End of the Journey to Anchorage

Mountains along Turnagain Arm.

Today was the day we ended our journey to Anchorage. On the road for nine days, it was good to see the Turnagain Arm and the 'Welcome to Anchorage' sign. The activities of each day have already begun to blur. The blog posts and tons of photos serve as a reminder to all of us. But before we say good bye to this road trip, following are the highlights of today:

Sleep came in restless spurts after consuming a rich meal at Jack Spratt's last night. After contemplating whether to sleep or get up, puttering around our luxurious room at the Alyeska Resort won out. Peering out between the dark drapes, the valley trees and nearby mountains were piled with snow. The first snow fall that stuck, the resort is optimistic about opening the ski season on Thanksgiving Day this year.

View from our room at the Alyeska Resort.

To melt away the aches of travel and a couple months of winter climate, Rick and I had appointments for treatments at the hotel spa. Entering the glass door, we entered the soothing atmosphere of the spa. Vapors of cypress wafted through the air. Young Heidi greeted us at the counter in a soothing voice. After giving us a short questionnaire to complete, we followed to some comfortable chairs where she offered beverages.

Heidi directed me to the changing room where a black wardrobe bag with a brass lock, a soft robe, and plastic slippers were stationed. Rick had been taken to a room by Heidi for his pedicure when I opened the door. Sarah greeted me and the now familiar smell of cypress surrounded her. Sarah had been doing stone therapy for nearly eight years, roughly the same amount of time she had been doing massage.

Periodic laughter erupted from outside the closed door to our room. Rick's voice settled my heart. He had been apprehensive about having a pedicure but his feet had suffered from the dry climate and freezing temperatures of Kotzebue.

When Sarah finished her magic,  I changed back into my sweats and headed back to our room where Rick was ready to check out. After taking our things down to the car, we settled up at the front desk. Turning our backs on the great hunter statue, we exited the lobby and settled into the Camry for the short ride to the Five Chairs Cafe in the Girdwood's new townsite. During the ski season, Five Chairs is a hopping place. Young, hip skiers and boarders enjoyed the great food and brews available at this dining establishment.

After lunch, we began the final 36 miles of our journey to Anchorage. With the tide rushing in, the Turnagain Arm was on our left. Steep mountains, with horned sheep at the high elevations, took up the right side of this stretch of the Seward Highway. Rick and I talked about returning to Kotzebue and the worked we enjoyed there.

We pulled up at the Dimond Center Hotel for our two-night stay. Pastel colors in the lobby, this hotel was esthetically pleasing. The hotel is owned by the Soldovia Tribe's native corporation.  Our room was painted in a dark teal color with light wooded furniture. A layout similar to the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria, the large bathroom contained a deep soaking tub.

After more than 3,000 miles, the Camry was due for a bath and an oil change. While waiting for the oil change, I engaged in an activity typical of someone out from the bush -- I shopped! Where to go first? Very exciting! After navigating the car wash, the shiny Camry felt like a new car as I zoomed back to the hotel to pick up Rick for dinner.

We went to the Moose's Tooth Restaurant for dinner. A local hangout, this brewpub is famous for its pizza. Enjoying some long-sought over pizza, we had our fill and headed back to the hotel where I am now completing the final post for this trip. With Star Wars: The Phantom Menace playing on tv and sitting in a comfortable chair, we ended our journey. Wednesday morning I will return to Kotzebue. Rick will follow on flight 153 that night.

Even though we took a more relaxed approach to Anchorage in our final days, we still arrived within our scheduled date. While weather in late October can be quite unpredictable, we encountered very little weather-related hurdles to climb. The gorgeous country one would never see without traveling the Alaska Highway was enjoyed by us and those who read of our journey.

Though this journey is complete, the one of our lives in Kotzebue is still unfolding. This medium will be used for periodic postings of our life in a place thirty-three miles above the Arctic Circle. We return to this place with new experiences waiting to be shared. Until then, good bye dear family and friends.