Did you know we spent a month in Alaska? We did.
It was spectacular, as only Alaska can be in July.
Isn't it interesting how every place in the world has a spectacular time? Alaska, of course, has several spectacular times--the summer days drenched in sunlight or shrouded in clouds, the moody fall with hills turning red and yellow and the snow line sinking lower and lower until it hits the valley, the pink and purple dawns of winter, the overwhelming promise of warmer and longer days as March hits. Still, every part of the country I have been to has a time of year/day that makes it spectacular.
The first week we were there was a rather unbelievable stretch of clear, sunny days. While it is light for about 20 hours a day in Anchorage, there are a lot of those days that are a little murky with clouds.
This was the first time we had been back as a family since we moved away 11 years ago. Lily, Gilbert, and Elsie, being less than 11, got to see Alaska for the first time.
We were perfectly thrilled about being up there, but we also had some things to get done. We bought the tickets with the idea that Justin would be working with my sister Lindsey on some surveying jobs and helping to offset the cost of tickets. Tickets that are unfortunately a little pricey when there are six people in your family.
Lindsey had just bought a duplex, intending to rent out the one side and live in the other. It was built in 1966, so there was some updating to do. That first week, Justin went to town on the rental side, ripping out carpets, cabinets, wallpaper, and paneling so Lindsey could get everything shipshape before renting it out.
Justin filled a dumpster in a few days and by Saturday afternoon, we were all ready for a break--either from work (Justin) or being cooped up in the house (kids) while Justin and I were getting things done.
We decided to head to Beluga Point, since the kids told us we had to see some Belugas while we were in Alaska. The chance of actually seeing beluga whales at Beluga point is pretty slim to none, but it was fun to think about that teensy possibility while checking out Beluga point.
At Beluga, you park right off the Seward highway and then clamber down a rather steep embankment with no real path and dart across an active train track (the train only runs a few times a day, so it isn't that dangerous), and head over to climb on rocks with steep dropoffs and no guardrails.
The sedate and safety conscious east this is not.
Baby cottonwood trees and the mountains
Sparkling water
Elsie, Gilbert, and Daddy
My explorers. Unfortunately, I had hurt my knee the day before and was a little leery about damaging it more on the steep and slippery dirt paths. So I stayed up near the train track for the first bit.
My people
Gilbert is a big fan of sticks.
I am a big fan of these flowers.
And windswept spruce trees
After standing and watching them for awhile, I realized there was actually a gradual path down to the beach from the other side. So I got down there.
Seaweed on rocks at low tide
My Orianna girl
Lily looking for rocks and Justin trying to get Gilbert's hands clean.
My kids are very into rocks. Which means they might not necessarily notice the lovely mountain vistas across Turnagain Arm, but they did study just about every little rock on the ground.
The rocks were pretty cool though.
The tide was going out, just about at low tide, so there was a little turbulence. But no belugas.
Yarrow and muddy-from-rock-poking fingers
Some of their rock finds
Climbing rocks
Shade plants always seem just a little more magical. Like they are just sitting there in the shade waiting for you to notice them, not particularly caring if you see them or not.
My boy-o
