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We hiked our last day at Denali National Park.
We ate blueberries from the bushes along the path.
Baby Frantz liked that.

Bluest blueberries you'll find in the U.S. - yum!

Today is our last day in Alaska. 

We fly out at 8 p.m. tonight from Fairbanks and arrive in Indianapolis Sunday morning.
It's been a blessing of a trip. Thanks for sharing in a little portion of it with us!

Denali: 'The Great One'

Wednesday we took the Alaskan Rail Road from Anchorage to the Denali National Park. 

It was another scenic trip. 

A time to relax. 

I took too many pictures of Denali (Mt. McKinley). 

We hiked in the Denali National Park, and will be leaving tonight for Fairbanks. 

Our plane will fly out Saturday evening. 

Our first sight of Denali. It hid behind clouds, its head peaking out (upper left hand corner).

Clearer views of Denali

Just looking at the mountain makes me want to climb it.

While at the lodge I came across a LIFE magazine article from 1945 written on mountaineering. 

I love the old-style writing from the 40s and 50s, and had to write down this quote, which so perfectly describes one of the reasons I love being around mountain peaks.

"That men have climbed the Matterhorn and McKinley, Aconcagua and Nanda Devi - and that they will eventually climb Everest itself - means little. That they should climb them and try to climb them means everything. For it is the ultimate wisdom of the mountains that a man is never more a man than when he is striving for what is beyond his grasp and that there is no conquest worth the winning save that over his own weakness and ignorance and fear." 

Being surrounded by majestic peaks brings more than just strong feelings of wanting to conquer the lofty heights. As I look at them I also am able to grasp the power of the Lord we serve. If I can feel so awe-inspired simply looking at something He created, I can somehow begin to grasp how splendid is His holy presence. 

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth."

Psalm 121:1-2

Seldovia: Fishing Excursion

Halibut fishing is an experience...

...especially for a 7-month-pregnant woman and her husband. 

Eric and I woke early for a hefty breakfast of blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs served by the bed and breakfast run by a husband and wife team, Dave and Peggy. 

Peggy, an energetic lady who loves the Lord, cooks amazing food and Dave, a competitive fisherman with a goofy grin, is captain of their boat, Peggy 'n' Me. 

We set off on the seas around 7 a.m. 

Our fishing companions included a Montana rancher and his two grown daughters. 

They had lively personalities and kept us laughing during the hour trip to our fishing spot. 

The waters were "a bit lumpy" that morning, according to Dave. 

That just meant the waves kept the boat rocking once we settled down and set the anchor. 

We set up fishing reels, and were just about to begin fishing. 

Then the topsy-turvy motion of the boat got the better of my stomach. 

I ran to the edge of the boat and gave my breakfast over to the fish. 

This happened three times before Eric finally forced me to take motion sickness meds. 

For the rest of the day I didn't eat or drink anything, just to avoid getting sick again. 

 Once we settled into fishing I brought in two 25- to 30-pound Halibut. 

Eric caught two 40-pounders.  Woohoo!

To finish off the day I threw up once more.

Once back to shore I drank two 7Ups and nibbled on a sandwich.

Needless to say, Eric and I felt thoroughly exhausted. 

We were not only tired and hungry, but our face were burnt a deep red.

I would definitely do it again though. What a great experience! 

Eric's 40-pound Halibut and me holding my 7Up

From Left to Right: Capt. Dave, Rachel, Sarah, Don, Eric, and Katy with all our Halibut

With both my fish I had someone help me pull them in. That's how much upper body strength this city girl has....not much. Capt. Dave helped with the first one and I tried my best with the last one, but called for Eric's help. I obviously have a lot to learn about how to properly reel in a 25-pound Halibut.

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.