ANCHORAGE
Another of the same at our hotel's
buffet breakfast. We take the hotel's free shuttle to be dropped off at the visitor center. From here we will spend most of the day in the downtown area.
First we catch the free shuttle from the visitor center over to the
Alaska Native Heritage Center. I buy the
Culture Pass for both of us at $29.95 pp. This gives us admission to the
Anchorage Museum also. This place has so much to see and do. We easily spend 3 hours here but I could have spent a few more. First we watch dancing and accompanying music. Then there's a demonstration of games the tribes play. There are lots of inside exhibits and artisans working on their crafts which are for sale. Very interesting. Then we take the guided tour around outside to all the exhibits. There is much to see. I learned so much from this tour. I highly recommend this rather than walking around on your own. It was extremely informative.
 |
| Music and dance |
 |
| Games |
 |
| Native crafts for sale |
 |
| Native lady at work |
 |
| Lake Tiulana |
 |
Us by the whale skeleton
|
We take the shuttle over to the
Anchorage Museum. They have lockers here for your backpacks which are free. They discourage taking them with you. I do take my camera. There's a baseball exhibit. Then there's exhibits of all the different tribes. I try to take some pictures but with the low lighting and no use of flash they don't turn out very good. There's also some areas where no pictures are allowed and there's an employee to make sure that rule isn't broken. There is also a Discovery Center which is geared towards kids. I much preferred the Ak. Native Heritage Center.
 |
Shuttle to the Anchorage Museum
|
 |
| Baseball exhibit |
 |
| No pictures allowed in the Captain Cook exhibit |
 |
Photography exhibit with some really awesome pictures
|
Then the shuttle returns us to the downtown visitor center. I use our cell phone to call
Alaska Wild Berry Products. They are supposed to offer a free shuttle to their store but I'm told they no longer offer that. Darn! I need to take a taxi which will cost me $15 one way. I wish I had known as I would have done this yesterday when we had the car and today I would have done the Ulu Knife Factory which does offer a free pick up from the visitor center! Lesson learned. Check things out beforehand!! Finally arrive to AWBP store. No tours to watch the candy makers at work as it's the weekend! Another bummer. Oh well I do buy lots of fudge-so many varieties-all looking yummy. Then I buy several boxes of the milk/dark chocolate covered wild berry jelly centers. Names like fireweed, gooseberry, salmonberries, rose hip, moss berries, high-bush cranberries. More usual names-blackberries, black currant, blueberries, raspberries, red currant, rhubarb, strawberries. I wish I had room in my suitcase for double the 4 boxes I will buy! I also buy a small jug of birch beer syrup, souvenir T shirt for my grandson, Alaska baseball caps. Then it's outside to look at the neat things around the store. A taxi-another $15-back to the visitor center.
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Huge chocolate fountain |
 |
Tons of items for sale and the glass partition into the candy kitchen
|
 |
| How it's made |
 |
| Rock Man |
 |
| Lots of outside exhibits |
Back at the visitor center we walk around taking in the sights.
Dinner will be at the
HARD ROCK CAFE as it's an easy walk. I didn't intend to do a dinner here but then I remembered that we always had a meal at the HR on other trips-Athens, Sharm el Sheik in Egypt, Bangkok, etc. Richard has the original legendary burger with a side salad and I have my usual order of the little rock burger with cheddar cheese and a side of fries. Just as good as all the other HR places!! Bill ?? A quick stop at the HR store where we purchase 3 T shirts $40. Walk back to the visitor center, call the hotel shuttle, wait and just sit/people watch. Back to the hotel for our last night. I haven't seen the lake so we take a stroll through the doors by the breakfast/lounging area. There are tables outside. Nice plants and flowers. A short walk to the
lake and as soon as we arrive lots of ducks come paddling over. Richard says maybe it's because lots of guests feed the ducks. Too bad ducks. I have no food for you. I make arrangements with the front desk for our shuttle tomorrow to the airport for our flight to
Fairbanks.
 |
| Richard hamming it up |
 |
| Waiting to go on the trolley city tour |
 |
| Dinner |
 |
| Appetizer!! |
 |
| Richard's legendary original burger with side salad |
 |
| My little rock burger with cheddar cheese and a side of fries |
 |
| Looking for a handout from us?? |
 |
| Outside tables |
 |
| Inside breakfast area |
 |
| Computers available |
Tomorrow it's Fairbanks with the Gold Dredge #8 tour, U of Ak. Museum of the North, and the Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling Company which is America's most northern brewery.
No comments:
Post a Comment