Sheep Mountain Lodge Palmer

... The guys had headed to the "Noisy Goose" for lunch. Jean and I jumped in the PT again to join the men for dessert. The guys had finished by the time we arrived at the restaurant, but Jean and I still ordered dessert. She got warm apple crisp with ice cream and I ordered a piece of coconut cream pie. The piece of pie that came to the table was the largest I have ever been served. The waitress must have known it is my favorite.

We packed ...

... the valley a constant challenge to farmers, but that seems to have been part of the attraction to those who remained.

Today, Palmer is the largest agricultural area in the state of Alaska. The Mar-Su Valley is a veritable 15,0000-acre vegetable garden. With daylight stretching to 19 hours and 21 minutes at the summer solstice, local farms turn out radishes the size of softballs and cabbages weighing as much as 90 pounds.

... went to Transportation & Industry Museum. Oh my, there were exhibits inside and out from locomotives, aircraft, fire engines, farm equipment, telephone exhibit, and all sort of Alaska historical memorabilia. Fred and Bill really enjoyed it. Some showers and mid 60's today. More later!

Probably the last beautiful day this fall I had a meeting in Palmer and could not resist driving farther ...

This morning we left Anchorage for our next stop, Chickaloon. Chickaloon, AK is just outside of Palmer, AK on the way to Valdez (our next stop for tomorrow). I won't say what we did for breakfast, because we have had some critical comments from some of our readers about how focused we are on food. But I will tell you we, except for woosey Ron :) :), had our first taste of reindeer sausage. And --- it didn ...

We actually woke up to blue skies in Seward this morning. Too bad we were leaving to start our drive to Valdez. Unfortunately the blue skies did not last long. We were just north of Seward when the gray skies appeared and grew heavier the farther north we went. By the time we reached Anchorage it was starting to rain. I did snap a ...

... Alaska Natives as the "native religion." This is true for many Dena'ina Athabaskans (the residents of Eklutna, and the Anchorage area before Western colonization and ...

... and paint and or make jewelry out of them. Dad I wish now that I had your old rock tumbler. May 31 - I did manage to have a cell phone signal for awhile today and got through to Chris. Checked on status of our mail and bills. Drove to Chitina did a little souvenir shopping before camping along a river again. This area of the river has fish wheels all along the banks and they say this may be the only place in the world that has ...

Palmer is also where the main highway eastward veers off, so I take that to Glenallen, before heading north again to Delta Junction. The next day is one long drive through the vastness and openness of Alaska. There's really nothing quite like it, and the idea that it’s all tundra and nothingness could not be farther from the truth. That part of Alaska ...

... I stop at Denali National Park along the way, but forego the actual entry, which consists pretty much of one long drive in and back. Then I stop at the little tourist trap of Talkeetna, which is nice enough, but I decide to press on to Palmer, where I spend the night. State fairs being what they are, it’s worth noting that Alaska grows HUGE vegetables, with all those ...