
One thing that makes Alaska so special is that all three species of
North American bears flourish here: Black Bear & Brown Bear (including the grizzly) & Polar Bear There is a chance that you may be
lucky enough to see a bear. But even if you don't, you will never be far
from one, because Alaska is bear country.
I was lucky enough to get very close to the bear pictured above. Please note: This photo was taken without a zoom. "I ain't skeered of no bar."
The photo above IS a bear. Yes it is !
Remember that I mentioned "Taste of Alaska" Bed & Breakfast ?
This is the view from their backyard.
Remember that I mentioned the museum in Fairbanks ?
Just checking to see if you're paying attention.
One of the 'exhibits' is "The Place Where You Go to Listen."
Maybe some of the people in Washington D. C. should go there.
There are many 'outhouses' in Alaska. Some are quite ornate.
Checking out the outhouse . . . "Hey, where's the Sears & Roebuck catalog?"
Cache (cash): A very small, food storage cabin. Elevated, out of reach of both animals and children. Caching is the hoarding/storing food behavior of animals. When my youngest daughter was 3, she 'saved' pizza by hiding it under the cushions on our couch.
Cheechako is a native word meaning “tenderfoot” or “greenhorn” and refers to
those with less than one year of residence in Alaska.
A "Sourdough" is a
long time Alaskan resident. It is also the name of a pancake that should be eaten every morning.
Remember I mentioned Pioneer Park in Fairbanks ?
| It's a wildlife park. . . There are pretty little duckies there.
It's a museum .
It's a great place to eat.
Remember I mentioned that the best crab legs are served here ?
Moose are plentiful in Alaska, and if you're driving early morning or late afternoon, you may just encounter one standing in the middle of the road.
This chocolate moose was spotted outside my train window.
Speaking of meese:
One year we flew into Anchorage, arriving about midnight. (2:00 a.m. my body time) We had reservations at a cabin on the road to Kenai. (About 90 minutes unless the road is closed.) It had been a long day of traveling and I could just envision sitting by the fire in that cozy little cabin once we arrived. But, let me preface this story with 'this conversation' :
Me: Should we call about having a key left somewhere outside the cabin ?
Him: Nah.
Me: Well, we won't get there until 2:00 or 3:00 IN THE MORNING.
Him: Don't worry about this.
Me: I'm not worried about it. I just think we should call the guy and ask him to leave the key somewhere. This place isn't Las Vegas where someone is at the desk 24/7. Besides, there's not even a desk for someone to be at . . . at 2:00 IN THE MORNING. I don't think anyone will be waiting up for us.
Him: I'll take care of it.
Me thinking to myself: I should get the number and call this guy.
Me: OK (said with a question mark)
Now, on with the rest of the story. We collected our luggage, found the rental car place, found the rental car, and headed out. This is not an easy drive around The Turnagain Arm at night. It's about three hours to Kenai, so we opted to find a place (that cabin mentioned in the above conversation) about half way, spend the night, and drive the rest of the way the next morning.
About fifteen minutes before making it to the cabin, we found the road closed. We were the only vehicle on the road. After sitting there for about 15 minutes, a guy walks up to the car (it's 1:00 in the morning), and tells us that a mama moose and her calf are on the road just around the curve, and that when this happens, they close the road.
I mean, who's there to do this at 1:00 in the morning ?
It just happened to be along a stretch of road that was being repaired.
Keep in mind, there are two seasons in Alaska: winter and road construction. Actually it’s more
like “road fixin'” construction. There are very few roads being built there.
So there were these big bright lights that made it look like daytime and all this heavy equipment and this guy who was evidently security for the road construction-repair company, and this moose and her baby.
We asked how long the road would be closed and he told us it all depended on how long it took the mama moose to take her baby into the woods.
Really ?
Who is this guy ? The moose police ?
Mama moose took her good 'ole easy time, but we were moving again about 40 minutes later.
The cabin was just around a couple more curves, and we were so happy to finally be there.
The place was dark.
There was no sign of life around. Except maybe that moose and her calf somewhere in the woods.
HansMans knocked on the cabin door. I told him I doubted very much that anyone would be IN OUR cabin. (***insert deer in headlights look from him here***)
I went to the window and peeked in at the cozy little cabin with the fireplace.
He walked around for awhile, in the dark, looking for a key, checking both doors to see if they might be unlocked.
I hoped that he didn't stumble onto a bear.I had not packed my bear gun.
It was at this point I bit a hole in my lip, trying not to say, "I told you to make arrangements for the key."
Thank goodness I had packed lots of warm clothing.
Yes, we did. We slept in our vehicle outside that little cabin. Since it was almost 4:00 IN THE MORNING, we were on the road in a couple of hours.
***note to self*** Self: When he says he'll take care of it, do it yourself.
And no, the statute of limitations has not run out on this. It is used regularly when he plans a trip.
It's more fun to stand outside when riding the train because if you don't,
you might miss . . .
sights like this.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline moves up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour on its 800 mile journey to Valdez. Alaska accounts for 25% of the oil produced in the United States.as its most important revenue source is the oil and natural gas industry.
Prudhoe Bay, on the northern Alaskan coast, is North America's largest oil field.
***
When the sun rises in Barrow, Alaska on May 10, it does not set until
August 2, providing 84 days of continuous sunlight. Conversely, when
the sun sets in Barrow on November 18, there are 67 days of darkness before the sun rises again January 24. This photo was taken at about 1:00 a.m. at The Pumphouse in Fairbanks. (June) Don't forget your sunglasses. Most of the hotels/motels have black-out shades, but if you're going during the time of year that the sun never sets, be sure the place you stay has them.
***
This is glacier ice.
Ice Worms are small, very tiny worms that actually live in glacial ice. You
can eat them but you need at least 1 million to make a meal ….. well,
maybe a little less. If you've ever had a drink at our house with glacier ice in it . . . well, you've had ice worms.
Glacier Ice can be caught by Dip Netting, (usually a term used for catching fish). . . holding a large fishnet, on the end of a long pole, in a
river, waiting for glacier ice to float by.
Hopefully, anyone reading here who might be planning a trip to Alaska has found some information that might be useful.
Recommended Reading:
"Call of the Wild"- Jack London
"Into the Wild" - Jon Krakauer
"Alaska "- James Michener
"Coming into the Country" - John McPhee
"Alaska for Dummies" - Charles P. Wohlforth
"Lonely Planet Alaska" - Jim Dufresne
"Two Old Women" - Velma Wallis
"Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness" - Robert Specht
Books by: Elizabeth Quinn & Sue Henry
****************
No post about Alaska would be complete without mentioning gold and this song:
(Byron, you now have music.)
Happy Traveling (This photo was taken in Australia !)
We just-must take one more train ride before leaving Alaska.
Have I mentioned I LOVE riding the train ? Oh. I have ???
And, Little Friend, there may be one more post after today with just miscellaneous photos. No rhyme or reason. Just random photos.
Most of these photos don't even need captions . . .
This is one of my favorite photos.
It was not easy getting all the people off the train so I could take this picture.
It was 'kinda' like herding cats !
Most of the water is gray from glacial silt.
Many times, if the train isn't full, the train attendant or tour guides will turn the seats around so you can use them as foot rests. "The person" above likes riding the train, too.
We like to ride across from each other so that we can watch for wildlife from both sides of the train.
He's not as observant as I am . . . In the photo above he appears to be reading. He's not.
Beaver dam.
Little
cabin in the woods Where a man by the window stood Saw
a rabbit hopping bear ambling by Knocking
at his door Help
Me! Help Me! Help Me! he cried Or
the hunter will shoot me dead Little rabbit bear come inside Safely
by the fire.
When the trains pass by each other, there are those who try to imitate mooses meeces mice . . .whatever the plural of moose is. Then, there are those who comtemplate mooning the other train, but don't want them to throw Mama from the Train, so she behaves herself.
This is our favorite type of train car. Except for the dining car.
Train track below
Do you see what I see ?
Now ?
He's slowly making his way up the mountain.
It's not easy spotting wildlife from the train, and once you spot it, you have to look quick-ly. Sometimes the conductor will slow down, but for the most part, you must keep both eyes open at all times.
If I had taken my zoom, this would have been a much better photograph.
Reflection
Reflection with Trees
And for a sweet ending . . .
Train Tips :
We have traveled Gold Star luxuryand Adventure Class. Seating in the Gold Star luxury dome cars ranges from $85 - $110 more
than than the Adventure Class seating. The seating in the Vista dome
cars is unassigned, open to all Adventure Class passengers, and is not
pre-sold. If you're traveling from Anchorage to Fairbanks, I suggest paying the extra and riding Gold Star. Besides, they give you a cute little gold pin to wear.
We called the day before to book our seats, but you can book 36 or more days prior to travel. Passengers have 72 hours to
make full payment. If booking 35 or less days prior to travel,
passengers must pay for the reservation in full at the time of booking.
The two best seats on the train in the Gold Star cars are 1A and 1B. You can see 'in front' of you and know where you're going at all times, rather than just look to the right or left.
The difference between Adventure class and Gold Star is that Adventure class passengers are seated on the first level of the train.
They have access to a vista dome car, but there is no assigned seating
in that dome. Passengers may visit the vista dome car for about 20
minutes at a time, to allow other passengers to sit in the dome.
Adventure class passengers may walk through all of the Adventure cars,
but may not enter the Gold Star dome.
Passengers who purchase the Gold Star upgrade receive priority check-in
at select depots and are seated on the second level of a two-story
fully-domed car. Gold Star passengers ride in the newest and most
luxurious, double-decked dome cars on the train. These cars are
positioned near the front of the train with the best views from the
upper level outdoor viewing platform.
This is the only railcar ever built with an upper level outdoor deck.
Gold Star passengers receive complimentary non-alcoholic beverages
throughout the trip, and may purchase beer, wine and spirits at the
private bar located on the upper level of the Gold Star car. Gold Star
passengers also have access to an open air, glass-roofed, viewing deck
on the upper level to the rear of the car, and have priority seating in
the dining car which is located directly below them on the first level.
Gold Star passengers may walk through all of the Alaska Railroad cars and
have access to the Adventure class dining area.
The Coastal Classic Train to Seward has a new double-deck dome car with Gold Star service, and you can reserve a seat on it. It also has an older vista dome car that is shared by all passengers.
Passengers cannot
reserve a seat in the vista dome, but are welcome to use it as a viewing
area for about 20 minutes at a time. The onboard tour guides help to
ensure all interested passengers have a chance to sit in the dome at
some point. There is quite a difference between the older vista dome car
and the new double-deck dome car. The Gold Star cars are definitely the
best cars on the railroad.
It is best to take your online confirmation printout or the itinerary
if you booked over the phone. If you do not have either, take your
booking confirmation number, along with photo ID.
If you received tickets by mail or picked them up at the depot ahead of
time you still need to check in at least an hour before departure. If
you have luggage, it must be checked through to your destination. There
is room on the train to take a 'carry-on-sized' piece of luggage to
keep those items with you needed during the trip. Each passenger may
check two pieces of luggage, no more than 50 pounds each, and may carry
one additional piece on board.
Passengers who have booked a package can expect to have their
luggage transferred to and from the rail depots and hotels whenever the
hotel provides a shuttle service. Even if you are scheduled to take a
tour upon arrival to a depot, the hotel will usually meet the train to
transfer your luggage to the hotel while you go on the tour. There are
definitely exceptions, especially with hotels that do not offer a
shuttle service, so ask about that when you book your tickets.
The train station in Anchorage is about a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport. The railroad does not provide a shuttle service anywhere.
If you want to get off the train in Denali and spend a night or two there, you need to
purchase a ticket for Anchorage to Denali, then a second ticket for
Denali to Fairbanks. If you want to view Denali and the Alaska Range, the Denali Star is
the train to ride. It travels through varied habitats and
landscapes from the coastal regions of South Central to the Interior and
its permafrost and Black spruce forests. This is the perfect chance to 'experience' Denali and not have to drive there.
Also, if you should decide to go to Chena Hot Springs, they do offer a shuttle to their property 60 miles to the north.
The Coastal Classical train travels along Turnagain
Arm, through the Chugach National Forest past glaciers, mountain lakes,
rivers, canyons and through prime black bear and moose habitat, as indicated with some of the photos I've posted.
If you're interested in visiting Whittier be sure to check the schedules, as there is usually just one train a day getting in there and out. But there is no problem doing that and then traveling on to Seward. It just takes a little bit of planning ahead of time.
This should give you a place to start about riding the trains, but it's only the tip of the iceberg.
About the only thing I can tell you is that from a distance, there are days you can see it and days that you can't. One year, we did drive up a road to an observation deck/restaurant, sat on the deck, and 'watched' the mountain. We lucked out because it was a perfectly clear day. Those were the days of disposable cameras and I did take pictures . . . and they're 'somewhere.' Guess this is kind of a vague review of Denali, huh ? I did read, "Into the Wild." Does that count ?
The two photos above are about the best I can do with Denali.
If you do rent a car and drive 'a lot,' buy the book "Milepost." On one of our trips we drove everywhere and it was very entertaining to have it. If you ride the train, be sure to get the little book that tells you where you are all along the route.
And now a little bit about Seward . . .
We have traveled from Anchorage to Seward by car and by train. There are advantages to both, so it's just a matter of choice how you get there. Seward is certainly a place to visit.
My favorite exhibit is watching the Puffins, and I have a video of them 'somewhere.' You can watch them dive from inside through a huge glass window or go outside and get up close and personal to them. One year they had a 'nest cam' set up so tourists could watch the goings-on of the mama and the babies. Trust me. This place is worth visiting.
Taking a whale watching boat tour is a must. We use Kenai Fjords to book our excursions. We have also gone fishing for 'rock fish.' This was quite an experience. We didn't keep the fish, but it sure was fun catching them. There are any number of private boats that will take you out.
Did I mention there are boats in Seward ?
On the boat tour, there will be glaciers. The closer you get to the glacier, the colder you'll be. So, wear layers. The boat will stop for a while so you can hopefully see it calf. It's unbelievable how loud the pops are when those pieces of ice break away and fall into the water. Take your binoculars.
There will be sea lions . . .
. . . and many, many . . .
. . . breath-taking views . . . and . . .
. . . puffins !
The video above is pretty bad. It is so difficult to film the whales. I tried panning back and forth trying to catch all of them breeching, but watching it made me nauseous. So, it's better to just hold the camera in one place and hope a whale or two shows up in the screen. There were just a couple on this video, but we were lucky enough to see lots of them on this trip.
Another place to go is Kenai. It has been several years since we went, so I don't have photos handy or much information. Other than we caught King salmon and halibut and saw hundreds and hundreds of bald eagles.
Continuing to post for my Little Friend about our experiences in Alaska.
Today we'll start in Anchorage . . . no tellin' where we'll end up.
We don't spend much time in Anchorage. Mainly, we fly in and out of there, or catch the train there, so I don't have much information about what to do here.
But this year, we had a special time there ! This year we were lucky enough to meet up with a former student of mine who lives in Anchorage I hadn't seen her in about 40 years. She's all grown up, beautiful, and is a teacher. There was lots of reminiscing and laughs and tears and more laughs and tears. From now on, we WILL spend more time in Anchorage with Deb.
Stop by the visitor center to see what's happening. . .
. . . and then walk around the corner to eat at The F Street Station Bar & Grill for your minimum daily requirement of grease. The food is good !
I can tell you to NOT stay at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel. Maybe sit on the patio and watch the planes, but don't spend the night at this place.
Girdwood is an interesting place to visit. You can drive there or take the train from Anchorage. The highway and railroad tracks take you around Turnagain Arm. It's about 40 miles south of Anchorage and if you're going to Seward, it's on the way.
The 45-minute drive from Anchorage to Girdwood along
the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet is one of the world's great drives,
ranking right up there with Italy's Amalfi Coast Drive. The Seward Highway linking Anchorage
and Seward is a National Forest Scenic Byway and one of fifteen roads
in the United States that has been designated as an "All-American
Road." We have driven the route and also taken the train. There are positives about both.
From beginning to end there are dramatic views of
mountain scenery and the inlet. There's a good chance of viewing
dall sheep and eagles. There is a somewhat lesser
chance of seeing some of Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales. Watch for cars parked along the road. That's a pretty good indication there is something to see.
There's the possibility, too, of seeing the tide come in.
Turnagain Arm's bore tide is the second highest in North America,
second only to the tide in Canada's Bay of Fundy. There is a website that has the schedule with the times it comes in.
This isn't the bore tide. It's glacial silt and volcanic ash. There are those who think it might be fun to walk out onto this.
That's about the last thing they ever thought.
We saw the bore tide once, but it wasn't very big.
There are post card type views in every direction.
The photo above shows the highway that parallels the railroad track out of Anchorage and to Girdwood. After Girdwood, the train goes through areas not viewable from the road.
There are many turn-outs along the way to stop and watch whatever might be there to look at.
The highway passes Indian Creek and Bird Creek where,
if the season's right and the fish are running, fishermen can be
seen lined up almost shoulder to shoulder along the shores. That's
also a good time to look for Belugas in the Inlet near the creek
outlets -- they're there to catch some fish, too. A school of Belugas
can look a lot like white caps so binoculars are helpful in identifying
them.
There are marshes which attractsmigrating birds and waterfowl in the spring,
summer and fall, and ice skaters in the winter.
There is still evidence of the 1964 Alaskan Earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake, and the Good Friday Earthquake.
The trees above died because the earth sank and the salt water came in and killed them.
The best spots for eagle watching are near the creeks
when the salmon are running and in the dead trees between the highway
and the Inlet at the turnoff into Girdwood.
Yes, there is an eagle in that tree, but because I didn't take my camera with the zoom, you can't see it. (Note to self: Never leave the good camera at home !)
Take your binoculars. And take GOOD ones, even if they are heavy !
Also take a warm, waterproof hooded jacket, toboggan (not a sled), gloves, scarf . . . whatever it is that will keep you warm. When we ride the train, we usually stand outside. One year, we stood outside the entire trip from Seward back to Girdwood.
In Girdwood:
Double Musky Inn is a restaurant that is only open for dinner. Allocate enough time to just look around. The TRIPADVISOR reviews are mixed, but we have always enjoyed our food and would certainly go back.
Chair 5 is pretty much a locals hangout that serves awesome pizza. It has TV's if there's a sporting event you are interested in. We always stop here to eat. TRIPADVISOR
The Bake Shop serves some of the best sourdough pancakes, coffee, and soups you'll ever taste. If it's the right time of the year, the flowers are prolific. If not, the snow is prolific. TRIPADVISOR
The Hotel Alyeksa is a Luxury hotel with a capital "L." It has two restaurants: Seven Glaciers and Pond Cafe. It's worth the time to just go in and look around. One time while we were there, a 'resident' bear figured out how to get into the trash dumpsters by tripping the electronic gate so it would open. TRIPADVISOR
There are plenty of 'things to do'in Girdwood. Here was one of my activites while staying there.
HansMan had a job at Dutch Harbor. (Aleutian Islands) I had been there, done that, so I opted to stay at the Hotel Alyeska. My mornings started with a three-mile walk from the hotel (where the bear scavenged through the trash) down the hill to the post office, with a stop along the way, either going or coming, at The Bake Shop for coffee and a pancake or three. Usually, I had post cards to mail, but my main reason to go to the post office was to look at the clip board that hung on the wall to see where the last bear sighting had been in the area. The trail took me through some fairly secluded, wooded places, so it was along those places that I jogged and made lots of noise.
After I mailed my post cards, I took a look at the "Bear Sightings Documentation" on the clip board. I remember it well. It was exactly 9:00 a.m. The last sighting had happened at 8:50, just ten minutes before I arrived. The bear had been sighted along the path I had just taken. My route back up the hill was along the heavily traveled road.
Just down the road is Portage Glacier:
Portage Glacier . . . you can see it on the map above and is a fun place to go if you want to go Ice Fishing.
Here you can see that HansMan had a pretty good day catching Glacier Ice.
Continuing the posts for my Little Friend . . . (My Little Friend and I go back 'a few years' . . . to Hugo, OK . . . Ok, so more than 'a few years !' )
One of your questions was . . .Next time, we will make sure we . . . ????
Yup ! There are bears. At least they say there are bears, but we've never seen one.
Although, we did stalk a moose this year.
It was just behind the building in the photo below.
Don't ask !
If there's a stream around . . .
. . . HansMan will be panning for gold.
The accomodations here are primitive.
This yurt has a "NOTICE" on the door.
Can you read it ?
How 'bout now ?
If you're not into the 'yurt scene,' there are rooms in the hotel. Now, don't go expecting something like the Four Seasons or the Waldorf, but they are clean and comfortable.
There are also cabins. With grass growing on the roofs.
This is the main attration.
The ice sculptures in here . . .
. . . are beautiful.
There's even a bar. Yes, the bar stools are made of ice.
In fact, everything in this place is made of ice.
Even the chandelier.
And in this bar you can have appletinis.
They are served in ice martini glasses.
See, I told you everything is made of ice.
Cheers . . . Brrrr !
This polar bear is so cold he turned blue.
Merry Christmas !
There are four bedrooms in the ice house.
This one with a four-poster bed.
This bedroom has a round-polar-bear-bed.
If you stay here, be sure to bring your long-johns.
Several pair of them.
Don't worry.
There IS a fireplace.
This is the ice sculpture work room where all the creations are made.
You are even allowed to take you martini glasses with you.
If you're wondering if our fingers are cold, the answer is YES !
The flowers here are just gorgeous.
We took our martini glasses . . .
. . . to the bar/restaurant. (The food here is exceptionally good. Especially breakfast.)
A few minutes later, we drank our glasses.
Be sure to check out their web-site on the link above because there is lots more to do than what is shown here.
We especially like the hot springs pool. Take your swim suit.
The drive to Chena affords you the opportunity to go on a moose hunt. If you drive it early morning or late afternoon, you might have the opportunity to see one in the middle of the road.
There is NO Internet or cell phone service at Chena.
The setting at Pike's Landing is beautiful if you just want to sit and watch the boats go by or the snowmobiles drive through, depending on the season. But, I don't suggest spending money on a meal.
This place is a museum ! Depending on the time of year will determine 'where' you sit and if you need sunglasses at 1:00 a.m. as indicated in this photo. And as always, dress in layers so you can sit on the deck if it's open. Also, always have some type of insect repellent with you, or YOU'LL be dinner ! The chowder is awesome !
It was by accident that we had a meal here, and it was by far, the best salmon I've ever had.
This could possibly be one of those 'oversold attractions' you asked about, depending on the cruise ship schedules.
Hardly anyone was there when we visited, so there were no lines. And no, he never reads the signs ! When I pointed to the sign, he said, "I'm not climbing on it. I'm sitting on it."
A Taste of Alaska Lodge: CLICK HERE We stayed here in 2005 and revisited it this year. I love this place mainly because it reminds me of my Grandmama and Granddad Wheeler's house. It's a few miles outside of Fairbanks, but it you want something besides the typical motel/hotel atmosphere, this is it. The view from the back of the lodge is spectacular. Besides, it's on the way to Chena Hot Springs which I'll tell you about in my next post. We generally stay in a Bed & Breakfast ,and it's just a matter of taste which one you might like.
University of Alaska Museum of the North: I didn't write a review about this place, but here is TripAdvisor link: CLICK HERE There are so many stories about tough women in Alaska here. I love this museum, mainly because it's not huge, and I'm not overwhelmed. You will pay for parking, but it's worth it. Don't miss "the place where you go to listen."
Gold Dredge #8: This place is close to the pipeline in the previous post. When we were there, there were about 15 tour buses parked in the parking lot. Most people find 'gold' because they salt the stream. But, it is fun to do this at least once. It's one of those experiences everyone should try. And if you want to be sure to find gold, this is the place.
Sourdough Pancakes: These are a must and there are lots of places that serve them in Fairbanks and Anchorage but NOT in Seward.
Riverboat Discovery: This is one of those places where there are a lot of people ! But, I loved the boat ride. Photos below.
We have good friends who live in Fairbanks who take us to 'gold digs.' This is right up HansMan's alley. Not sure you're interested, but if so, I can hook you up. Very interesting places to watch them look for gold.
Here are pics from one of those excursions:
He would still be there if I hadn't dragged him away !
A few shots from the Riverboat Discovery . . .
The Riverboat Discovery
See the reindeer ?
Now ?
The fork in the road river.
The view from the fork in the road river.
Places that probably have vacancies:
I'm sure you can locate any of the above on TripAdvisor if you want to get back to nature and freeze your kizizee off.
The riverboat stops for about an hour to visit Chena Village Alaska.
It is an interesting and educational stop and well-worth the time spent here.
And this was by far the most interesting part of the trip for me:
Granite: The Greatest Lead Dog in Iditarod History
Along the way, the boat stops at Trail Breaker Kennels and David Monson explains the training of the dogs. Here you can barely see the pups learning how to climb over those logs.
David was married to Susan and continues to train the dogs that she loved so much.
One of the trainers explaining their techniques.
This is a wonderful book for children and adults, too.
Alaska: Where men are men and women win the Iditarod
