ALASKA OR BUST

Like many people, I am becoming increasingly claustrophobic amid continually updated travel restrictions. While I absolutely love staying home, nearly a year spent (more or less) self-quarantining can be a bit much.  Aside from Mask Wearing, Social Distancing, and the endless faucet-supply of anti-bacterial hand wash, my family and I are ready to get back out and explore. For a while we have been planning the idea of a trip to Alaska. I have three grown children. The oldest is married, and the other two are college graduates beginning to carve their path in the reality of adulting. The need for a family vacation is strong! The thought of making arrangements, and paying for them (even just deposits) is daunting, if not downright scary!
Working hard for our money, the thought of paying for airfare when flights might get perpetually grounded and blocking out a week’s stay at an Airbnb when a town is closed down due to the Corona-virus makes planning out a trip rather frightening. So what is a family that wants to vacation together to do?
I figured, why not go ahead and at least make the plans? A relatively agreeable traipse, we all unanimously decided that Disney might be a little over done. Although there is nothing wrong with the Mouse and his kingdom, we decided something a bit different, a bit extreme, a little more exotic a trip might be the best when breaking away from our homes is finally allowed. First place that came to mind was Alaska.
Growing up, I always thought of Alaska as I thought of Russia’s Siberia. I couldn’t help but imagine frozen wasteland, with whipping wind that immediately caused frostbite to any bit of exposed flesh. The last five or six years, however, I have been watching shows like The Last Alaskans, Life Below Zero, and Alaskan Bush People. Not only have these television series changed my view of Alaska, they have made me want nothing more than to visit!
Okay, I am no survivalist. My family and I have no intention of being airplane-dropped in the center of the state away from any and all civilization, but the idea of sighting a humpback whale breach the water surface, staring all night as the dancing green lights of the Aurora Borealis light an otherwise star-filled sky, and hiking along winding trails with breathtaking mountains on either side -- doesn’t just draw me, it calls out to me in an almost insistent and purely primitive way!

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

So it seems my take on comparing Alaska with Siberia is not that far fetched, as Russia maintained a presence in Alaska up through 1867. At that point, a purchase agreement was brokered, and for about $7.2 million, the United States took over the land. Although it wasn’t until 1912 that Alaska officially became a U.S. territory. It was in the 1930s through the 50s, after the Alaska Railroad was completed, that the territory flourished. The U.S. military helped spur the growth spurt. In the 1940s the Elmford Air Base and the Army’s Fort Richardson were established. In 1968, Prudhoe Bay altered the focus from military to oil. All the while, the area backdrop are the Chugach Mountains, giving the land a constant postcard-perfect quality.

Black and Grizzly bears are often sighted within the city limits. Moose, mountain goats, Dall sheep, timber wolves are also common. The moose can be a bit intimidating. They are prone to charge, and every once in a while a person is trampled to death by the giant animals.

Thinking Alaska it is near impossible not picturing an almost bleak, gunmetal grey snow and ice day in and day out. However, average summertime temperatures range between 55 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and average winter daytime hours pass between 5 and 30 degrees. Average snowfall for Anchorage is 75 inches. In Rochester, NY, where I live, we average around 77 inches of snow. Our average winter low is between 15 and 45 degrees. Regardless of coastal position, it is clearly a comparison that is not too different once you look at the actual numbers.

The family plan is to visit Anchorage in mid September. This means we would be looking at temperatures fluctuating around the 50 degree point. Not too shabby, and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind it a little colder for the trip. (Bundling up seems like part of the experience. 50’s is T-shirt weather for me).

ANCHORAGE OFFERS MORE THAN SNOW

Anchorage has more than enough to do to please any visitor lucky enough to drop in for an extended stay! They have plenty for the lovers of the arts, including the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, the Anchorage Concert Association, which brings 20 to 30 events to the community annually (under normal, non-pandemic times). There is the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, and the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum -- to name but a few.

As exciting as the arts are, and can be, the point of our family outing is to be outside. I am anxious to hike trails. I found a site for “a paved trail that follows the Anchorage waterfront coastline from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Chalet at Kincaid Park 11 miles south.” The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail touts plenty of wildlife and wilderness, and indicates for the most part, the trail is flat with some hills. Part of the trail takes adventurers through what is known as Earthquake Park. It is something of an historical location, documenting the horrific earthquake that rocked the area in 1964. Alaska actually has around 100 earthquakes per day. Some easily felt, but most happen below ground where seismology machines pick up the vibrations. Sounds ideal for a starting-out hike experience without worrying too much about traversing dense elevated terrain (like I always see on every one of the “bush” shows I watch).

Spending a day within Kincaid Park also sounds like an adventure. The park is “forested with birch, cottonwood, and spruce. Wildlife includes moose, lynx, bear, fox, eagles, porcupines, and owls.”  In my older age, 50 this past June, I have become what I like to refer to as “more outdoorsy.” I caught a kayak, joined a softball team, hiked trails, and spent a weekend in October tent camping. These are things I had never done before, and now as I look back on the year, I wonder why I waited. I am hoping to cast a line fishing in Kincaid’s Little Campbell Lake (would love to ice-fish but with planning a trip for mid-September it is not likely the lake will be iced over), and capturing endless Instagram-able photographs of the surrounding nature and wildlife.

Major Marine Tours, Salmon Berry Tours, and Phillips Cruises and Tours are just a few Anchorage companies that offer whale watching excursions, take visitors on dashing dog sled runs, get you Titanic-close to glaciers (what, too soon?), and promise to park you at an ideal spot where you can witness the shimmering lights of the Aurora Borealis.

GEOLOGY

In the last year or so I have also begun a personal journey for continued education. I bought college Geology books from Amazon, and have started learning all I can about our earth. I have been studying things as basic as the different types of rocks to earthquakes and tsunamis. I have books on archeology digs, and dinosaur bones discoveries to one of my favorite topics, volcanoes!

North of the Gulf of Alaska is Cook Inlet. This 180 mile long body of water surrounds the area of Anchorage. Aside from whales, and glaciers, and wildlife, Alaska has something I have been dying to see. Alaska has more than 40 active volcanoes. The Cook Inlet region contains many of these geological phenomena. It is often referred to as the Cook Inlet’s Ring of Fire. Included in this popular Ring of Fire are Mt. Augustine, Mt. Redoubt, Mt. Illiamna and Mt. Douglas. The peaks have glaciers, and there is wildlife all around.

Mt. Augustine “is a stratovolcano consisting of a central complex of summit lava domes and flows surrounded by an apron of pyroclastic, lahar, avalanche, and ash deposits. The volcano is frequently active, with major eruptions in 1883, 1935, 1963-64, 1976, 1986, and 2006.” This alone is reason enough for me to want to get up close and personal. I would love an opportunity to explore the rim (and take home a lava rock or two as a souvenir).

PUTTING THE TRIP TOGETHER

When people think of a vacation, some of the first thoughts are:

1. Airfare,
2. Car rental,
3. Food, and
4. Lodging.

I have done hotels to death. From family vacations when I was child, to family vacations where I am the parent. Don’t get me wrong, hotels are great. Accommodating.  I just don’t want to do them anymore. Besides, the new thing is Airbnbs. It has become what Uber and Lyft are to taxis. A reliable and affordable alternative.  With my kids, we can rent an entire house with a ton of bedrooms and beds for half the cost of two queen-size beds and one bathroom in a chain hotel.

I am not going to even discuss airfare right now. We all know the deal. The minute you find the best flight, the greatest rate, someone will undoubtedly point you to a better flight and a cheaper rate. It’s a crap shoot. I wish you all, and myself, luck booking at the right time!

For me, car rental is essential. I don’t mind paying a few hundred to have a car at my disposal for a week while on vacation. Time is limited enough as it. Wasting ten to fifteen minutes here and there while waiting on an ordered ride is … well, wasteful.

That brings us to the most important part of any worthwhile trip. Food.

WHAT TO EAT

I think it goes without saying. If I am in Alaska I want crabs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Otherwise, it would be like visiting Maine and having a Caesar Salad instead of Lobster at every meal. Am I right, or am I right? What I like about the Bridge Seafood Restaurant menu is an all-you-can-eat Tanner Crab option. (My question to them? Is there a time limit, lol). They also off King Crab, steak, salmon, chicken, and something called the AK Mac & Cheese -- which consists of “smoked salmon, reindeer sausage, toasted bread crumbs.” I might be down for a bowl of that, as well!

Orso’s Executive Chef, Ricky Griffin, might be California born, but he claims to be “Alaskan at heart.” His menu for fine dining boasts appetizers of calamari, flash seared crab cakes, and crispy ravioli, to name a few. I don’t think I need to mention the menu includes Bering Sea King Crab Legs, but it does. Like Bridge’s, Orso’s also offers a unique take on Mac & Cheese. They call it Baked Seafood Mac & Cheese, prepared with fresh fusilli pasta (eh-oh, oh-eh), rich lobster cream, white cheddar, fontina, pacific shrimp, dungeness and red crab, bacon (one more time, BACON), bread crumbs and a truffle oil. Hungry yet? Man, I am.

Then there is 49th State Brewing. Seems like a perfect place for some home-brewed drinks and bar food. Founded in 2010, the restaurant prides itself on using local Alaskan ingredients. With smoked wings, chicken nachos and pot roast poutine for “starters,” I know I am going to have to take it easy if there is any chance for me to keep at eating. Last thing I want to do is fill up without having tried the Elk Lasagna, or the pound and a half serving of Bering Sea Red King Crab!

WRAP IT UP, I”LL TAKE IT

The pandemic has stomach-punched the world. 2020 has been nothing short of a nightmare for many. The idea of a vacation may seem more like a pipe dream than a possible reality. As the father of amazing grown kids, I refuse to just stay locked in my home. Alone (with my dog) forever. Or even for much longer.

As of right now, I have every intention of dragging my family across the continent. We are going to make it to Alaska next year for a well-needed vacation. Above is something of a mock-itinerary. If the pandemic has taught me anything these last eleven months, it is that being rigid is pointless. Flexibility is so much better. I can go-with-the-flow without worrying so much about snapping!

I will let you in on one other (mental health saving) secret: Planning a vacation for next year is also quite therapeutic. It insists on placing a proverbial light at the end of the extended long, and dark tunnel. As the year starts wrapping up, I wish all of you a wonderful, happy, healthy, and safe 2021! (Do me a favor. Subscribe to my blog. And even better, in the comments, let me know your plans for a 2021 getaway)

Take care,
Phillip Tomasso III