Tuesday and we are back at the Anchorage airport. We left Homer today after watching the eagle feeding. We stopped at the Post Office on the way out and mailed some excess stuff home. (for the second time) This was to prevent our luggage from being over weight, and make it easier to manage. The trip back was pretty much just a scenic drive. We stopped for lunch at the Naptowne Diner, which was planning to close an hour after we got there. The waitress was less than enthused at our arrival. We ordered simple stuff, and were surprised by sandwiches arriving well made and on sturdy bread. As had become our custom, we sampled this establishment’s chili offering. It tasted pretty good, but needed salt badly, and had a taste Brenda didn’t like. (it also gave Jerry the indigestion later)
We stopped for gas in Soldotna and ran into one of my pet peeves. Jerry put his AMEX card in the pump, and started fueling. The pump cut off at $50 and wouldn’t give any more gas. I can’t believe these gas stations are so stupid they have not figured out if gas is $3.59 (what we paid today) then they need to raise the limits on the credit cards. As it was, that was enough gas for us so we went on. Actually it was their loss cause we would have bought more gas if it had let us.
We completed our trip back to Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm. It was interesting the difference in the view since it was low tide this trip. The tidal difference was incredible. There were huge mud flats, stacked with ice chunks, as far as you could see. When we got to anchorage, we looked up a craft shop we had been told about that resides in the Native American hospital. We found it but unfortunately it closed much earlier in the afternoon. We peeked through the windows, and were sad we were not able to be there when it was open. All the art was certified made by local Native American artists, and was beautiful.
After the craft shop we went to the Alaska Fur Trading Co. but it was also closed. Then we went to the Alaskan Blueberry Candy Co. This establishment has the notoriety of having the largest chocolate fountain in the world. It contains 3500 # of liquid chocolate, and is over 20 feet tall. It was out of service today. We got to see it, but all it did was look dirty. We shopped all over the store, which contained every possible Alaskan souvenir plus candy of all sorts.
After the Blueberry place, we stopped in at the Peanut Factory sports bar and grill. We wanted to kill a little time, check on the progress of the Iditarod, and partake of a few adult beverages. Turns out the Iditarod isn’t going to finish up till about 01:00 this morning. (about the time we’re taking off) We had our adult beverages, and headed out to the airport and returning the car.
As usual I was dreading the whole airport deal but it turned out to be reasonably benign this time. Since we were so early (8:00pm for an 01:00am flight) the Delta folks nicely took our checked baggage and relived us of the burden of keeping up with it. They told us the TSA folks didn’t open security till 10:15, so we sat down across from the Delta check in to wait.
While we were sitting there, I noticed a Mexican (un Native American) woman struggling through the door with a large suitcase. She parked the suitcase inside with a teenage girl to watch it. A little while later here she comes with a rental luggage cart loaded 3 high with HUGE suitcases. She also had a 30-ish woman with her and 2 small children. (oh and all the women were wearing SKIN-TIGHT black jeans.) Between them they had literally a mountain of luggage. I alerted my traveling companions, as this looked to be a developing show. The woman started working with the Delta guy, establishing her flying credentials. Then they started with the luggage. Every bag they put on the scale was overweight. Many of the bags were larger than the women. They sorted all the bags into two piles—those that were really over weight and those that were just heavy. Only two actually were under 50# a nd passed. Then the Delta guy gave them these huge plastic see through bags. They began yanking stuff out of the overweight bags and stuffing it into the plastic bags. They would randomly yank some stuff out and then re-weigh the bags until they passed. (all the while rambling in 300 mph Spanish) Meanwhile the two small children were running wild. They pushed all the parked wheelchairs to various parts of the terminal, climbed on all the furniture, and knocked down some signs. After the giant luggage reorganization had been accomplished, the women sealed and checked the overflow bags full of loose cloths. Then they turned and began moving the entire entourage to the TSA baggage screening area. In the process they almost turned over the overloaded baggage cart knocking down one of the stanchions for the guide rails. We are wondering what the randomly stuffed plastic bags will look like when they arrive at the other end. And we are hoping this circus doesn’t end up sitting all around us on the plane. (they are on our flight)
So we are going to catch a bite to eat, and get on the plane in about an hour. Hopefully we’ll be able to sleep our way to Salt Lake City. Amazingly the circus didn’t end at the baggage check in. It appeared to be our night for weird airplane stuff. We got up to the TSA security area, and they were closed. A sign proclaimed they would reopen at 10:15 pm. At 10:22, the doors opened and the crazy Mexican entourage headed into security. Amazingly, they didn’t have great problems. We also had a surprisingly pleasant trip through the TSA Gestapo. I attributed it to the fact we were in the first 10 groups through and they were still fresh and in a good mood. After security, we hustled down to our gate to secure a seat. Delta still goes out of the old part of the Anchorage airport, and seating in the waiting areas is limited. Also, the only sustenance available was from a snack shop se rving only cinibonns and hotdogs. We partook of the offered fare, and settled in to wait for our flight.
In a while we heard this screaming baby. Unfortunately the only seats left were beside us. This nice old black man came and sat down with this poor terrified baby screaming at the top of its lungs. The only remedy he seemed to know was beating the kid on its back vigorously. Vickie ever the mama offered advice, suggesting the baby was hungry. The reply was grandmamma fed it twice before we left. So the girls worked very hard to restrain themselves and not get involved. Not so for some poor unfortunate woman up by the ticket counter. The last we saw as we were preparing to board was this poor woman rocking the banshee and the old black man frantically dialing the cell phone for advice. Apparently (based on the quiet on the flight) they didn’t let him on the plane. Obviously something was up with this whole picture. The poor old black fellow seemed obviously not to know anything a bout infants and was traveling alone with one. I can only hope everything worked out for the best.
We boarded the plane and got settled on what was once again a slap full flight. I think the days of having a seat beside you empty are gone forever. With some chemical inducement, Vickie drifted off to dreamland before we even took off. I was very relaxed, but never managed to sleep except for a few snatches. We arrived in Salt Lake City, and had about time enough to walk from one plane to the other. (probably due to the extensive de-icing we had to undergo in Anchorage) I was able to grab a little food from a shop while Vickie negotiated our place in line. After 5+ hrs on the Anchorage plane, it was great to finally sit down on the plane from Salt Lake City to Atlanta. (Yeah right) Luckily Vickie went right back to sleep after eating what I had brought her. I struggled and squirmed my way through another flight. Apparently I had chosen two of the seats on the plane with 2-3 inc hes of LESS knee room due to the onboard defibulator being behind us. Luckily everyone was sleeping, and I got up and wandered around a little. I was able to stand in the back with the aircrew for a while and restore the circulation to my legs. Boy do I hate flying, but then at least it is only measured in hours and not days or weeks.
We arrived home in Raleigh, (via Atlanta where the whole world was passing through) and ransomed our car from the long-term lot. What a sweet deal for them---we’ll let you leave your car here and you pay us money. Occasionally we’ll repaint the lines on the parking lot. (but don’t complain or we’ll raise the rates) We loaded our luggage and headed for home. All in all it had been an astounding trip. I have vowed I’m going back in the wintertime and make the drive up the old pipeline haul road to the North Slope. I want to see Barrow and Prudhoe Bay in the winter. We are so very blessed to have the resources to see the interesting things we see. I now have a very different perspective on Alaska—Seward’s folly—we bought it from the Russians for less than it takes to run the Iraq war for an hour. (it is 52% as big as the continental Unite d States, AND has most of the oil left in the US) Let me recommend—summer or winter our most northern state is an undiscovered country, the last unspoiled wilderness in the US. Go and see it. (or better yet—don’t go—leave it alone) What a truly enlightening adventure this has been. Until the next time.
Wes
No comments:
Post a Comment