Alaska 2008: Anchorage, AK


Alaska 2008
Anchorage, AK
13 July 2008
Local Map General Information
Photographs and Commentary Click on pictures to enlarge
Rain this morning so we sat around the trailer until about 10:15 AM. When then drove downtown... we could have walked, but who wants to get caught in the rain. As it happened, it didn't rain the during the time we walked in town. We parked a few blocks from the Anchorage Visitors Center, built to look like a trappers cabin complete with a sod roof growing grass and flowers. When we were in Anchorage in 2005, one of the things that caught our attention was the salmon sculptures and I posted pictures of quite a few of them (click on 7/29 and 7/31). This year, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alaska's admission into the union, a new collection of salmon were created. All of the salmon have statehood or state related themes. After we took pictures of some of the salmon sculptures, we walked to the Saturday/Sunday Market. We walked around the market and looked at some of the products and then headed back to the campground since Susie was going to meet her friend Michelle Coburn at a knitting store, just south of downtown. Michelle was teaching a class and Susie participated as a student. While Susie was knitting, I was getting some service done on the truck and doing some shopping. We had a wonderful evening at the home of Michelle and Bret Coburn. Susie "met" Michelle, owner of Rabbit Ridge Designs, over the phone while ordering wool from her. They had developed a friendship over this past winter and spring so when Michelle learned that we were coming to Anchorage, she invited us to dinner. Another couple, Franny and Dave, friends of the Coburns, also joined us for dinner. Dave is a retired professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alaska-Anchorage and is a wood worker. Dave has designed several of the "machines" that Michelle uses in her wool business. The Coburns live in the southern part of Anchorage on a hill overlooking Cook Inlet. The view tonight was obscured by low hanging clouds. Bret told me that on a clear day they can see Mount McKinley. Michelle and Bret have six Alpacas on the property and shear them for wool. The Alpacas are guarded by a Great Pyrenees dog and when the dog is off-duty they are protected by an electrified fence. The protection is needed because the property abuts the Chugach State Park which has Grizzly and Black Bears as well as other predators that would like to make a meal of the Alpacas. We want to thank Michelle and Bret for their wonderful hospitality.
The Anchorage Visitors Center. One of the things that we found fascinating on our last trip were the flowers all over the downtown area. They hang from lamp posts and arranged in flower beds in front of both public and commercial buildings.
Wild Salmon
Alaska 50 Years Young by Collette Fry	A Natural Beauty at 50 by Judy Vars
Canned Salmon by Chris Arend	Gillden Anniversary by Cheryl Lacey
Gold Fish by Erica Miller	Goldust Streams by The Artisans of ARC
Kings of Statehood by Linda Lucky
An Evening at the Coburns

Views of Cook Inlet from the Coburn's deck. As you can see it was overcast and the mountains on the other side of the inlet were obscured.
Alpaca feeding time	Paco, the "alpha male," checking out Sam
Dye room	Windasaurus, a skein winding machine designed by Dave
Michelle in her wool closet	Clockwise from left, Michelle, Dave, Franny and Susie discussing wool
Seen on the Road
These gulls really look like they are frightened by the plastic owl. You see these owls everywhere and they are usually surrounded by gulls and pigeons.	Alaska will grant a driver's license to just about anyone. The only requirement is that your paws reach the pedals.

Previous Day	Next Day

Rain this morning so we sat around the trailer until about 10:15 AM. When then drove downtown... we could have walked, but who wants to get caught in the rain. As it happened, it didn't rain the during the time we walked in town. We parked a few blocks from the Anchorage Visitors Center, built to look like a trappers cabin complete with a sod roof growing grass and flowers. When we were in Anchorage in 2005, one of the things that caught our attention was the salmon sculptures and I posted pictures of quite a few of them (click on 7/29 and 7/31). This year, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alaska's admission into the union, a new collection of salmon were created. All of the salmon have statehood or state related themes.

After we took pictures of some of the salmon sculptures, we walked to the Saturday/Sunday Market. We walked around the market and looked at some of the products and then headed back to the campground since Susie was going to meet her friend Michelle Coburn at a knitting store, just south of downtown. Michelle was teaching a class and Susie participated as a student. While Susie was knitting, I was getting some service done on the truck and doing some shopping.

We had a wonderful evening at the home of Michelle and Bret Coburn. Susie "met" Michelle, owner of Rabbit Ridge Designs, over the phone while ordering wool from her. They had developed a friendship over this past winter and spring so when Michelle learned that we were coming to Anchorage, she invited us to dinner. Another couple, Franny and Dave, friends of the Coburns, also joined us for dinner. Dave is a retired professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alaska-Anchorage and is a wood worker. Dave has designed several of the "machines" that Michelle uses in her wool business. The Coburns live in the southern part of Anchorage on a hill overlooking Cook Inlet. The view tonight was obscured by low hanging clouds. Bret told me that on a clear day they can see Mount McKinley. Michelle and Bret have six Alpacas on the property and shear them for wool. The Alpacas are guarded by a Great Pyrenees dog and when the dog is off-duty they are protected by an electrified fence. The protection is needed because the property abuts the Chugach State Park which has Grizzly and Black Bears as well as other predators that would like to make a meal of the Alpacas. We want to thank Michelle and Bret for their wonderful hospitality.