To Alaska

I will try to describe some of my Alaskan trip, although it will be impossible to capture the essence of the place in words or in pictures.  You just have to be there to understand the incredible beauty and majesty of the place.

We flew round trip on Alaska Airlines, which is the best I've ever been on.  The seats in coach were a bit wider and much more comfortable, with way more leg room, than other airlines.  The flight attendants were great as well.  On the first leg of the trip the plane was a "Bombardier Q400", which was described as a turbo prop.  Not being an aviation expert I figure it had jet engines but also propellers, and I was sitting in the seat with a great view of one of the props.  The plane flew low enough that the view of the ground and everything on it was clearly visible, which always makes me feel better than just looking at clouds.  I distinctly remember taking photos and that the propeller took up half the picture, but for some reason there is nothing on my camera for this part of the trip.  One of the highlights was seeing Mt. St. Helen's in the distance and watching it grow taller and more beautiful as we got closer to Portland.  Mt. St. Helen's is in Washington state, but was clearly visible from the air to our north east.

We arrived in Anchorage and were met by Sarah's uncle, who drove us and all our luggage to their home which is a litte north of Wasilla.  They have a gorgeous home with a view that never failed to mesmerize me and I constantly took pictures of it.  Looking out from the living room and beyond the deck were mountains that the mist and clouds constantly played with.  Sometimes it looked like the peaks had a sparkling necklace and crown of mist, and sometimes they were visible in their stark beauty.  You might get tired of the same scene, but I couldn't help taking photos of it.

Ok, I'll stop here with the photos of this particular peak, although I can't promise that I didn't take others.  This was the first day and I just couldn't help myself.

My camera gave me problems since, for some reason, the little door on the compartment that holds the batteries and SIM card wouldn't stay closed.  I had trouble keeping it shut while taking pictures, but finally got the hang of it.

We stayed with my d-i-l's aunt & uncle,  and I've never met more hospitable people.  Pam made sure that I had a bedroom to myself, right next to the bathroom!  And cook?  The woman cooked 3 meals a day that would put any chef to shame!  Like with any large family, there were the grown kids and their families popping in and out, and I felt right at home with everyone.

More to come - 
P.S.  I will change my header photo when I get to the exact perfect picture to replace it!