#houses anchorage ak

[yespaintstore]

Interior House Paint Anchorage AK

Yes Paint provides the highest quality interior paint in Anchorage AK. Explore a range of Benjamin Moore interior paints for any size project or budget.

[directactionforhope]

Late notice but

Today 10/5 is an international day of action protesting one year of the Gaza genocide!

Find a protest near you today or tomorrow 10/6! If you're in the US, look at the links below, from the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights!

October 5, 2024

Note: Tumblr has capped the number of outgoing links you can use in one post. Go to the USCPR link above and click on a protest for a flyer/organizer info for each and every one of these events.

Albany, NY | 4:30PM Dana Park

Albuquerque, NM | 2PM Robinson Park

Amherst, MA | Amherst Town Common

Anchorage, AK | 2PM Townsquare Park

Atlanta, GA | 2PM 190 Marietta SW

Austin, TX | 1PM Austin City Hall

Birmingham, AL | 2PM Victoria Square

Blacksburg, VA | 3PM Pylons

Boston, MA | 2PM Cambridge City Hall

Burlington, VT | 1PM Battery Park

Charleston, SC | 2PM Marion Square Park

Chicago, IL | 2PM Water Tower Park

Cleveland, OH | 3PM 11804 Lorain Ave

Columbus, OH | 2PM Goodale Park

Corvallis, OR | 12 NOON County Courthoue

Dallas, TX | 12PM The Grassy Knoll

Denver, CO | 12PM 400 Josephine St

Detroit, MI | 2PM 5 Woodward Ave, Detroit

Dover, DE | 12 NOON 250 Gateway S Blvd

Fort Myers, FL | 6PM Centennial Park

Gainseville, FL | 2PM City Hall

Honolulu, HI | 11AM Ala Moana & Atkinson

Houston, TX | 2PM Houston City Hall

Indianapolis, IL |  2PM Lugar Plaza

Kansas City | 1PM Mill Creek Park

Kona, HI | 12:30PM Old airport by the skating rink

Las Vegas, NV | 2PM 3449 S Sammy Davis Jr Dr

Little Rock, AK | 4PM 1200 Main St

Los Angeles, CA | 2PM Pershing Square

Louisville, KY | 3PM Water Front Park

Maui, HI | 11AM Kapuka’ulua (Baldwin Beach)

Memphis, TN | 2PM City Hall

Miami, FL | 5PM Torch of Friendship

Milwaukee, WI | 2PM Zedler Union Square Park

Missoula, MT | 7PM 200 W Broadway

Nashville, TN | 2PM Centennial Park

New York, NY | 2PM Times Square

New Haven, CT | 1PM New Haven Green

New Orleans, LA | 5PM Congo Square

Ottawa, Ontario | 2PM Parliment Hill

Orlando, FL | 4PM Orlando City Hall

Pensacola, FL | 5PM Palafox & Gregorary St.

Pittsburgh, PA | Film screening, 3PM 100 S Commons St.

Portland, ME | 5PM Monument Square

Portland, OR | 3PM Unthank Park

Providence, RI | 3PM RI State House steps & 5:30PM 1 Finance Way

Raleigh, NC | 3PM Moore Square

Rochester, NY | 1PM MLK Park

Sacramento, CA | 2PM West steps of the Capitol

Salt Lake City, UT | 2PM 125 S State St

San Antonio, TX | 1PM Travis Park

San Diego, CA | 2:00PM 1600 Pacific Highway

Seattle, WA | 2PM TBA, with car caravans from Spokane, Pasco, Ellensburg

St. Louis, MO | Liberation weekend, 9AM-8PM 475 East Lockwood Ave

Tampa, FL | 2PM Bank of America Plaza

Toronto, Ontario | 2PM Yonge Dundas Square

Urbana, IL | 2PM 101 E Main St

Ventura, CA | 2PM 501 Poli St

Washington, DC | 4PM White House

West Plains, MO | 12 NOON Downtown Square

Wichita, KS | 12:30PM Spirit Aerosystems

October 6, 2024

Amityville, NY | 1PM LIRR

Boston, MA | 1PM Boston Common

Green Bay, WI | 5:30PM Leicht Memorial Park

Los Angeles, CA | Vigil, 6:30PM Echo Park Lake

Minneapolis, MN | 1:30PM Gateway Park Fountain

Ontario, CA | 1PM Euclid & C St

Paterson, NJ | 2PM Palestine Way with Gould Avenue

Roanoke, VA | Vigil, 6PM Heights Community Church courtyard

San Diego, CA | 4PM Centro Cultural de La Raza

San Francisco, CA | 1PM 16th & Valencia

San Jose, CA | 12 NOON City Hall

St. Louis, MO | 1PM Choteau Park

[traumatizedjaguar]

I lost my virginity to my first... boyfriend.

I was 16 and he was 19 when we started dating in 2008. He'd graduated from our local school and we were in anchorage Alaska. I'd been taken out of school and was working a full time job, doing distance learning, and had like 5mos left till I graduated early when we met, this was not some creepy MAN coming for a high school girl.

But i was blacked out drunk and could therefore not consent the first time we had sex. We had actual consentual sex the next night, and many times after. He was my first lots of things. I got grounded as fuck bc I would sneak out to get wasted and screw him and then go to work in the am like NBD.

I broke up w him after like 9mos of dating bc my parents wanted him to either go to school or join the military (I'm an Air Force Brat) and wouldn't let me see him. I felt like his lack of direction was a sign he didn't care about me. (I was 16.)

(He was 19 Jesus christ)

So I broke up with him....

And then he killed himself.

His 12 yr old brother, (who has the same name as one of my brothers) found him hanging in their garage.

I got a text from his sister, who I'd become bffs with, that said, "my brothers dead".

I hoped it was one of the kids and not him.

I called my mom and she came flying home from volunteer firefighting and drove me to his house where everyone was congregating. (If that sounds weird to you, he was Native, shit works different in that community and also in AK.)

First person I encountered was his sister's bf. I threw myself into his arms and just lost it.

I would later come to fuck him multiple times. While they were still dating. She never found out and there were never feelings, but like what the fuck past me.

AAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL of that is to say.

I was 17 when he died.

I was 25 when I realized that I'd been raped.

My one brother still hates the man's guts bc I was on the phone w him when it clicked and he can't believe someone did that to me.

Me?

I have a tattoo on my leg that says, "I'll Never Replace The Words of your Smile".

It's a mishearing of lyrics from The End of August by 36Crazyfists.

It took me a good long while to come to terms with the fact that that's whatd happened.

Took me even longer to come to terms with the fact that what my then husband was doing to me nightly, (spousal rape) was even worse. But I got there.

It wasn't fun and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but sometimes going through the pain of having reality tossed in your face is the best thing for you.

Sometimes the people you love most are the ones to cut you deepest.

But...

Thankfully there's stitches. We can always help heal each other.

Thanks for being a place for venting. I hope you find your peace.💚

Of course you can vent anytime and are always welcomed on my safe space trauma blog.

I’m very sorry to hear what had happened to you. I’m happy you felt safe to vent here. Sorry for all the trauma you went through it sounds really rough and I hope you’re finding your peace as well.

But we heal together on here and support each other always and I will find my peace too. I’ve been really working on myself at home with self therapy / taking care of myself as we all should many ways besides therapy to heal yourself as I post on my blog… And hope you’re doing well. Peace.

[somethingforsenro]

i've been to twelve. washington, nyc, chicago, houston, philly, dallas/fort worth, boston, phoenix, baltimore, el paso, and honolulu.

i've also technically passed through seven more, but i don't count those bc i didn't actually stop and spend time there. those seven would be LA, denver, austin, kansas city, oklahoma city, tulsa, and pittsburgh. if you wanna count stepping foot in/driving through/having a layover at an airport in a city as "visiting" it, then i guess my total would be 19, but that's not what i voted.

it must also be said that i have family in a lot of the cities i've visited, which is one of the main reasons why i've been there. those cities would be el paso (my grandmother lived there), dallas (most of my mother's family lives or once lived there), and boston (an aunt). honorable mentions go to houston (where a completely different aunt sort of lived on and off for a while because she used to flip houses there) and baltimore (where… *i, myself,* live in a suburb less than half an hour away, and have to visit the city all the time for various reasons).

other major cities i've visited that weren't mentioned in the original post include: richmond VA, galveston TX, juneau AK, anchorage AK, and huntsville AL.

…i've been to a lot of places.

[christian-homeschools-alaska]

Top Tips to Design Effective Homeschool Anchorage AK Environment

When you are planning the homeschool Anchorage AK, you must have a dedicated space to enhance the creative abilities and improve the overall schooling experience. having a dedicated space allows you to organize their materials and ensure the schooling is comfortable. however, the main concern is how to maintain a neat and effective space for homeschooling. Here are a few ideas that should help you get started.

1. Choose a space within the house that you can dedicate to homeschool. You may not need an entire room or special place; a specific place will do. The idea is to get your child to understand that entering this space means they have to work on their school things here. It will also help them get into the learning mode once there. You can use a spare bedroom or the dining area or any corner of the living room to get started. A designated area can help you foster the proper routine and structure needed to bring homeschooling alive. Moreover, you can ensure the kids understand it is homeschool programs Anchorage time when they are there. You can always use a couple of foldable furniture to make the space flexible yet dedicated.

2. When creating a dedicated learning space, you must ensure comfort is a crucial parameter. You can ensure that the furniture supports your good posture and ensures the chair or table is at a good height. You can create a workspace that accommodates the child’s size by investing in these furniture. You will make the entire environment uncomfortable by investing in an oversized furniture. You can always create a floor seating for reading or other creative activities. A simple rug or beanbag can get the job done. By adding a couple of sitting positions in the room, you make way for a more flexible homeschool environment.

3. You should have proper lighting in the homeschool Anchorage AK. If you have a natural light, it can enhance their mood. So, you should try to create a dedicated space near the window. However, if that is not possible, you can create artificial lighting within the room which can help in ensuring sufficient light availability. Begin by adding a desk lamp with an adjustable brightness. This would help them focus better on the reading and writing tasks. You should avoid the fluorescent lights as well. make way for soft lighting that brings in focus.

4. You should organize your dedicated space so that your child can focus better and are efficient with their work. Organizing all the materials is equally important. You should have a proper place for the notebooks, pens and craft materials. You can use bins or drawers for the items. Make sure to label each drawer or bin so that you are aware where to find these materials. In case of books or materials that you frequently use, you can consider having shelves or other storage organizers that keep it from becoming a clutter. You should use colour coded folders for your child so that you can access the different materials.

5. You can make the Anchorage homeschool programs interesting by creating separate zones for each of the activities they perform.

[pestcontrolmy]

Pest Control My Area brings some hacks to find best local Pest Control in Anchorage AK. Are pests taking over your Anchorage, Alaska home? It can be difficult to choose the best pest control service, but we can assist! We cover all you need to know in this video to select the top pest control provider in Anchorage. We can help with everything from identifying typical pests to comparing various service providers. Watch now to discover how to take back your space and stop letting bugs take over your house! In just one day, local pest control in Anchorage, AK may dramatically reduce the number of bothersome bugs in your house. You should watch this if you're having bug problems in your Anchorage house. Our team of professionals employs the most recent methods to guarantee that your house is swiftly and successfully free of pests. In this video, we'll divulge trade secrets and tried-and-true techniques that have assisted several Anchorage homes in creating pest-free environments. We cover everything, from recognizing typical pests to putting long-term preventive measures into place. Don't overlook these crucial pointers that have the power to revolutionize your pest control endeavors. Watch now to see how you can get your house back from intruders right now! Call Now 800-786-0601 Toll Free or Go To https://pestcontrolmyarea.com/usa/ak/anchorage/

[dakaxeen]

#Da-ka-xeen Mehner #Alaska Native Art

https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artist/da-ka-xeen-mehner

Multidisciplinary Artist Fairbanks, AKFairbanks, AK 2015 USA Fellow

This award is generously supported by the Rasmuson Foundation. _

Born in Fairbanks, Alaska to a Tlingit/N’ishga Mother and Hippy/American father his work stems from an examination of a multicultural heritage and social expectations and definitions. Da-ka-xeen was raised in two environments, one as an urban Native in Anchorage and the other as a rural Hippy in Fairbanks living without electricity, running water or phones, and heating the house with a wood stove. In particular his work has focused on the constructs of Native American identity, and an attempt to define the Self outside of these constructs. He uses the materials and tools of his family to express himself. From the steel and concrete of his Labor Union father, to the crook knife and cedar of his Alaska Native ancestors,Da-ka-xeen received his A.A. from the Institute of American Indian Arts, and his B.F.A. from the University of New Mexico. From 1994-2000 Mehner served as the founder and director of Site 21/21, a contemporary art gallery in Albuquerque, NM, and was a founding member/owner of the (Fort) 105 Art Studios in downtown Albuquerque in 1998. Da-ka-xeen returned to Alaska in 2000 and earned his M.F.A in Native Arts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2007. He currently live in Fairbanks Alaska with his wife Maya, and son Keet. Da-ka-xeen is an Associate Professor of Native Arts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and director of the UAF Native Arts Center.

[nwbeerguide]

Seattle Mariners's announce expansion of "Mariners Bar League" program to include Idaho & Alaska.

image sourced from the Seattle Mariners Bar League page

Press Release

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Seattle Mariners today announced that the Mariners Bar League has extended to two additional states in the club’s five-state region – Alaska and Idaho – for the 2023 season. This expansion grows the collection of bars and pubs where fans can come together to watch games and share their love for Mariners Baseball.

Since its inception last season, the Mariners Bar League has grown to 32 locations including in cities such as Anchorage, AK, Coeur D’Alene, ID and Longview, WA. Over the course of the upcoming season, the club will look to expand the program throughout the Pacific Northwest. At a participating member of the Bar League, fans are guaranteed to be able to catch the game whenever the Mariners are on TV. In addition to showing the games on TV, there will be exclusive ticket specials available to fans who visit the Bar League establishments.

“The Mariners Bar League is a great way for our fans to stay connected to the team and create a community outside of T-Mobile Park, while supporting local establishments. We’re excited to be able to bring the program to Alaska and Idaho and hope to continue expanding to the rest of our five-state region in the coming months,” said Camden Finney, Seattle Mariners Senior Manager, Experiential Marketing. 

Mariners Bar League locations:

907 Alehouse & Grill - Anchorage, AK

19th Hole Bar and Grill - Bremerton

Admiral Pub – Seattle

Ashtown Brewing Company - Longview

Bad Bar – Seattle

Buckley’s – Belltown, Lower Queen Anne

Bugu Brewing Company – Monroe

Capone’s Pub & Grill - Coeur D’Alene, Hayden, Ponderosa Springs Golf Course, Post Falls (Idaho)

Earl’s On the Ave - Seattle

Flatstick Pub - Bellingham, Kirkland, Pioneer Square, Redmond, South Lake Union, Spokane

Forum Social House - Bellevue

Fuel Sports Grill – Seattle

Hooverville – Seattle

Lariat Bar – Seattle

Local Public Eatery - Seattle

Mustard Seed Grill & Pub - Bellevue

Pinehurst Pub - Seattle

Queen Anne Beerhall - Seattle

Rhein Haus – Seattle

Shawn O’Donnell’s – Everett, Fremont, Pioneer Square, Skagit Valley Farmhouse, Spokane

Snoqualmie Falls Brewery & Taproom - Snoqualmie

Station 18 Eats & Drinks - Seattle

Steam Donkey Brewing Co – Aberdeen

Tailgaters Bar & Grill - Selah, WA

The Brass Kraken - Poulsbo

The Growler Guys - Seattle

The Loose Wheel – Puyallup, Tacoma

The Republic Bottle Shop – Marysville

The Victor Tavern – Seattle

Wingman Birdz + Brews – Walla Walla

Woody’s BullPen Bar and Grille - Kennewick

Zeek’s Pizza - Queen Anne

As members of the Mariners Bar League, participating establishments will receive Mariners and All-Star Game flags, along with other special touches. New this year, Tier One members will also receive a Mariners Bar League neon sign. The Mariners will promote Bar League members through Club emails, social media posts, on radio and TV broadcasts, on MarinersVision during home games at T-Mobile Park and on Mariners.com.

More information about the Mariners Bar League, participating locations and how to become a member, is available at Mariners.com/BarLeague.

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3zd627w

[wolfrealestate]

Wolf Real Estate Professionals offers a range of houses anchorage ak for investors for buying or selling purposes. To know more, visit our website now!

[talltalememory]

[solarpunk-secondary]

A photo from the kitchen of the house my family lived in for years and just sold. 

[yespaintstore]

Turn your property or business new life with Anchorage painting services from Yes Paint Store.

[tinyhousecalling]

c.1959 Renovated Old Alaskan Cottage For Sale in Anchorage $235,000

c.1959 Renovated Old Alaskan Cottage For Sale in Anchorage $235,000

Sweet old small Alaskan cottage all renovated and ready for new owner! This sweet home has all the character and charm lovingly restored for you.

710 Ash Pl, Anchorage, AK, 99501 $235,000

2 bed

1 bath

731 sq ft

7,841 sq ft lot

Build date 1959

Google Map

Property Listing Realtor: Debraly Gamache Related: c.1938 Small Cabin in the Mountains Near California Poppy Reserve & Castaic Lake

About This…

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

hiiii tell me more abt alaska plz

Alaska is hecking huge. like... ENORMOUS. there's a mostly-in-jest rivalry with Texas, which is the next biggest state. like... this is a huge genre of T shirts, I'm not even kidding

and because AK is so massive, it's extremely normal to go on VERY long drives. to the point that most Alaskans don't bat an eye at a one or two hour car trip, that's just like... the weekly trip to the grocery store.

and the road system is a hot mess. like, there's basically one way in, one way out of most places. for instance, if the Parks Highway gets closed for some reason (it's happened a few times due to wildfires alongside the road), a LOT of people who live in like... Houston or Talkeetna or any of the other tiny towns north of Wasilla/Palmer/Anchorage (Houston/Willow is where the Iditarod starts each year and TKA is the closest actual town to Denali, so they're easy to remember lol) won't have access to full-service grocery shopping or medical help unless they're airlifted out. which is like... a tad frightening to think about, but at the same time it has to do with the very small population density in AK. there aren't that many people per capita, so there just... aren't that many roads. a lot of people just straight-up own planes (like, bush planes) and fly around fairly frequently. I lived across a field from a small airstrip for awhile when I was a kid, it was great because the little planes would fly in low right over my house and if the pilots saw someone waving at them from the ground, they'd tilt the plane back and forth and wave back.

also this spot, here, Valdez:

is #1, the end of the road system, #2, the end of the Alaska oil pipeline, #3, Prince William Sound (which Valdez sits on) was the site of the infamous Exxon-Valdez oil spill, and #4 — the original town was destroyed by a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 1964 and the town had to rebuild a few miles up the road in order to not get washed out again. I'm mentioning this solely bc of my interest in seismological history, but also it's pretty cool to see EXACTLY where the literal End Of The Road is on a map tbh.

ok and one more fun tidbit: the World Ice Art Championship is held every year in Fairbanks AK

which is not only a huge tourist attraction (this is what I was talking about in my tags on that attractions post — North Pole is the actual name of a town that's basically a suburb of Fairbanks. they have like a Santa's Workshop type touristy thing that like, yeah it's kinda goofy but also they do have really good fudge skskdjsk) but ALSO a big deal for people who live IN ALASKA. people drive in from all over the state to walk through the park where they host the competition. they have like, ice slides and mazes and everything gets lit up at night, including the sculptures:

(top 4 pictures from, I believe, 2015 and 2017. bottom two, the same sculpture in daytime and then at night, was a presumably multiblock entry from 2021 that I couldn't find the name of who carved it/which team it was)

anyway part of my point here is: Anchorage/Wasilla/Palmer is a main population center in AK, people annually drive to Fairbanks for the Ice Festival, it's like a 5/6 hour drive. nobody is fazed by this. long distances to Alaskans are a minor inconvenience tbh.

[thehustlebeautifultraveler]

My US Travel Bucket List

1. New York City, NY

2. San Antonio, TX

3. Niagara Falls, New York

4. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

5. Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

6. South Beach, Miami

7. The Narrows, Zion National Park

8. Santa Fe, New Mexico

9. Pacific Coast Highway, California

10. Nashville, TN

11. Boston, Mass

12. Joshua Tree National Park, California

13. Maui, Hawaii

14. Anchorage, AK

15. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Colorado

16. Horse Show Bend, AZ

17. Austin, TX

18. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

19. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Mexico

20. Griffith Observatory, California

21. Going-to-the-Sun-Road, Glacier National Park

22. Las Vegas, NV

23. Acadia National Park, Maine

24. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

25. Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, Philadelphia

26. Hot Springs, Arkansas

27. Redwood National and State Parks, California

28. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

29. Taos Pueblo, NM

30. Antelope Canyon, AZ

31. Lake Superior, MN

32. Arches National Park, Utah

33. Kentucky Derby, Louisville KY

34. Maxkinac Island, Lake Huron Michigan

35. Santa Monica, CA

36. NASA Space Center, Houston TX

37. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

38. Fenway Park, Boston MA

39. Alcatraz Island, San Francisco CA

40. Drive the whole Route 66

41. Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles

42. Tour The White House

43. Disneyland

44. Death Valley

45. Elvis Presley’s Home in Memphis

46. Millennium Park, Chicago

47. Big Sur Coast, Carmel to San Francisco

48. Eastern State Penitentiary (Al Capone), Philadelphia

49. Tour Warner Brothers Studio, LA

50. Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

51. Catch a Cubs game in Chicago

52. Wine Tasting in Napa Valley, CA

53. Gateway Arch in St. Louis

54. Swim in the Havasu Falls Pools, Arizona

55. Universal Studios, Hollywood

56. Catch a Broadway Show

57. Visit the Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC

58. Maroon Bells, Aspen CO

59. Lake Tahoe, Straddling Nevada and California

60. Climb to the Hollywood Sign

61. Everglades National Park

62. Navy Pier, Chicago

63. White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

64. Central Park, New York

65. Martha’s Vineyard, Mass

66. Eat Lobster in Maine

67. Go to Coachella

68. Go to SBSW

69. lollapalooza

70. Experience a real American Ranch

71. Ben & Jerry’s Factory, Vermont

72. Watch A Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming

73. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio

74. The Seven Magic Mountains, Nevada

75. Salem Witch Trials Tour

76. Visit Members Mark in Kentucky

77. Watch Talledega Super Speedway, Alabama

78. Salvation Mountain, Niland, CA

79. Hole N The Rock, Moab Utah

80. Carhenge: Alliance, Nebraska

81. Prada Marfa, Valentine TX

82. Enchanted Highway: North Dakota

83. Dinosaur Kingdom II, Natural Bridge Virginia

84. Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo TX

85. Winchester Mystery House, San Jose California

86. Pineapple Garden Maze: Wahiawa Hawaii

87. Gum Wall, Seattle WA

88. Bubblegum Alley, San Luis Obispo California

89. Flintstones Bedrock City, Coconino County Arizona

[withabackpackandcamera]

September 22nd, 2020

Day 9: The Rainy Road Back to Anchorage

Today was Cynthia’s day. After conquering her most difficult and strenuous hike ever, I promised her that we could do whatever she wanted to do today. So, after we cleaned up the cabin, packed the car, and checked out of our cabin, our first stop was Resurrection Art Coffee House, a cool, trendy, and cozy coffee shop located inside of an old church right off the main road in Seward. Cynthia had found this place online prior to our arrival in Seward and yesterday, while driving around looking for breakfast, we briefly stopped by before deciding on getting food at Safeway. But today, we actually dropped in and hung out in the coffee shop for a couple of hours. 

Lounging in Resurrection Art Coffee House was actually quite nice! Not only was the vibe pretty neat with its inside aesthetics, big space, and the artwork laid out all around the shop, but the pastries and drinks there were delicious too! While Cynthia ordered, I looked around for a seat and luckily found some soon-to-be-open couches next to a large window upstairs that people were about to vacate. It was the perfect place to sit and chill as we ate our super delicious and flavorful blackberry rose vanilla scone and sipped on some hot London Fog. Oh, what a nice, chill, lazy morning. I can see why Cynthia decided to do this after a long day of hiking. Much needed and highly approved.

After we lounged for an hour or two, we decided that it was finally time to move on with the day given that it was already the early afternoon. We drove through Seward and toward Lowell Point because it was an area that I had marked on my map to check out. Originally, the plan was for us to check out the tide pools there but because of how horrible the weather was, we just drove out there to see the area before driving back into Seward. We also tried to see if there was a short walk or hike we could do while there but given how far the hike started from the parking lot and the fact that the weather was crappy and we didn’t pay for parking, we decided not to go for it and just turned around. 

Before leaving Seward for good, we stopped by the downtown one last time to actually stop by and look at some stores during their operating hours instead of after they had closed. We went into a couple of stores and looked around at the different gifts and merchandise they were selling. One store that I really enjoyed going into was The Ranting Raven Gallery, not because the artwork on display and on sale was that cool or anything; rather, it was because the store owner was very nice and we had a great and very informative conversation about the current state of Alaska and everything going on in the state. I always enjoy the opportunities I get to chat with locals and learn about their world from their perspective as I know that most things they enlighten me with are topics that I never would have learned about elsewhere when traveling or when at home. 

After stopping by The Ranting Raven Gallery, we stopped in a few more stores before hitting the road back toward Anchorage. On the way back, we briefly visited Moose Pass, a very small town right off the main highway. It was pretty small and there weren’t too many things to see there. However, what I did end up doing in Moose Pass was walking to the edge of town toward the water where I had previously caught a glimpse of a parked float plane. I walked over, looked at it from a distance, and took a few photos before making my way back to the car. 

Once we left Moose Pass, we drove on toward a small town called Hope, located at the end of a highway that branched off from the main highway. My first task once we got to Hope was to watch some of the Lakers-Nuggets Game 3 since there was cell signal in the area. I watched the game until halftime or so (they were playing pretty poorly, so I got disheartened) before stepping out of the car to explore Main Street in Hope. The old-looking buildings along Main Street seemed like they were preserved from a distant era of time and looked pretty cool. So I walked along the street both looking and appreciating the historic buildings around me. Because there wasn’t much else to see in Hope besides Main Street, I went back to the car, where Cynthia ended up staying, to start the real drive back to Anchorage. 

Because there were some very dynamic cloudy scenes on the way back, I took a couple of opportunities to get out of the car again to snap some quick photos before booking it back to Anchorage because it was getting darker quickly. During this drive, the rain started to come down again and continued until we were essentially back in Anchorage. It was one of the rainier drives we’ve had this entire trip. Once we had arrived back in Anchorage, we stopped by Spenard Roadhouse for dinner before dropping off our car at Enterprise. At Spenard, we ordered their Baby Back Ribs and Korean Tofu Rice Bowl. The food was great and we really enjoyed what we ordered. And because we had some leftovers (common theme this trip), we were able to take that home to enjoy later. 

The last task of the night was to return the rental car since we didn’t need it for our last day in Alaska. We returned the car and key and then took a Lyft to The Voyager Inn in downtown Anchorage where we checked in for our last night in Alaska. Because it was getting late, we decided to take it easy and rest in our large hotel room rather than do any night explorations, instead holding that off until tomorrow because we had the entire day to explore Anchorage. . 

5 Things I Learned/Observed Today:

1. Chugach National Forest is humongous and is the second largest national forest in the country. As you drive through south-central Alaska, you repeatedly see signs for the national forest everywhere! Supposedly, it is larger than the state of New Hampshire (at around 5.4 million acres) and is the furthest north and west of the country’s national forests. Because it is so far north, about 30% of the forest is covered in ice. 

2. Resurrection Bay is a fjord. I love fjords. They look so cool! But are hard to capture on camera...

3. The town of Seward was named after Secretary of State William Seward because he helped with the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Its population is around 3000 people as of the last census in 2010. Because of the Gulf of Alaska nearby, despite having a subarctic climate, the Seward area has more moderate temperatures than would be expected. And Seward’s economy, as you can guess based on its location, is driven mostly by commercial fishing and seasonal tourism with many businesses closing shop after the summer peak season, just as we saw and experienced.  

4. After talking to a local shop owner in Seward, here is what I learned (from her perspective): Supposedly, the Alaskan governor is a “Trump Wannabe”. Essentially, that meant he was doing a terrible job and making decisions that would likely benefit a certain group of people that didn’t need more benefits and not helping out those people that actually make up the entirety of the state’s population. In one example, the governor supposedly made a decision to dig deep into the Alaskan Permanent Fund Dividend to give too much money to people who didn’t necessarily need it, thus depleting the fund’s money that could otherwise have played a vital role in financing more important tasks and projects like strengthening Alaska’s infrastructure, fixing Alaska’s roads, and funding higher education. 

5. Apparently, there has been a long, ongoing battle between locals and the government/private companies (in this case, the Pebble Mine Company) for the rights to dig for gold and copper at the mouth of a river where big salmon runs happen annually. As you can see there, there’s a very clear dilemma. And because of how corrupt the higher-ups are in Alaska and in the company, the conclusive decision about whether to dig or not has been crawling closer and closer to benefiting the private companies who want to get richer. That is, until recently, when video and audio leaked out revealing how corrupt and horrible the executives at Pebble Mine were. For more information, check out this article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/alaska-pebble-mine-executives-legislators/index.html