Alaska impressions 9/5/2019

• RV parks are, on average, just parking lots here
• Wind=dust (and lots of it)
• There are no small dogs here that we could see
• There is a view around every corner and bend in the road
• River water is all glacial
• Everything is more expensive here ($28 for oatmeal and coffee?)
• It's a good thing the weather is, on average a bit cooler. More clothes = more protection from mosquitoes
• There seem to be pickup trucks parked randomly all over Alaska
• There are many more dirt and gravel roads than paved
• Traffic is a non-issue here
• If you're going anywhere, make sure you've got enough gas in your car. Interesting facts: Alaska is about 2 1/2 times as large as Texas by square miles. Texas has over 16,000 gas stations. Alaska has about 270. The lesson: fill up whenever you see a gas station.
• Many rivers in Alaska are braided: a network of river channels separated by small, often temporary, islands. 
• We want to go back in early summer when snow is still on the mountains, and there's less chance of wildfires.

Anchorage--last day 8/21/2019

This morning, we got ourselves some coffee, and stepped outside. The sun was obscured by the smoke again, and it smelled very smoky. Our mom and juvenile moose buddies were there to greet us.  After breakfast that we had purchased at Safeway last evening, we headed out. Today, we will go back to Anchorage for our flight late tonight (actually early tomorrow morning (12:45 a.m.). But there's still so much more to see and do!

After stopping for a few photos along the way, (although the spectacular views along the Turnagain Arm were veiled in smoke)

Smoky mountain views

we went to the Alaska Botanical Gardens in Anchorage. These gardens are necessarily unlike others we have visited. Flowers are all naturalized, with few, if any formal beds. We knew it would be different when we walked up to the entrance and were confronted by a tall chain link fence and gate. A large bear warning sign was posted. The lady who then greeted us, advised us of a nice trail to follow, and advised us to watch for bears. As it was, thankfully, we saw none. The trail walk was very informative and signs along the way explained many of the natural plants and features we saw.

We later stopped at the Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary, where a boardwalk winds around the perimeter of the marsh. From there, we watched many different types of birds in and around the water. At one point, a creek flows under the boardwalk, and we watched as many salmon spawned there. It really is a peaceful place. When we first arrived though, we were disconcerted to hear gunshots nearby. Those came from the shooting range right next to the marsh.

This is the size to which brown bears can grow!

Then we headed to Earthquake Park,where a sharp drop-off  and peculiar rippling hills in the forest below are evidence of the massive 9.2 earthquake that forever altered Anchorage’s landscape in 1964.

Our flight left at 12:45 a.m., and we were back in Orlando by 6:00 after a weather delay in Seattle.

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pzQMTqbQFdAMYVRCA