Month: June 2017
Location: Anchorage
When I had started this, I arranged each of the 51
destinations into 8 Zones. “Zone 8” was labeled as “Outer” and it had just 2 States in it –
Alaska and Hawaii. I had avoided them so
far – due to the distance, time and expense – but with States running out, it was time to choose one of these.
It was a given that a visit to Alaska would have to be during the narrow
summer window of June to August, and that decision would have to be made way
ahead of time if I was to get a good deal.
So back in August of last year I spent an evening booking an expensive
flight to Anchorage, pre-paying for a hotel room and luckily booking a car at
the right moment before those prices went up – seriously, they did increase minutes
later.
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| All aboard! |
I had been to Alaska a few years ago, to Anchorage in fact, and so I did consider a different destination.
I have always found Juneau to be fascinating, being the only Capital
city with no roads coming in and out.
But there had been something magical about my previous visit to
Anchorage. With its overcast weather and
slight mist in the air, there is a dreamlike vibe to the place. And it’s the kind of dream that you want to
go back to. I had an early morning
flight and thankfully it was a direct one from Chicago to Anchorage. That also meant that it was a long one. However ‘Alaskan
Airlines’ offered a suite of free movies that one could view on
their laptop. Plus there were power
outlets under the seats and that made it convenient. So the 6+ hours flew by – pun intended – and
I looked outside the window to see a familiar sight from years ago, as the
plane made its approach over the ‘Cook
Inlet’ and landed in an overcast Anchorage.
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| Starting at 'Jen's Restaurant' |
I had rented a car since I wanted to take a small trip
outside of town – more on that later. I
could have gone to my hotel and checked in, but my priorities are clear when I
visit places and on the top of the list is eating at places that are highly
recommended. So I drove straight to a
place called ‘Jen’s Restaurant’,
which was located in a “strip mall”. As I settled in on the bar counter top, I
noticed a lot of champagne bottles being displayed, though I stuck to food
since I was driving. They offered some
traditional “Danish” dishes with
impeccable service and it was a worthy start to my culinary adventures in
Alaska.
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| The main room of 'Alaska Museum of Science & Nature' |
There were a couple of museums that I wanted to visit in the
afternoon and both were outside the downtown area. So rather than driving to the hotel to drop
off my bag and then getting into the car again, I decided that the check-in
could wait. I had given myself 90
minutes in ‘Alaska Museum of Science
& Nature’ and it took me all of 20 minutes to get through the exhibits,
which weren’t bad. The lady at the counter was extremely friendly and warned me
that a lot of kids were on their way for an excursion. I said that I would stay out of their way, though with the small place and their noisy enthusiasm, I was well aware of
their presence. There were some examples
of Alaskan wild life, including a colossal ‘King
Crab’. There was also an interesting
piece on the Alaskan earthquake on 1964, but even with all of these, I was soon
done and on my way to the next stop.
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| The "Alaska Native Games" were in progress |
A few miles away was the ‘Alaska
Native Heritage Center’ and I was pleased to have navigation guiding me
because it wasn’t the easiest to find. After
following a winding road, I reached the center and as I got out of the car, there was a definite chill in the
air. The lady mentioned that there was an
“Alaska Native Games” demonstration
in progress on the main stage. There was
also a talk on “Introduction to Alaska
Native Cultures” a bit later as well as “Alaska
Native Heritage Center Dance”. I
went to see the “games” and there
were some youth demonstrating incredible feats of athleticism and
concentration. One particular exercise
was tying a ball on a string and then doing a standing kick to touch the ball,
which was quite high. They told us about
the significance of these games in the native culture and how generations have
been doing this. In fact, one of the
young men introduced his mother in the audience and how she used to participate
in these when she was his age. It was a
great demonstration and showcased how much the natives value traits of focus
and discipline.
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| The "village" at the back of the center |
There was short break before the next program and so I
walked about the center and saw the galleries which were organized by cultures
of different tribes. Alaska is a huge
state, which if superimposed on the “lower
48”, would stretch from Florida to California. The galleries showed the visitors the
different parts of the state where the tribes were located and some of them are
quite inhospitable areas. There was an outdoor area spread around a pond and which had models of native
dwellings. There was going to be a
guided tour of this “village” in 30
minutes and I preferred to do that rather than watch the dance program. I did however attend the talk on Native
Cultures, as a young lady told us about the different tribes and their
locations and life in general. The
amount of information that I gathered during this talk made me glad to have come
here and I was now looking forward to the tour.
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| Inside one of the dwellings |
I went to the meeting spot and soon one of the youth who had
been doing the games demonstration came over.
He would be the guide for this tour and we set off outside, it was
now colder than I had expected.
But considering what we learned about the living conditions of the
natives, no one should be complaining.
Each tribal region was represented in terms of their dwellings, which
were minimalist and in most cases, underground.
Staying warm was the priority, especially in far north where even the summers are cold and harsh, let alone winters.
We were shown some of the items that they used in their houses, most
made from animal parts. The natives
believe that no part of the animal should be wasted and everything was
utilized, including things like stomachs as storage bags. Seals were the main creatures being hunted, though some tribes are the
only people who have a “whaling”
license, being allowed to hunt 2-3 whales a year. And when that happens, it is a big deal for
the entire village and the community since it literally feeds everyone for
months. The stories were different in
each of the model dwellings, each adding to the rich heritage and culture of
the natives of that region; and serving as a lesson in survival. And to think some folks get mad because their
bus is late by a minute!
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| Downtown Anchorage |
I drove back into downtown and towards my hotel, which was
on the main street, though the entrance for cars was on the backside. After some confusion I found the driveway and
handed my car to the valet. I have been
having some luck with hotels and this one was no exception. At the reception I learnt that I was in “Tower 3”, meaning there were 2
others! Plus the trek to my elevator
took me all over the hotel and I saw enough retail shops for this place to
qualify as a mall! I dropped off my bags
in my room and then set off for the evening.
It was chilly, though luckily dry. Thankfully the streets had numbers and
letters, meaning navigating my way would be easy. Getting into places, well, that may prove to
be a challenge.
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| The secret "phone booth" |
I was going to bar called ‘Blues Central’ which was located inside a hotel. However, what made this one interesting was
the process required to get in. First,
one had to locate an old fashioned telephone booth. Then if a blue light was on, you could pick
up the receiver and dial a number, upon which the person at the other end told
you if there was any room. If there was,
then you were given a password and told to come upstairs. Now that’s what I call a “speakeasy”! It opened at 5
pm and it was approaching 20 minutes past the hour as I rushed there. I had to ask some folks in the hotel and was
told where the phone booth was located. I
saw that the light was on and so dialed the number. The voice at the other end said “Ricky James”, which I guess was the
password for this evening. Then I went
upstairs, hoping to see a sign. But
there wasn’t one and I was now in a hallway with several unmarked doors. I had no idea which one to knock on. At the end I saw a red door and to my
surprise it was open. It was also the side entry to the bar. So much for the password!
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| The fantastic 'Blues Central' |
It was a typical “speakeasy”,
dark and cozy, with a long bar. It was
also quite empty. I sat at the bar and
chatted with the mixologist, exchanging stories about some of
our favorite places nationwide. Soon the
place started filling up and as is usually the case, I struck up a conversation
with my fellow patrons, both locals and visitors. I mentioned that I would be in NYC soon and a range of choices for cocktail bars were presented, and the bartender even
showed me some books on those bars. He
certainly knew what he was doing and made a cocktail for me which involved a
show with fire! The locals seemed to be
regulars and I was the beneficiary of his friendliness with them, being the
recipient of some complimentary shots.
This certainly was a fantastic bar and a worthy addition to the list of
places that I have visited.
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| The Champagnes of 'The Bubbly Mermaid Oyster Bar' |
It was bright outside and after getting my bearings I set
off for a place that some of my fellow revelers had recommended, ‘The Bubbly Mermaid Oyster Bar’. It was a very small place, with a central bar
around which many people had been crammed. But
there was something cute about it, and all around us were bottles of Champagne;
lots of bottles of Champagne. If there ever was a “dive bar” for luxury items, this would be it. I ordered a
glass and some oysters and just soaked in the ambiance. Next, I went over to a place called ‘Haute Quarter Grill’ prior to my dinner
reservation. It was a nice evening,
still bright, and people had come out to enjoy that. I was going to a place called ‘Glacier Brewhouse’ which looked like a
typical beer hall. I remembered this
place from my previous visit and it was as crowded as before. Its funny how years later you return back to
a place and it seems familiar. Alaska is
known for its beer and seafood and these folks do an excellent job with
both. I had a great time here and a
perfect end to my first night in Alaska.
And I use the word night loosely since there was still light
outside.
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| It was a hazy morning |
I had an early morning wake-up call because I was going on a
tour of Anchorage. I was getting picked
up at the hotel, but didn’t know at which entrance. I waited next to one and then the other, but there was no sign of my crew. They were supposed to arrive at 8 am, and had asked me to
wait there since 7:45. I called and left a
message, and then got a call back where the driver said that he was caught in
the morning traffic. He told me to wait at the entrance with the “bus pickup” and there were several
buses waiting for dozens of travelers, some of whom looked like they were
preparing to go hike a glacier. My van
arrived and I climbed inside to see that there were already 6 others besides
the driver, who would also be the guide. I
was sitting next to a gentleman who was visiting from North Dakota and had previously lived in Chicagoland. He also looked
like a serious photographer since while the rest of us were using our phones,
he had a real camera.
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| The great earthquake of 1964 |
We started at a downtown building which told the story of
the 1964 earthquake with maps and pictures and showed the destruction that
had occurred. After some time over here
we got back in the van and our guide took us on a drive just outside of
downtown, through one of the more affluent neighborhoods in the city. The houses were gorgeous, including one which
was built underground and the roof was a part of the garden. Being a native, he was telling us about
Anchorage from their perspective, including the time before and after Alaska
became a State. One of the stories was
the US scrambling to get the native land when oil was discovered up in the
North. That led to the ‘Great Alaskan Pipeline’ being built all
the way down to Valdez and they managed to get that done in record time through
some inhospitable terrain. Just goes to
show nothing is insurmountable when money is at stake!
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| There are plenty of these in Alaska |
Our guide was extremely motivated to find some Moose, so much
so that he even told us to chant “Moose-Moose-Moose”. Oh boy!
We drove to a park which presented a nice view of downtown and the
mountains in the distance. In fact, on a
clear day you could even see ‘Mount Denali’. The problem was the mosquito population of
Alaska which is waiting to feast on you.
So we didn't spend a lot of time outside, taking some pictures and continuing our search of the elusive
Moose. Alaska has the most number of
pilots per capita and most of those are sea planes, not surprising considering
that a majority of Alaska cannot be accessed any other way. Our guide took us to a nearby lake which
serves as some sort of an “airfield”
and I have never seen so many planes anywhere – and I don’t mean small planes
in a field. I mean planes anywhere,
including big airports. We took some
pictures before the mosquito’s came after us and then it was back to the van.
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| This is at a hospital! |
Our next stop was ‘Alaska
Native Medical Center’, which our guide said was a state-of-the-art medical
facility to rival any in the nation.
Plus it provided a free service to the natives. It was also said to house some of the best native
artifacts collection and we were going to see that. We arrived at the hospital and it was like
any other medical facility, with patients and doctors going about their daily
tasks. We took an elevator to the 4th
floor and in the lobby near the stairwell were display showcases, each housing native objects. We
were told to go down the stairs to the bottom floor and on our way we would see
different displays on each floor. It was
a good collection that any museum would be proud to own and the fact that it
was in a hospital was impressive. I’m sure that it does bring cheer to all who are undergoing treatment.
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| The World's tallest "Chocolate Waterfall" |
We spent some time here and then got back on the van to head
to ‘Alaska Wild Berry Products’,
which was a store selling all sorts of chocolate and candy
products, along with boxed Salmon and other souvenirs. While this was a well-known brand of
products, what made this store special was that it housed the World’s tallest “Chocolate Waterfall”. Really, there was a 20 foot chocolate
fall inside the store like some real life “Willy
Wonka Factory”. Everyone posed for
some pictures next to the fall and then started exploring the store. There were long counters with display cases
full of candy and chocolate truffles, including “triple dipped marshmallow” which I just had to get. There were also long glass windows behind
which we could see the candies being made.
This meant that everything in front of us was as fresh as it can get,
though I refrained from buying any. I
did however sample some of their unique ice cream flavors before leaving for
our next destination.
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| On the way to 'The Ulu Factory' |
Our guide said that we were going to make a bonus stop at a
place called ‘Alaska Sausage and Seafood’
which sold, well, sausages and cured smoked seafood. They also offered some samples of their
products, though “Reindeer Sausage”
is not really something that I was keen on.
We tasted a few of their Salmon and Halibut and then left for our final
stop, which was ‘The Ulu Factory’. I had no idea what an “Ulu” was till I came here.
It is a curved knife that the Natives use and is supposed to be very
versatile in its use. I try to
stay away from all sharp objects if I can, meaning it certainly wasn’t anything that I would be
purchasing. Our guide left us at the
factory and said that we could take a free shuttle back to downtown. After
watching a brief demonstration of the instrument, I said goodbye to my fellow travelers and got on the shuttle.
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| At the 'Anchorage Museum' |
I was planning to go to the ‘Anchorage Museum’, but I had left my phone charging cable in the
hotel and so rushed back to get it, before making the cross-downtown trek to
the museum. I had just enough time to
get lunch before a guided tour, though it would have to be in the Museum
Café. Well, that café turned out be a
full-fledged restaurant and a fantastic one at that. I went over to the tour meeting area and saw
that I was the only one there besides our guide. That didn’t last for long and by the time the tour started, we had a big group.
This was one of the better museums that I have seen and the
gallery that we started in was very impressive.
It had individual displays for the different native tribes – similar to
what I had seen yesterday. It was nice
to hear stories from this guide’s perspective and to learn about the various
artifacts. After the tour I walked about
the rest of the museum, including an exhibit called “Polar Bear’s Garden”, which is the narrow strait between Russia and
the US. This was not just an art museum,
but also had some interactive exhibits for kids as well as a “Planetarium”. I attended a show on “Northern Lights” and when I left, most of the afternoon was still available
to me.
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| The fantastic map inside the 'Visitor's Center' |
I stopped at a mall in downtown, which was like any other
mall that one can find in any other town. I stopped at one of the 2 ‘Visitor’s Center’, though one had to go
through a security screening to rival an airport! The guards mentioned that besides being a visitor’s center, this was
also a functioning Government building and thus the precautions. Well, considering that I had walked through
the 'Utah State Capitol’ last month
without any check’s, I still considered it a bit excessive; but to each their
own. They had various stations and I
stopped by at one saying ‘Alaskan
Railroad’ for some information, which comprised of them giving me a
brochure and asking me to direct questions directly to the railroad. So much for getting help here! They also had something that looked like a
small museum, though the highlight of this place - and which makes it worth
visiting - is a giant map of Alaska, showing its topography. It is mounted on the floor and the visitors
can walk around it, absorbing in the scale of the State. That’s exactly what I did for the
duration of my visit.
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| My evening's agenda |
Clearly I wasn’t going to learn much over here, and so I walked
across the road to the 2nd visitor’s center which was much smaller,
a lot friendlier and did not have a security screening. I obtained some information on ‘Portage Glacier’, which isn’t too far
from the place I am visiting tomorrow. As
I started walking back towards my hotel, I passed by several souvenir shops
that are lined along the main street, each of them full of all the things that souvenir
seekers are looking for. All I got there
was a bottle of water and then it was onward to my room for a brief respite before
heading out for the evening, which would be similar to last night.
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| On to the next one |
I wasn’t going too far for my first stop, which was a bar in
my hotel called ‘Fletcher’s’, and it looked like an Irish saloon. From there
it was a short walk through the hotel lobby for another place called ‘Whale’s Tail’, where I got a drink
called “Alaska Night Starter”, which
was quite appropriate. I emerged from my
hotel and went down the main street – which had its evening buzz – and to a
place called ‘Ginger’, who are doing
some interesting things with food and drink within a modern eclectic
place. The following stop however was a
complete opposite of this and as old school as possible, with dark interiors and
dark corners where mob deals may be going down.
Called ‘Paris Club’, this is one of Anchorage’s more iconic restaurants, and a popular spot with locals and tourists
alike.
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| The absolutely charming 'Marx Bros Cafe' |
As with any other visit, I had spent some time researching
places for dining and one name that had popped up in several lists was ‘Marx Bros Café’. Now, having seen and enjoyed Marx Brothers movies, I wasn’t sure how that would lend itself towards dining, but everything
about it looked intriguing. The
restaurant was located inside a house, meaning different rooms would function
as dining areas. I have had some great
experiences in such places and this one was no exception. The food was great, the service impeccable
and I even saw a gentleman make tableside “Caesar’s
Salad” - an art form from a forgotten era.
I came back to my hotel after a nice evening, but there was one more
thing that I wanted to do tonight. On
the top of one of the towers is the hotels signature restaurant, ‘Crow’s Nest’. It was late and the dinner service was
winding down, though one couldn’t tell looking at the bright skies outside the
window. And what a sight in all
directions; overlooking the ‘Cook Inlet’,
the mountains and of course the city of Anchorage. I could have stayed there all night, but with
or without the sunlight, they needed to close and so I returned back to my room. Tomorrow I would be visiting some of the
ghosts from the past and the only reason why I was paying for a car which I hadn’t
even used today.
To Be Continued...
