Alaska 2009

My sister Heather and I spent August 9-15 in Alaska! Yes, Alaska...the last frontier...our old summer stompin' grounds! Heather had a free flight to use up (from getting bumped on a flight this last spring), and so she really wanted to use it to go up to Alaska to visit family this summer. Well, I wasn't about to let her go up to Alaska and have all the fun without me, so when she asked if I wanted to go with her, she didn't have to ask me twice! I bought a ticket and we were off! I asked Eric if he wanted to join me, but for some reason he didn't think that spending a week with me, and my sister, and all our loud, crazy, fun cousins and their children sounded like a good time!? Though if you know us, you know that he probably made a very wise choice!?

Heather and I arrived early on a Sunday morning, and after getting a few hours of sleep we drove up with our granny and grandpa to Lake Louise, to meet up with all our AK cousins! We had a great time at Lake Louise. The weather was great (meaning that it never rained on us), and we ate lots of delicious food, had a great time with family, and spent a fun day at the beach...all bundled up in sweats and sweaters, huddled around a campfire. Only in Alaska do people not think twice about spending a day at the beach bundled up in sweats, or wearing sweats on a tubing ride...

The last time I was in Alaska, Lake Louise and I did not get along very well. Eric and I were up there three years ago, and after tubing all weekend we went on an innocent little ride together, where we both got thrown off, my face made connection with Eric's elbow, which resulted in a broken cheekbone...which resulted in a fun little plane ride to the hospital (thanks to uncle Chuck!), a very colorful face, many doctor visits, a plastic surgeon, and finally, surgery. I'm good as new now, but I will not lie, getting on a tube again, even with small children to ensure a mild ride, made me a little anxious! But I did it, and I even got talked into taking a wild ride without small children and I somehow survived without having a nervous breakdown?! Phew!

One of the highlights of touring Alaska is seeing Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali. Only 30% of tourists ever see the mountain because it's usually shrouded in clouds, but working on the train for four years provided me with hundreds of opportunities to see that amazing mountain...and after years of being away, I was kind of missing it. One day we woke up to clear blue skies, and I knew that if we were going to see the mountain that week, then today was the day. So Heather, Lori, and I took a 1.5 hour drive up to Talkeetna, where there are great views of Mt. McKinley (if it's visible and not shrouded in clouds). Well, when we got there, there was not a cloud in the sky...except along the mountain range that held Mt. McKinley, which very inconveniently covered in clouds?! Blast! It was so sad! But on our drive home we got a few views of the top half of the mountain, shining through the clouds...it wasn't the full thing, but we took what we could get! It was still awesome and definitely worth the trip.

Anchorage has an amazing paved trail system throughout the city and all along the coast...let me tell you, this trail system is amazing! During my four summers of living in Anchorage, I can't tell you how many hours I spent running, biking, walking, and just enjoying that trail system, and I definitely wanted to revisit it while we were up there. Our cousins like the coastal trail too, so we spent one afternoon biking the coastal trail, and it was heaven! Our group consisted of Rita, Lori, Amy, Heather and I. The weather was perfect, the views were beautiful, and the company was awesome! We even found an awesome patch of raspberries to snack on at our turnaround point....let me tell you, those Kenley girls can smell a raspberry patch or a blueberry patch from a mile away!? They are insane! And after working up an appetite by biking, we joined up with another cousin, Heidi, and her husband George, to eat at the famous Sourdough Mining Company! It was a great day!

We spent one afternoon four wheeling! I had never been four wheeling for fun before, and so this was a new activity for me, and it was SO fun! There were awesome four wheeling trails everywhere, and the view of the Knik glacier from the river was awesome. The four wheeling group consisted of Uncle Chuck, Melissa and James, Rita and Kevin, Lee, and Heather and I...not to mentionthe small children that accompanied us...Louis and Elsie, Andy and Daisy, and Ty. I must admit, this was one activity that Eric definitely would have loved, and I did feel a momentary pang of guilt for having so much fun without him...sorry honey!

My family is made up of amazing gardeners, and up in Alaska they take their gardening to an extreme level! As my granny puts it, "It's a hobby gone amuck!" But up in Alaska they have long summer days, lots of rain, and perfect weather for growing a plethora of fresh produce, so I guess we can't blame them for going a little crazy with the gardens!? But just check out that garden and greenhouse (and that's only one of the gardens...there are three others ginormous gardens in close proximity, and a total of two giant greenhouses). It is no wonder that the toddlers up there walk around eating giant cucumbers for a snack!? (And don't ask her to share her giant cucumber...because she won't!)

The best part about being up Alaska for a week was spending time with all our cousins up there! They were so good to hang out with us all week, and take us wherever our hearts desired, and get babysitters for their kids so they could play with us, and stay up late watching movies with us...they are just the best! Heather and I had the best week with them, and were so sad to leave them all behind...so far away! But it was so fun see them, even if it was only for a week, and it was so fun to see/meet all their adorable little children...they are the cutest!

I love my family, and I love that the vast majority of them live in one of the most beautiful places on earth...Alaska! We'll definitely be back!