Map of Our Travels

Our trip has kept us busy.

The past three days have consisted of church on Sunday in Anchorage, a long drive along the Alaskan coast, Halibut fishing, and finally getting back to Anchorage and taking the train to Denali State Park. 

It's been wonderful - though we have just been in need of some rest. We are now at a lodge on the fringes of the Denali State Park, resting and recuperating from our adventures so far.

Pictures to follow. Maybe this map will give you an idea of where exactly we've been on our trip.

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View Alaskan Travels in a larger map

Follow this link to view a larger version of my map: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=206965985692685855980.0004e280e870949cbd602&msa=0&ll=61.217379,-147.524414&spn=5.506253,18.984375   

The Drive to Anchorage: In Photos

The B&B we stayed at was a fairy tale of a place - charming and exquisite.

Flowers abounded everywhere! But we needed to head out for Anchorage.

A quick stop by a monument marking the end of the historical Alaskan Highway.

Our first glimpse of a snow-capped peak.

Many more mountain ranges to follow on our drive.

What you may see on a roadside stop along the Richardson Highway.

A not-so-hospitable diner along the road. We left quickly.

Leaving the Alaskan Mountain Range and entering a valley leading to lake country.

Stayed at Lake Louise Lodge Friday night to cut the 8-hour trip in half

More beautiful sights along the Glen Highway.

The Matanuska Glacier - off of Glen Highway.

The family-owned business only places traffic cones intermittently along the way as a path.

At this point on the glacier, proceed at your own risk.

Deep crevices in the ice

Beautiful landscape! Wish everyone could experience this!

Delta Junction: Farmers of Alaska

Overcast skies on our drive from Fairbanks to Delta Junction

 We had the neat opportunity to meet Alaskan farmers. 

Though they take their job seriously, they joke that farming in Alaska is a hobby (meaning you can't make much money off of it). 

One family, the Wrigley Family, has been in Alaska for about four generations. They used to have hogs, but because the only butcher in town began to charge them more than necessary they weren't able to make a profit.
As a result, they had killed off the herd. Now they grow barley and have their own flour mill. 

We heard countless stories of how people don't work together to get a product from the field to the market. Alaskan agriculture is struggling, at this point.

four-generations Alaskan farm family

 We met Phil, the extension agent for Delta Junction, and his family. They raise Yaks, and after having us for dinner they took us out to see the animals. 

Though not the most attractive living species, they were very docile and friendly.

Though I wouldn't want one.

Demitri - one of the Yaks that acted more like a dog than a large-hoofed beast. He circled our car huffing and puffing, basically begging for a pat on the nose.

Yak cow with her baby

Phil's home with a view

Clearing Land: A standard proceeding in Alaskan agriculture

 After supper we drove to The Garden Bed and Breakfast for a night. 

It's a quaint home owned by a couple who have lived in Alaska for about 30 years.

It's beautiful! 

 

It was really late when we got in so we were able to see what the Land of the Midnight Sun actually looks like at midnight. 

Alaskan Midnight

Travel and Arrival

We rushed to the airport yesterday and made both flights with time to spare. 

When we arrived to Fairbanks it was 11:30 p.m. in Indianapolis, but only 7:30 p.m. here. 

Needless to say, we were exhausted and hungry, but there were still many hours of daylight. Thankfully our hotel provided shades to shut out the light. 

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The hotel staff welcomed us to the modest Golden North Motel.

Biscotti, the owners' Golden Retriever curled up by the door when we walked into the main office

It wasn't much, but a place to settle in and rest

Where Our Travels Take Us

Point A: Fairbanks, Alaska 

Our landing point is Fairbanks, Alaska.

FACTS ABOUT FAIRBANKS:
- Second-largest city in Alaska
- Home to approximately 1/7 of Alaska's population
- The city is named in tribute to Charles Fairbanks, a Republican senator from Indiana. (Just thought I'd throw that out there)
- Weather changes are extreme with snow sometimes falling in the summer months. But for now it's in the mid-70s and sunny.

The Way We Roll

It's Tuesday night. 

We fly out tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. from Indianapolis, have a brief layover at O'Hare then journey on to Fairbanks, AK. 

One would think with our plans to leave tomorrow that Eric and I already had our bags packed and by the door. Perhaps maybe that we were even planning on tucking in early for the night. 

But that's not the way we roll. 

I kissed my husband, and sent him off to work for a night shift with Lifeline. He will be finalizing reservations with bed and breakfasts tonight (if he's not transferring a patient), and I will be packing bags, cleaning house, and putting together snacks for the trip. We'll hope he is home by around eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

That's not unusual - just a part of the Frantz lifestyle.

I will admit it can stress the part of me that refuses to procrastinate on projects. Yet there's the other part of me that enjoys the adventure and the flexibility that comes with not having a set plan. 

This trip has some gaps and holes we'll be filling in along the way - where we'll be staying, transportation, activities, etc.

But that's what makes it a vacation. 

We plan to relax and enjoy the ride. 

I hope you all can enjoy it along with us!

Alaska Bound

We plan to take a trip to Alaska soon!
Our hope is to meet up with local farmers and gain an understanding of how agriculture in Alaska works. We'll go see Denali - though probably not climb it with Baby Frantz on the way. Finally we plan to go Halibut and Salmon fishing. Anyone want fish when we come back? We're hoping to bring back two full 50 lb. suitcases.

Updates to follow.

Garden in the Green

A couple from our church helped us cut the sod

Last summer my hubby and I began a garden at our church. The plot of ground, we were told, was "virgin" soil, which meant it had never been tilled or planted. We discovered that meant we had to add nutrients of our own to an otherwise very hard clay soil. In addition to that, the summer was the hot and dry. Our 50-some tomato plants grew slow, everything struggled.

Each roll of sod weighed 15-50 pounds. No light job.

Finished garden, ready for planting

 

 Piles of sod moved. What an accomplishment!

This year has been different though. Rain poured down on the garden, and English peas, snow peas, Swiss chard, and radishes have grown abundantly. Now we're blanching and freezing - stocking up for an upcoming year in medical school.

 

Garden as of 2013

Below are pictures of the crops we have growing this year.

Brussel Sprouts - won't be ready until the fall

Carrots - if you look close you can tell that deer have been munching on them.

Corn

English Peas - so difficult to shell and blanch. Not my favorite plant to freeze, but very tasty.

Green Beans - will be ready soon!

In spite of bugs, they seem to be doing well.

Lettuce - we've been sharing, because we planted too much!

Peppers - will be great in salsa

Swiss Chard - what can I make with this strong-smelling cabbage?

All of our tomato and pepper plants

An up-and-coming tomato

Snow Peas - my absolute favorite greens