Maple Syrup

Every year our neighbors down the way make upwards around 90 gallons of maple syrup. I didn't realize the around the clock attention that cooking syrup requires. Their entire family works together taking shifts so that they can continue cooking the syrup through the night. Depending on the season, they can collect sap and make syrup for 2 to 6 weeks.

They use fire to cook the maple syrup, and they use these doors to help control the heat. If the fire gets too hot the syrup can boil over.


The sap when it comes from the tree look as clear as water.

As the syrup cooks down, more sap is continually added.




There is a gauge on the outside of the pan that tells how thick the syrup is. When the gauge gets to a certain point then they know it is time to draw off the finished syrup.
We got to taste some of the syrup. It was oh so good! I think tonight we'll eat pancakes for supper with maple syrup & we'll read the book "Pancakes for Supper" by Anne Isaacs.

Alaska: day 5

Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK

We spent the night at Alyeska Resort. In the morning we woke up and it was snowing. It had snowed all night and it snowed all day long. We rented some snowshoes and went out on Winner Creek Trail.

{looking up at the snow falling}

In the afternoon we rode their tram up to the top of the mountain to eat at Seven Glaciers.

It was a yummy birthday celebration.

Alaska: day 4

Fur Rondy

This weekend was the start of Fur Rondy in Anchorage, AK. It's a time when hunters and trappers from all over Alaska can come and sell their fur, hides and horns. It also takes place in the time leading up to the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.Today there was a fur auction. The locals new some of the villagers helping with the auction, so this was one of the first things we did.

They also had an Alaska Native Tribal Gathering where we could see people dressed in their traditional costume and watch their dances.

There was so much heritage in the song and dance. It was really beautiful to watch. It actually brought me to tears to watch them dance.
Later we went back to the fur auction to bid on some furs.
Today was the coldest day yet at 11 degrees. It was a lot of fun standing around and seeing everyone in their furs. However, unless you had fur to wear, it was VERY cold.
Tonight we are driving back to Girdwood to stay the night at Alyeska.

Alaska: day 3

This morning we got up, layered up, and took off for the day. We wanted to try to reach Exit Glacier in Seward, AK. The drive took 3 hrs, but the time flew by. I had my eyes fixed on the windows look at the scenery.

{The Road to Seward}

We stopped a couple of times to park on the side of the road and take pictures.

I thought I would stand on this tall snow bank for a picture. My leg went straight through the snow, up over my knee. I was stuck. The locals wanted to stand and laugh as I struggled instead of helping me up. I'm sure it was a funny sight.

The road to Exit glacier was closed off 6 miles before the glacier, so we had to hike the rest of the way in. We didn't really want to hike the entire 6 miles to get there, so we just enjoyed the hike for awhile & then turned around to head back.

Then we got back into the car to drive into Seward.
We looked at the town a bit and had lunch. There wasn't really anything to do there in the winter, so we decided to go on to Whittier, Ak.

The only road leading into Whittier goes through a tunnel that is shared with the train. We had to wait for 20 min. until it was safe for traffic to use the tunnel.
We decided to feed the birds that were flying around by the tunnel.
This is a mocking bird.

And this is a raven

This is the tunnel we were waiting at.

This is Whittier. I'm sure the village is a lot of fun in the summer. There is a glacier here that we could see. In the summer you are able to take wildlife cruses, and rent kayaks to go out to the glacier.
We had a lot of fun driving around and seeing the sights. The mountains were beautiful and inspiring. We laughed a lot!

Alaska: day 2

{Sending a kiss to my little cubs}

We got dumped on this morning. It snowed at least 5" overnight. We couldn't see a thing and driving was CRAZY. The locals (mom & Brenda) said it was bad even for AK. We stayed close to home and did all the touristy shops. Everyone is getting ready for the big Fur Rondy this weekend. I'll write more about that on Sunday.
Tomorrow will be an adventure! I'll tell you all about it.

Alaska: day 1

After traveling for 15 hrs, I finally arrived in Anchorage, AK at 6:30 pm (10:30 IN time)
I pretty much got to my mom's house and dropped into bed.
Today we got up early to go dog sledding.

This is Shadow. She was really excited to get out there. She kept howling & howling.

We went on a 3 mile run that lasted about 20 min. It was a blast. I loved taking off with the dogs, and watching how well they worked together as a team.
After dog sledding, Mom & Brenda took me around town to show me some of their favorite places. We went up to Arctic Valley to look down over Anchorage (the first picture). Later we went to Balooga Point to watch the sun set.

My mom and I

Alaska in Winter

My mom has been living in Alaska for almost 2 years now. She loves it up there. I have never been there, so for my 30 birthday, mom gave me an airline ticket to come visit her!
I'm one of those people who enjoy winter, cold weather, and snow, so the idea of visiting Alaska in the winter sounds like a great adventure to me.
I leave on Tuesday. I'll be documenting the trip here, so make sure to stop by to get a taste of Alaska in the winter!