The Trip to Alaska

This morning I boarded the plane at 7 am bound for Alaska to attend a photo workshop in Denali Park.  My big-girl camera was packed in my camera bag so all of these images were made with my point and shoot. 

Totally full plane



Flying over Chicago where I transferred flights



The scene as we approached Anchorage

Flying over the outskirts of Anchorage

I thought I was well prepared to keep myself occupied on the plane.  It was a two hour flight to Chicago, then a 6 . 5 hour flight to Anchorage.  I had my electronic book loaded with a brand new book (House Rules by Jodi Picoult) and my recently charged ipod. 

Well, it was too noisy to listen to the ipod and the only way to watch movies/tv on the plane was to pay for it and for some reason I just didn't want to do that (pay) this time, and wouldn't you know it - - my e-reader battery died---aaarghhh!   So I spent some time working on the sudoko and crossword puzzles in the onflight magazine, and still had time to spare. 

In desperation I got out my point and shoot and started taking photos of my soda can.  Well that kept me busy for, hmmm, let's see, maybe about 15 minutes.  Fortunately by then we were pretty close, so I forced myself to sit still and do nothing - - which, for your information, is practically impossible for me to do successfully!

So we finally arrived.  My roommate was on the same plane, although in a different section of the plane, so we arranged for a shuttle to bring us to the hotel.  We checked in and unpacked - - kind of. 

This is where it gets really interesting because it's another one of those situations that would make you snicker if you read it in a novel.  Caleb (my baby who's been living in North Pole, AK for the past two years), just left for Florida two days ago. Good timing, huh?  North Pole is about an 8.5 hour drive from Anchorage.  It just so happened that Caleb's girlfriend is in Anchorage (she lives in Fairbanks, right next to North Pole) for a work situation and a wedding on Saturday.  Really!!!  what are the chances that she would be in Anchorage on the very weekend that I arrive?

Anyway, long story short, we were able to go out to dinner and play catch-up on getting to know one another.  It was awesome.

While looking for a place to park, I saw this license plate and told her she just had to stop so I could photograph it.  She did. I think she's a keeper . . .

After dinner we took the dog for a short walk around downtown Anchorage and I got a few more shots for the record.

Visitor's Center



Flowers at the Visitor's Center



Tori and Kashmir