Alaska Day 17

t is a dreary day. We will leave Anchorage as we arrived—wet and cloudy. It is still raining and we go home this evening. Alaska has been fun but these two weeks went by too quickly. I didn’t sleep all that well last night. My body just doesn’t want to be cramped any more. Anchorage feels bigger and more crowded than it did when we landed. Maybe it was just the time of day. We got in late and then left early because of the weather. But last night, during rush hour, while it definitely didn’t feel like a city—I am from New York and that definitely shapes my thoughts on cities—it did feel like an overpopulated suburb—sort of like Jersey, or more specifically Bridgewater, but much prettier. The residential area we drove through last night and this morning looked newer, cleaner, and more well-kept than the parts of Anchorage we saw at the beginning of our trip. It’s almost like a different city than the one we saw upon arrival.

We went to The White Spot Cafe for breakfast. It was a cozy local dive with good food. I had eggs and home fries. Ordering both as sides was cheaper than a platter. Kati also had eggs and G3 had a huge plate of biscuits and gravy which he enjoyed.

During the last two weeks, we got comfortable in the car and our clothes, tents, and everything else exploded all over the trunk. Therefore, it took some time to sort it all out today and pack it back up neatly in our backpacks. I guess it’s a good thing we did not get many souvenirs since we don’t really have any extra space.

Day one we intended to bike the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage, but the rain drove us to Palmer where we ended up hiking at the Hatcher Pass instead. Today, around noon, the rain finally stopped and instead of biking, I took a walk on the coastal trail. It was our last day, I wanted to do something. It had also been a few days since I hiked or walked and I wanted the exercise. G3 and Kati opted to sit in the car and wait for me. I obviously didn’t walk the entire trail. I didn’t have time, so I walked two miles and the turn led around. It was enough to get a taste of it. The sky was still cloudy so the view was less than spectacular. There are mountains way out in the distance. At least that’s what the sign said, but I didn’t see any. I couldn’t see anything through the gray hovering over the horizon. It was low tide so the chances of seeing animals in the water were slim. I am a bit disappointed that I did not see a beluga whale since I have never seen one in person. Actually, the only wildlife out and about were the mosquitoes and they were just as plentiful as elsewhere in the state. I’m glad I saw part of the trail or I might have felt the rain robbed me of something, but I’ve no desire to do it again. Even on a bike with perfectly clear skies. There is so much more to see and do in Alaska that if you ever decide to make the trip, I would recommend just getting out of Anchorage as soon as possible to explore elsewhere.

After my walk, we stumbled upon the Mushing District, which is essentially downtown touristville. The Anchorage visitor center sits in the center of it and there are numerous gift shops all selling the same cliche items. We got ice cream at Wild Scoops which was tasty but extremely overpriced. I had vanilla with birch chipotle nuts. It was a winning combination. if you find yourself in Anchorage with a bit of time to spare, it’s worth stopping by if just for the ice cream and a glance at the husky statue.

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We dropped the rental car off and took an Uber to the airport. We wanted to shower but were unable to find anywhere to take one so we washed our hair in a parking lot and wiped down with baby wipes. I suppose it’s better than nothing. I was mostly just salty anyway after my swim yesterday.

We got to the airport early. Too early. But early is better than battling crowds or being stressed about being late. I do not like red eye flights. I can’t get comfortable which makes sleeping difficult and in the middle of the night I’m too tired to read so I sit in a state of uncomfortable misery for hours. And then I land and I want to sleep because I’m way too tired to do anything but if I nap then it makes readjusting to the time difference more difficult.

I am so cold. I have never taken a flight where I was so cold on the plane. I’m wearing a flannel and a fleece and using Kati’s fleece as a jacket and I’m freezing which means no sleep at all. I can’t wait to land and get warm. From where I’m sitting 100 degrees is looking pretty appealing. I’m sure I’ll change my mind tomorrow but at the moment, I’d rather be hot.

Kati switched seats with me. The middle seat, away from the draft down the center of the plane, must be ten degrees warmer. I still can’t sleep. I’ve read a bit but my eyes are too heavy to stay open for long stretches.

Ugh! We are back in Jersey. As we were landing through the haze of wildfire smoke, we could smell the smoke in the cabin. It was nauseating.

Bonnie, G3 finished 11/22/63. He said it was his second favorite King book. I will have to read it next.