Sea and Air

My first tour started down in Seward and though I may really dislike waking up at 2 am to catch a coach down there, I really like the town. Half of our tours start/end in Seward, the main port for Anchorage. Oddly enough, despite it's name, Anchorage has very few ships dock there, the glacial silt prevents deep water boats from traveling up into the Cook Inlet. Anyway, last year I spent a bit of every tour in Seward and loved it. It has two distinct areas, one near the harbor and one near the Sea Life Center. Both areas have a nice little coffee shop to hang out in while trying to recover from getting up so early in the morning and one of them has WiFi access which is a good way to as the time. There is shopping in both areas though it is better near the SLC and both areas have great food. Of course, something that both have in abundance is amazing views of the mountains surrounding Resurrection Bay and the beautiful green glacial water.

While at the small boat harbor waiting for my guests to return from there Kenai Fjords Cruise, which had been cut short due to weather, I spied this mural:


It isn't new but I had lot of time to sit and look at it, so I thought I would share it with my viewers at home. It depicts the importance of both the underwater world and the above to the livelyhood of Seward.

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Walking to and fro

When I arrived at the new apartment I learned that my roommate had a bicycle for us to use. Now it isn't the greatest bike but it will keep me in shape for work in the fall. However, while working I walk back and forth to the hotel and downtown as much as possible, only giving in to cab usage if I am hauling a suitcase. The walk is about 20 minutes and in recent days I have made at least 2 trips downtown per day. Downtown Anchorage is laid out in a grid pattern so I change the route every time I make the trip. One of the routes takes me past the cemetery that dates back to 1915, when the city was first founded. The vista across the cemetery opens up onto the Chugach Mountains which sit right outside of Anchorage.
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Alaska Through My Eyes

Last year while I was working here I took lots of pictures of nature and the very obvious beauty of Alaska. I have been thinking about a focus for this year and I found it as I walked around Anchorage today. I am going to show you much smaller snippets of Alaska's building whether it be a piece of art, a huge mural or a striking building. This summer will be about Alaska from ground level. Here goes.

Leave it to me to start by showing the sign for a great bar in downtown Anchorage, the name is pretty amusing also. Humpy's is a great hang out with live music at times, big screen tv's, an outdoor patio, good atmosphere and lots of great beer on tap. I haven't been there yet this year but soon.

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Back in Alaska

I have arrived in Anchorage. After some late night packing and a restless nights sleep, I was up at 4:15 to get ready. KB drove me to the airport, with a stop at Starbuck's on the way, I had to do something to counteract the lack of sleep. The first flight was full and uneventful, while the second was late and empty enough that I got the bulkhead row to myself. Upon arrival in Anchorage I had to wait a while to get my luggage and in turn missed the shuttle to downtown and had to catch a taxi. One of my roommates that I hadn't even met, tried to work it to come get me but the car our house has access to every other week was in use. The roommates I have met so far are great and we are getting settled nicely into our apartment. This year we get to use our mailbox at the apartment, so hint, hint.

My address:
1320 Denali Street
Anchorage, AK 99501

The best surprise came about 25 minutes after I arrived at the apartment. My supervisor called to tell me that I go out on tour on Sunday. That was fantastic news since there are plenty of people that are sitting in Anchorage waiting for either their first tour or second and one lands at my feet 2 days after I arrive. Woohoo. Now the scary part...it is the longest, most expensive tour and heads out into the Yukon. That's right, I have yet to get out there and now have to lead a tour. Trial by fire, here I come.

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One of the Reasons I Love Davis...

It is Wednesday night, a freaking hot Wednesday night, and a giant fireworks display just occurred right outside my back door. It is Celebrate Davis day, therefore among other events we have fireworks that make it look like the fourth of July. I love Davis.

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My Spring in Pictures

I spent much of my spring outside so here are a few of the shots I took along with one of an awfully cute little one.

1. Poppies on the UCD campus while walking through the Arboretum.
2. The famous water towers.
3. Blue Heron posing at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
4. Palace of Fine Arts columns left over from the 1915 exposition.
5. Taking 4th graders to Alcatraz Island on the ferry.
6. Golden Gate Bridge on a beautiful day.
7. Leaving Pier 33 for Alcatraz.
8. Angel Island from Alcatraz Island.
9. Perfect angel during my birthday lunch.































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The Countdown has Begun.

17 days from today I will be back in Alaska. Yes I am returning to the land of salmon, bears, long days, hours on the train and days on buses. Many of my co-workers are already there preparing for their first tours of the year and I find myself getting jealous, which is a great sign. Don't get me wrong, I love leading tours in Napa, escorting kids through California history and spending as much time with friends & family as possible but the next adventure awaits. However, I feel like I have been in one place for far too long and it is time to get away. These last 2.5 weeks will be spent seeing as many people as possible and working a lot. Yesterday, I worked in Napa and then drove to Pacifica to have dinner and spend the night with the DP's. TD made fantastic fish tacos, WW friendly, and black beans with diced chilis and the three of us had a fair amount of wine. This morning after getting a few things done for tours in the next few days, I drove to Belmont to spend time with MW. I will see her one more time while camping Memorial Day weekend however, this was our last chance to just hang out together since she will be moving to Zurich for the year while I am still in Alaska. I know I will see them in November and again in January or so when I visit them but I needed some good face time. We got an early start and ran errands, then we went to the Red Lantern in Redwood City for a terrific lunch. Afterward we went next door to Pamplemousse to buy macarons, the French kind. They are almost as tasty as the ones we purchased from Laduree in Paris, the lavender vanilla was incredible. For the rest of the afternoon we sat around talking about what the W's need to do before leaving for Zurich and making limoncello. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. More bittersweet goodbyes to come.

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