Way Up North - Our Life in Alaska

12/3/14

Our Last 2 Months in Alaska - Part 7 - Goodbyes are so hard

All too soon it seems, it was time to leave. Our 4 years in Alaska just flew by. So many memories and so many wonderful people - I was torn between wanting to stay in Fairbanks and wanting to be closer to the Grandchildren in Idaho.

Since we were staying in extended stay, I watched them tearing down the Castle restaurant. It had been bought by Walgreens so they could tear it down and put up a new store. It was sad as we had eaten a fairly decent dinner there in August 1999 on our first trip to Alaska.

On May 15th, I picked up MP and her cousin and we went to a movie. Afterward, we drove over to North Pole for a visit to the Santa Claus house.

Santa wasn't in so the girls sat in his big chair.

We bought a few trinkets and then had to get back to Fairbanks. The girls had to go to a family party to celebrate their cousin Daggo's graduation. (Daggo is Gwich'n for ptarmigan.)

John was at a retirement dinner at the Turtle Club (wives weren't invited). So I went to Creamer's Field to meet up with sisters from Fairbanks 6th ward to hike to Wander Lake.

We got to see a muskrat swimming across the lake.

And the sun gave off an eery glow as we approached the end of the walk.

Mating dance of the sandhill crane. By the end of summer, the cranes will be moving in groups of 3, Mom, Dad and baby crane.

I am definitely going to miss MP, her cousin and the wonderful people in the Fairbanks 6th ward.

7/26/14

Our Last 2 Months in Alaska - Part 6 - 7 more days

On May 11th (Mother's Day), I made a stop by Creamer's Field and then I went to church.

After changing I went to the Alaska Bowl company to buy a small bowl - with lowbush cranberries painted around the outside. John was over at the storage unit so I went over to help him finish up going through things and take him some locks. We decided we had everything ready to go. That evening John took me downtown to Lavelle's Bistro for dinner - it wasn't as good as we remembered it being 4 years ago when we moved up.

Over the next few days, I watched them tearing down The Castle restaurant. It had been closed prior to us moving to Fairbanks but I remember that we had dinner there on our first visit to Fairbanks in 1999.

When it had been sold, I had thought they were going to reopen it but it turns out that it was bought by Walgreens and their plan was to demolish it and build a drug store. Very sad.

On May 15th, as soon as I got off work, I picked up Monica and her cousin Jasmine and we went to the movie. Then we took a drive to North Pole to the Santa Claus House.

Santa wasn't there so I got some pictures of the girls in his chair.

I dropped them off at Lathrop High School, gave them each a big hug and told them to take care of each other. So fitting to drop Monica off in the same location that I had picked her up so many times over the past 3 years.

John was having dinner with some guys from work so I went to Creamer's field to meet some sisters from Fairbanks 6th ward Relief Society to walk to Wander Lake.

I am really going to miss these wonderful ladies.

And back to the extended stay for the last night.

Our Last 2 Months in Alaska - Part 5 - Extended Stay Living and Last Trip to Denali

When I got back to Fairbanks, we stayed in the wonderful Extended Stay Hotel. This was the extent of the room. It had a tiny stove that had about enough power to fry bacon and eggs but other than that it was pretty worthless which meant 2 meals a day we ate out. John was still working so he got up early and went to work. I grabbed my computer and spent part of the day sitting on the bed working and part of the day working from the ugly brown recliner - both were equally uncomfortable.

On May 10th, we drove down to Denali Park for the last time as Alaska residents. Sadly it was cloudy and we were unable to see the mountain but since it wasn't officially summer yet, we were able to drive 30 miles into the park.