Independence Mine

We explored Independence Mine over Memorial Day weekend. It was very smoky (at the time there was almost 200,000 acres of wildfires burning) so the vistas were a little limited but we're going back in a few weeks and hopefully with the recent rains it will be better.* We also weren't counting on so much snow and it turned into more of an adventure than we planned. The snow was thigh-deep in places so I carried Andi piggyback for most of the time. As the temperatures warmed up we punched more and more through the snow. We were all exhausted by the time we got back to the motorhome. I of course found a way to injure my knee pretty badly on the only part that was snow-free and relatively level. Derp.

Wow, that was whiny. Not what I was intending. We were exhausted in the best way, the kind that being outside and working hard at something you love produces. The mine was pretty neat and there was a nice, loose camaraderie with the other people exploring, also teetering around trying not to punch through the top layer of snow. The girls had fun especially on the ore cart train (if there's a technical term for that. . . ) and Andrew and I kept our eyes peeled for any gold nuggets left behind. Hey, you never know!! :)



* I would never complain about smoke obscuring views if lives or properties had been destroyed. The fire is now somewhat under control thank goodness and luckily the only thing a little worse for wear are Alaskan lungs. Just so you know.

Last Day of Kindergarten

First was a kindergarten concert which was just as cute as you can imagine. After that there was a reception where the parents brought in a dish - kind of a snack potluck. There were more cookies and cupcakes than you can imagine! Arlie is so excited to go to first grade but she'll miss her teacher a lot.

Point Woronzof

Apparently there's one non-deadly beach in Anchorage. And the airplanes take off right over your head.

It was odd being at a beach with no seaweed, shells, or creatures. There was no familiar saltwater smell. We DID find some great rocks, graffiti, and a convocation of bald eagles. I also got to meet a friend of Andrew's and his coworker. The girls had a great time making drawings in the silt.

Did you catch Andi's fancy footwork in the first photo? :)

Exit Glacier

We hiked up to Exit Glacier on Mother's Day. It was perfect and so was the weather. The girls were more impressed with the moose poop than the glacier but that's OK.

After the hike we found a place on the side of the road to pull over to grill some hot dogs. One of the things I really like about Alaska in the feeling of freedom. There's so little private property. See that mountain? You can climb it. See that stream? Check your app for places you can pan for gold on it. See a great place on the side of the road? Chances are pretty good you can pull over and camp there. It's pretty cool.

Seward

Our first motorhome trip of the year was to Seward, AK. It's a beautiful drive from Anchorage to Seward so the vacation feel started almost immediately. Plus, we were so happy to be back in the motorhome. Our rental house is great but we're not fully unpacked and we have little furniture. It was nice to be back in a space that's ours.

Seward is a cute town on the ocean. The RV park was basically a humongous gravel parking lot but the views were incredible so we couldn't be mad. Saturday we were woken up by the largest earthquake of the year. There's not much to do in a motorhome but ride it out! We got so lucky with spectacular weather and we walked around town to points of interest I found on my Alaska app. We also visited the Alaska SeaLife Center - the girls got to see and touch a bunch of different sea creatures, and found a very playful sea lion that chased them back and forth. Each of us picked out a souvenir from the gift shop and Kit's choice was a seal that she couldn't stop "talking" to. After lunch and gelato downtown she made her seal into a pillow and took a nice nap.

The next morning we were treated to a view of the fog lifting up over Resurrection Bay. I probably looked like a crazy person, bursting out of our motorhome in pajamas with my camera around my neck, hoping to catch the light just as it was. It was worth it. Totally.

Mt. Baldy

Warm temperatures and sunny skies have me trying to cram as much into our weekends as possible. Starting with a hike up Mt. Baldy, a mountain that is right here in town.

Even with the recent nice weather it was probably too early in the year for a family hike. The trail is very steep to begin with and all the melting snow has made it VERY muddy.

Kit insisted that she could climb mountains and refused her sling so Andrew and I had to take turns hunched into an awkward position helping her up. Such an independent girl, just like her sisters!

We got pretty close to the summit but it just was too muddy and the kids that needed help outnumbered the parents available. We still had a lot of fun and it felt so good to get out in the sunshine and hang out together as a family.

Heater family shadow selfie.

She did let us hold her on the way down.

Andi is such a funny girl.

Kit wanted a walking stick like her big sisters. We didn't tell her that it was a reed.

The girls and I are going to go back one of these days and conquer it. Heh.