FIFTY STATES AWAYFlying out from SeaTac Airport in Tacoma, Washington gave yet another new flight experience for me! A night time flight! Although looking down into the darkness below was somewhat scary I appreciated the fantastic views of the lights of the city below.
There were a couple of options that we desperately wanted to try in Alaska, after such an experience in Hawaii we would have loved to partake in some kind of survival experience or even just drive around like we have so far in the lower 48. After a difficult decision we decided to retreat to the wilderness of Alaska for some much needed rest and down time. We picked a place located in the North Pole town in Fairbanks, where we have our own little secluded cabin in the woods.
Flying into Fairbanks was quite an experience, I could see below the mountains still completely covered in snow and there was an eerie glow from the horizon. At the airport, arriving a little after midnight Alaskan time, we were greeted by two large stuffed animals a bear and a polar bear, also a unique experience! We only had some written instructions provided by the cabin owner in order to find our way. Unfortunately upon arrival we found out that our SatNav is unable to cope with Alaska. I was a little apprehensive not being great with directions and not having a map, it’s pitch black and we are unsure what the roads are like, we headed towards our cabin cautiously. We made it safe and well, Ben was great and maintained his incredible calmness, logically guiding us as I read out instructions hoping to be of some help!
Waking this morning we went outside to have a look around the cabin, we couldn’t see much in the dark on our arrival, we decided to head out and find some food! Driving to a local organic food store to stock up. Since Hawaii we’ve both been extremely heathly, it was a real eye opener and we’ve greatly enjoyed the taste of real food. Although we plan to chill out, we’ve decided to create home cooked meals using completely organic ingredients. Although not master chefs just yet we can at least enjoy the benefits of eating healthy.
We’ve noticed several odd things around here, for one there is a Blockbusters that is actually open and functional, we have no idea how but maybe no-one told Alaska that Blockbusters closed some time ago. 😛 In addition to this, we’ve noticed that whilst it’s about 3-7c (37-44f) here we’ve noticed that a lot of the locals have already broken out their flip flops and summer dresses, crazy! We remain wrapped up!
On one of our days here we decided to take a drive up to Chena Hot Springs. It was a great outing, the drive was so silent and tall trees bordered the one very long road in and out of the springs. There was still some snow at the roadside, and most of the lakes we drove by were still frozen over. It was enchanting and serene, with mountains in the distance, it sure did feel isolated. Ben’s really been enjoying driving our bright blue Ford F150 pickup, it’s a bit lower to the ground than the ram, and not as comfy but a nice ride all the same.
Arriving at Chena Hot Springs, neither of us were too keen to go for a swim but did sign ourselves up for a tour of the ice museum. We were warned to pack warm clothes as the museum was kept at a constant – 4c (25f) using geothermal techniques. Apparently a few weeks ago it was warmer inside here than out! Heading in it was unsurprisingly chilly inside and we were surround by quite a sight. A large staute of two men on horseback fighting with swords was a smaller version of the one the creator won ice competitions with, seeing the size of this did make me wonder how big the original was.
There was also a magnificent igloo with an ice xylophone inside, that I had a good go on, imagine something like Mozart but terrible! 🙂 Ben was too big to crawl into the igloo bless him, but I think he heard my epic music on the xylophone from outside. I had brought a ticket to receive a very alcoholic apple & vodka beverage to sip from an ice glass at the ice bar. It was really enjoyable and my fears of getting stuck to the glass turned out to be unfounded, although I bet you’re all thinking how great of a picture that would have made. This strong beverage obviously made me quite chirpy on the drive home.
A visit to the North Pole, would not be complete without actually visiting the north pole! Down a very quiet road we found the candy cane pole, fitting as all the lamp-posts in this area are also candy caned styled. This visit also led us to Santa’s house (I know not the season)! We couldn’t resist popping in! It was mental! All the toys you could think of and ornaments! Some really neat stuff was on display, incredible hand carved Christmas scenes. Whilst in the shop we also noticed across the road was a few of Santa’s friends….. Reindeers! 🙂 It would have been rude not to pop over to say “hello” I even got to stroke them!
It’s now time to leave Alaska, on the way to the airport we were lucky enough to see a moose by the roadside, unfortunately I didn’t get my camera ready in time but it was an incredible experience none the less! It was massive! Although we think it would have been a lot of fun to have seen even more of Alaska and maybe had a more wild experience, something to make as grow as Hawaii did, we’ve enjoyed the time here resting.
It’s easy to see how one might not have interaction with others for long periods of time here and how you could be completely cut of from the world, especially in the deeper parts of the wilderness. It’s full of nature, silent and beautiful, time rolls by and it’s even harder to count the days. At this time of year the sun does not set until 11pm and rises very early the next day. In our short time here I can see how Alaska has come to be coined, the last fronter. Now 27 states in let’s see what else is in store for us
