Mt. Redoubt
Of course, you don’t want to read about funerals here, but I did want to mention a rather special one that was held today. Maxine Reed was reaching a hundred, but didn’t make it. Her husband, a real Pioneer, was holding her hand as they passed, and things won’t be the same without her. Her daughter eulogized, “She was the internet before the internet was invented” and that was aptly put. Bye, Maxine, see you later.
Ah, it’s great to be back in Alaska after a month in the lower states. Just to see our beautiful landscape was a wonderful welcome home.
Of course, I escaped during the extremely cold spell, but not totally. It was below zero when I was in Chicago, and Lake Michigan can’t compare to Denali. (I do love Chicago, tho’, in spite of their bizarre politics).
January is the ‘lull before the storm’ in Anchorage, because things are gearing up for the big Fur Rendezvous celebration, and the start of the Iditarod Dog Sled Races. These two events have unofficially merged . . . back to back at the end of February. In the holding pattern, there are many offerings in sports and arts. The Anchorage Opera continues and Anchorage Concert Association is filled with programs throughout the ’school year’ . . . . The University of Alaska (UAA) is noteworthy this winter for the nationally recognized women’s basketball team. Unfortunately, women’s sports still don’t draw a crowd, but it’s probably better entertainment than men’s at this time.
Come to Anchorage in the winter. You’ll love our Town Square. And the best part is that there’s no construction going on . . . remember the old adage, “There are two seasons in Anchorage, winter and construction”.
It’s been a while since my last blog, I know — it’s just that I’ve been out of state, trying to escape the cold temperature, but here I am in Chicago a month later, and it’s below zero here, and add some wind to that . .. you can see why this girl will be glad to return home to Anchorage in a few days. In the meantime, I’ll just give a quick note about my travels to date. First stop was Tampa, Florida, and it’s a great city with everything going for it. The Super Bowl is coming and that’s just one of the biggies to find Tampa accepting of visitors and locals alike. Great restaurants, and trendy Bahama Breeze is one of the best. . .. next stop, Naples, Florida — a popular retirement spot with more gated communities than one can count on both hands. . . too trendy for me, and because of this, everything is priced double . .. but they show only signs of growth and no bad economy there of note. . . good weather to boot, altho’ I like the heat stopping at 74 degrees at best . .. next stop, cruising with Carnival to Grand Cayman and Cozumel . .. very pleasant, and New Year’s Eve is great celebrated there. . . . usual good friends, food, ports-of-call, and enough said – back to Tampa . . . next stop, Fayetteville N.C. which is home of the huge Army post, Fort Bragg … my personal purpose was to visit D.D. at Cape Fear Hospital, a huge complex in itself .. . some good military museums and usual franchises around town . .. next stop, Chicago, the windy city. . . aptly named as it’s below zero here plus wind, and this gal is chicken. However, I did walk from the Hyatt Regency Hotel to the library, which everyone advised me not to do. . . yeah, I’m taking a cab back to the hotel, thanks. . . but this is ‘ my kind of town, Chicago is’ and there are some great jazz spots here, plus anything else you’d ever want to see – museums, conventions, restaurants, galleries, shops, etc. How’s that for a quick run down of travelin’ around. My next blog will be better, I promise. It’ll be good to get back to my own condo, even with the busted water pipes, and flooded carpets. Anchorage is still a great place to visit, and compares well with these other places!
