Alaska, Day 1

Today we began our Backroads Tour.  There are 11 people in our group and two guides.  We met at the hotel at 10:00 am, did introductions, then went out back to get fitted to our bikes.  We had already emailed our preferences (upright or drop handlebars, toe clips, etc.), so very few adjustments had to be made.  But we all pedaled around the sidewalks a little to get the feel for our bicycles (which were already equipped with bags for our stuff and filled water bottles).  While we were getting ready, the guides set up a snack table.  It had things like Ziploc bags, M&Ms, raisins, peanuts, dried fruit, cliff bars, pocket packs of tissues, and so on.  The guides said that sometimes people jokingly call the company “Snackroads.”  I can see why.  I feel very well taken care of.

We rode 15 miles along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, mostly by the water and at times through a dense forest.  Beautiful.  It was cool and cloudy, but the sun came out for a while.  I had to strip down to a short-sleeve shirt for much of the time.

And to top it all off, we saw a moose right at the end of the ride!  He was very close to the edge of the trail.  This first shot is with my regular lens (no zoom):

When we arrived at the final destination, there was a huge picnic lunch spread waiting for us (olive bread, olive oil, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, cheese, crackers, pasta salad, green salad, brownies, and on and on . . .  I think we will be very well fed this trip.

Then we had a 2 ½ hour drive (in a 15-passenger van with bikes on top and a luggage trailer behind) to Seward.  Long drive, but the scenery was beautiful, and it was a good chance to get to know some of the other people in our group.  This is a picture through the van window, but it gives you some idea of how gorgeous the entire drive was:

Welcome reception this evening, then a fabulous dinner.  Tomorrow, glacier hiking!!

Seattle/Anchorage

In the evening of our second day in Seattle, we restaurant-hopped - just had drinks and appetizers at a couple of different places.  Post Alley was a nice area.  Then we went to see Harry Potter.  Yes, I know that's not how most people would choose to spend their time in Seattle, but we were kid-free and not paying a sitter, and it just seemed like the thing to do.

The next morning, we rode the monorail to the Seattle Center and visited the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.  Then we caught our afternoon flight and arrived in Anchorage before 5pm.  Our hotel was over-the-top stereotypical Alaska:

And it backed up to Lake Hood, the world's biggest seaplane base.  John and I jogged around there in the evening.
The next morning, we met our Backroads group in the hotel lobby . . . (next post)

Seattle

John and I are on an adventure, while our kids are having "Texas Summer Camp" with the grandparents.

The adventure begins in Seattle.  Here is Pike Place Market.  We arrived while the vendors were setting up.  We haven't seen anyone throwing fish (I guess we were too early for that), but it was cool to see the hustle and bustle of everyone getting ready.

The flowers are amazing.  Huge, beautiful, and inexpensive.  If I lived here, I think I would buy myself fresh bouquets all the time.

These crawdads are even bigger than the ones in our pond.


I am intrigued by  the inflatable red Indian (or First Person) on somebody's balcony.




The Seattle Aquarium is very nice.  Not huge, but very nice exhibits.






We had lunch on Pier 54 at Ivar's (fish and chips) and fed some of the leftovers to the gulls.  They're even better at catching tossed fries than most dogs.

skiing Lake Waco

My aunt and uncle, Paula and Jerry, took us out on their boat two evenings while we were in Waco.  The kids had never been on a speed boat and felt a bit of trepidation at first.  By the end of the second evening, though, they were each tubing by themselves and constantly giving us the thumbs up sign for "faster".

My parents are in the back, and Jerry and Paula are in front of them.  This was a stop to look at the eagles' nest on the edge of the lake.



I had not been skiing in years, but it came back to me and was so much fun!!!!




Jerry let Campbell drive a little, and someone decided he needed a beer in his hand to complete the picture.