Hallo Bay’s Arthritis Bear Finds a Home in Virginia

Wednesday, 1 December

Several weeks ago, I came home to a surprise.  There was a tube mailer propped up against the garage door.  I hadn’t ordered anything; nor had Mui (not to my knowledge, at least), so what could it be?

Imagine my delight when I opened the tube to find a canvas print of the Hallo Bay bear that we had dubbed “Arthritis Bear” because he seemed to have some difficulty walking.

Welcome to Virginia Arthritis Bear!

The print is a thank you from Captain Lee of the Single Star.  Shortly after we returned from our bear viewing trip on the Single Star, Lee had asked if he could use some of my photographs for promotional purposes.  It was my pleasure to share my images and I told him to take his pick; Arthritis Bear made the cut.

From my desk, I get to see Arthritis Bear all day.

There was no question in my mind that I’d be framing the print.  Where to hang it was the dilemma.  In the end, I decided to take it to my office at work so I could visit with Arthritis Bear all day long!  Considering the long hours I’ve been putting in recently, I’m glad he’s been there to keep me company.

Photo op with my buddy!

Lee has a 120 x 96 inch (3 x 2½ meter) print of the photograph for the Single Star booth.  Arthritis Bear has already been to one travel show; I understand he was very popular with the kids.  Next, he’ll be traveling to London, England.

Not every bear can say that he’s an international traveler!

Thank You, Kim

Monday, 6 September

I can’t wrap up our Alaska trip posts without one last entry.  This one is a tribute to Kim for the homemade jam she gave us when we returned to Kodiak after our bear trip to the Katmai Peninsula.

Homemade jam from handpicked blueberries; Doesn't get any better.

Thanks, Kim!

Frogg Toggs

Sunday, 29 August

About midway into our first day in Kodiak, one thing became very clear to us — our rain jackets just weren’t going to hold up well in Kodiak’s soggy weather. Bulky though they are, we should have taken the parkas we were gifted by Quark on our Antarctica voyage. Too late for that.

We considered re-spraying the jackets as a quick fix, but voted down that idea pretty quickly and moved on to plan B. After talking to a couple of locals, we headed off to check out Cy’s Sporting Goods. After all, with a motto like “Come naked and we’ll outfit you!!!” how could they fail to have the right rain jackets for us.

We both fell in love with the bright-orange, paper-thin, ultra-waterproof Grundens slickers that Cy showed us. But there was a problem; the sleeves reached almost to my knees. OK, that’s an exaggeration, but the sleeves were way too long. And, they didn’t have Mui’s size in stock.

I have to admit that we were quite perplexed by the next brand that Cy showed us. The Frogg Toggs jackets looked like they were made of paper; durable tyvek paper, but paper nonetheless. “It’s breathable and it’s 100% waterproof,” Cy commented as he helped me on with a cherry-purple jacket. Seeing the incredulity on our faces, he went on to tell us that many of the Kodiak fishermen used this brand to stay dry on the high seas.

Figuring we could return the Frogg Toggs for something else if they didn’t hold up after a wet day of exploring the island, we decided to purchase them. But, the cherry-purple color was really, really, really ugly. “Find me a model in black, and you’ve got a deal,” I said.

And guess what? We stayed dry! Not just in Kodiak, but also on the skiff rides to and from shore on the Katmai Peninsula, as well as during our soggy last day in Anchorage. The DriPore technology, described as having “pores 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet” really worked. Word to the wise — buy one size larger if you plan to wear warm layers under the jacket; I felt (and looked) a bit like the Pillsbury Dough Girl (taking artistic license here) in the medium size I bought.

Waders and Frogg Toggs … the latest in bear-watching attire!
(a photo op with “arthritis bear” at hallo bay, katmai peninsula)
[photo courtesy of lindsay]

Frogg Toggs gets two thumbs up from these two intrepid bear watchers!

Back in the Lower 48

Sunday, 29 August

Almost a day late! Not us; we arrived on schedule yesterday, but it took our luggage another 23 hours to catch up to us. We’ve had more trouble with our luggage since the airlines started charging for the privilege of checking bags. What’s up with that?

Now that our bags are here, it’s time to wrap up our Alaska trip. So let’s go back in time a bit to yesterday.

After a very noisy night — I mean like the street party was in our room noisy — it was actually a relief to get out of bed at 5:00a. I honestly don’t know how Mui was able to sleep through the cacophony that sort of diminished around 2:00a. And that happened only because several police cars came around with sirens blaring to break up the party crowd that had spilled out on to the sidewalk when they ran out of room inside the bar across the street. It was only then that I dozed off into a restless sleep. It’s a shame that our stay at the Historic Anchorage Hotel had to end on a sour note as we otherwise enjoyed our stay there; especially the convenience of its location.

We left the hotel around 6:00a, drove to the airport, dropped off the car, wound our way through the terminal, handed over our checked bags to Alaska Airlines, and went through security. All without mishap. We even managed to get exit row seats at no cost. The airport was quiet with only a few of the gate areas filled with passengers leaving on early morning flights.

By the time we strolled the deserted concourses to stretch our legs and picked up something to eat on the 5½ hour flight to Chicago, it was time to board our aircraft. With everyone settled into their seats pretty quickly, the flight attendants entertained us with a humorous safety demonstration that actually held the attention of the passengers. By 8:25a Flight 130 was in the air, winging its way to Chicago.

Our time in the air passed in the blink of an eye. I read while Mui napped in the seat next to me. The next thing we knew, we were landing on schedule at Chicago O’Hare. We had just about an hour to make it from where we deplaned — Concourse L in Terminal 3 — to our United Airlines departure gate in Terminal 1. As anyone who has had to navigate through O’Hare will attest, we had some major hoofing to do to reach our gate. Even then, I couldn’t resist making one short stop along the way to snap a few pictures of Chicago cityscapes exhibited on the windows of one of the corridors.

We arrived at Gate C17 with just enough time to treat ourselves to a couple of ice cream cones before boarding the aircraft and settling into our exit row seats (we had to pay for the seats this time, but they were worth it). UA 990 was wheels up at 6:45p for the 1½ hour flight to Washington’s Dulles International.

In the old days, a one-hour layover would have been sufficient time for luggage to be transferred from one aircraft to another. Not anymore; especially not if it involves two different airlines at two different terminals. Though we were disappointed when our bags didn’t show up on the baggage carousel, we weren’t surprised. We processed our claim through the automated kiosk and left Dulles for the ½-hour ride home.

The silver lining to our travel woes … United Airlines has sent me an e-certificate worth 20% off the next flight we take with them. I’m sure we’ll put it to good use sometime in the next 12 months. But it won’t be to go back to Alaska … our next trip to that grand state will be in our “rolling condo on wheels.” Can’t wait for that day to come around!

Video: A Gold Mine ... Musk Oxen ... Spirit Houses ... and Heritage

26-27 August

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Friday, 27 August

Our bags are packed; online check-in is completed and boarding passes are printed. In other words, we’re all set to head back home tomorrow. And, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re ready to go home.

I’m the vacation planner in our household. Usually, I leave the last day of any trip as a slow, go with the flow kind of day. I didn’t do that this time and that proved to be a mistake. I think our two weeks of being on the go non-stop caught up to us today. We should have just taken it easy; instead we went to a place that proved to be just a bit overwhelming. I’m sure the gloomy weather was also a factor in our funky mood, but still …

The forecasters were right on the money when they said to expect rain. The wet stuff fell throughout the day, see-sawing between light mists, drizzles, and downpours. After breakfast at the Downtown Deli and Cafe, we drove to the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) whose stated mission is “Sharing, perpetuating and preserving the unique Alaska Native cultures, languages, traditions and values through celebration and education.” (Click the image above to visit the ANHC website.)

Layout of the ANHC.
[scanned from the brochure]

The ANHC was nearly deserted when we arrived. We were greeted by a friendly Athabascan woman who encouraged us to hustle over to the Gathering Place, to watch the performance that was about to start. The first part of the show was a series of Yup’ik dances. The performers consisted of a drummer/singer and three dancers that told the story with the movements of their arms, bodies and sometimes facial expressions. Next came a story teller (who seemed less than prepared to be on stage), and a demonstration of native games designed to improve power, balance, and focus. Though it was all interesting, I somehow got the sense that it was the “B Team” that was on hand to entertain visitors today.

The dancers use fans (tegumiaks) as extensions of their hands.

(I’ll post Mui’s video footage of the performance when he finishes editing it. In the meantime, click here if you’d like to see the “Funny Seal” dance.)

After the show, we decided to take advantage of what looked to be clearing weather and went outside to tour the traditional village sites set up around a small lake. We were wrong about the weather, but that didn’t stop us from visiting the five village sites that represent the 11 native cultures of Alaska. (Rather than clumsily summarize what the native guide at each site told us, I’m going to link back to the ANHC site; click those links if you’d like more information about a specific group.)

Athabascan Village site …

Log Cabin and Cache
in colder areas, the cabins are sunk 2-5 feet (½-1½ m) into the ground,
but in areas with milder climate, the cabins are built above ground.

our guide tells us about the items in the cabin, including the
moose heart bladder and the birch bark basket hanging on the wall.

beautiful beadwork turns footwear into pieces of art.

Yup’ik & Cup’ik Village site …

The Qasgiq is both the men's house as well as the community center.
the post and beam driftwood structure is covered with grass and sod.
bearded seal or walrus intestine provides a removable
skylight window.

we learn about the features of a traditional drum.

male dancers use fans made out of feathers or wood.

Inupiaq & St Lawrence Island Yupik Village site …

this is the tourist entrance; and

… this is the traditional entrance into a Qargi.
to trap the cold outside, The entrance into a winter house is a long
tunnel built below the level of the living area.
(the long black articles on either side are baleen)

The arch is made from the lower jawbone of a bowhead whale.
(for perspective, i’m 5’2” (~1½ m) tall)

Unangax & Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) Village site …

The Ulax/Ciqlluaq (Long House) is a semi-subterranean structure
large enough to house four or more families.

Left: The traditional entrance is down a notched ladder through
the smoke hole.
right: an elaborate dance mask.

Excavations on the Aleutian Chain show that the Unangax (Aleuts)
hunted a variety of whales, including the gray whale.

Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, & Tsimshian Village site …

Clan House (L) and Carving Shed (R)
this clan house is the only one in the world where totem poles from
the four cultures can be found in one place.
(they were carved on site and erected just days before we visited)

Eyak (L) and Tlingit (R) totem poles

Haida (L) and Tsimshian (R) totem poles

If the rain was a factor in our enjoyment of the village sites, the crowds were a factor in our enjoyment of the museum itself. By the time we had completed our tour of the village sites, three busloads of visitors had descended on the ANHC. After a quick peek at the items on display, we escaped to the deserted theater where we watched an interesting documentary on the construction of traditional kayaks.

Left: Heehaaye (tanana athabascan: medium or speaking spirit)
right: Beaded moose hide vest & spiral headdress (deg Xit’an athabascan)

Beaded Moose Hide Cape (deg Xit’an athabascan)

After the documentary was over, we decided not to brave the crowds in the museum. Instead, we headed back to the hotel to get our packing out of the way. That done, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the room … for me that meant blogging; for Mui, it meant surfing the news channels. By the time we headed out for our 7:00p dinner reservation (made through Open Table once again), our mood had improved considerably and we were raring to go.

This time we went somewhere new for us — Sack’s Cafe (recommended by our waiter at Glacier Brewhouse; he didn’t steer us wrong). The contemporary American restaurant had the right combination of casual and chic dining atmosphere for our last night in town. (Located on G Street, between 3rd and 4th West.)

Sack's Cafe

The food was as good as advertised — grilled king salmon for me (served with a deconstructed spring roll, Asian vegetables, soy maple glaze, jasmine rice, wasabi aioli, chili oil); pan seared, panko-crusted halibut for Mui (served with black beans, rice, lime and coconut croquette, asparagus, harissa and warm tomatillo salsa). The portions were reasonable enough that we decided not to split dessert — mango sorbet for me and a fresh berry brûlée for Mui.

Grilled king salmon (L) and pan-seared halibut (R) for dinner.

And that wraps our day. I had hoped to get to bed early, but the street noise tonight has kept me up (even with the ear plugs). Wish I had Mui’s talent to doze off even in the face of such noise pollution. At least I got this post written!

Anchorage: Murals & More

Thursday, 26 August: Part IV

It was 5:00p by the time we were back in Anchorage. Our plan was to go directly to the hotel to rest up a bit, but when we lucked into a parking spot near Resolution Park (300 L St) we couldn’t resist making a short detour. From the platform overlooking Knik Arm and Cook Inlet, we checked out the haze-veiled views for a while and reminisced about how we’d been able to see the tip of Mt McKinley from here in 2001. Not so lucky this time; but we did see “Sleeping Lady” on the far side of the inlet.

Mt Susitna (Sleeping Lady) from Resolution Park.
[filter processed using Photoshop]

Why Sleeping Lady? Well, the shape of the mountain does resemble a woman lying down, her hair streaming out behind her, doesn’t it? There’s even a folk story to back up the name; here’s one version I came across on our previous visit to Alaska:

This folk story begins by introducing a clan of peace-loving giants who lived in the Cook Inlet area many years ago. Among these giants were a young man (Nekatla) and woman (Susitna) who were soon to be married. Before they could exchange their wedding vows, however, a band of warriors moved into the area. These warriors were so threatening that the peace-loving giants had to go to war to protect their home and their way of life. The men gathered together and went off to fight the invading warriors, while the women and children stayed behind and waited for the men to return.

Growing weary, Susitna fell asleep while waiting for Nekatla’s return. When word came to the village that Nekatla had fallen, the women could not bring themselves to wake Susitna. Instead, they wove a blanket of grass and wildflowers to cover her sleeping form. As years passed, Susitna became frozen in time, lying with her hair spread behind her and her hands across her chest, each season covering her with a blanket of different color.

It’s said that should the world ever be at peace, Nekatla will return to awaken his “Sleeping Lady.”

Mui’s parking luck held after we left the park and we managed to snag one of the three spots in front of the hotel when we stopped to drop off our stuff in the room. Feeding the meter for the 15 minutes we needed to pay for until 6:00p, we went for a meandering walk around town to while away the spare hour we had before our dinner reservation (made last night using the online booking site, Open Table).

We checked out some painted murals …

Murals signed “ziggy.”

Mural for tea lovers.

Detail from the Wyland Whaling Wall.

… (here’s one from 2001) …

history in the making

… stopped to look at the historic photo murals adorning the façade of the now-defunct 4th Avenue Theater …

… did some window shopping (no; didn't buy anything) …

Left: Stylish …
Right: If you’re in any doubt as to where you are …

… chuckled at some of the items on display in front of the stores …

... and rested for a bit on a bench in the warm “evening” sunshine.

Left: Reading up on Anchorage.
right: dc and tromso (norway) are an ocean apart from the east coast,
but they’re almost equidistant from Anchorage!

Eventually, we arrived at the Glacier Brewhouse, a restaurant that was just as bustling tonight as it was in 2001. (On 5th Avenue, between G and H streets.) Though we were 15 minutes early for our reservation, we were seated immediately. Ordering a couple of ice-cold house “blonds” (no jokes please, you know what I mean), we perused the menu, which was filled with numerous tasty-sounding dishes. In the end, we both ordered Caesar salads to start, and followed up with fresh-caught, grilled king salmon served on a bed of mashed potatoes. We wrapped up our meal with a bread pudding in a delicious sauce laced with Yukon Jack — hmm, hmm, good!

A tasty meal brings our day to a close.

We weren’t quite ready to call it a day when we left the restaurant, so we took the long way back to the hotel, stopping to smell the flowers along the way.

Anchorage bills itself as the “Hanging Basket Capital” of the world.

Tomorrow is the last day of our trip. Forecasters are calling for a cool day with overcast and rain. It would be nice if they are wrong, but so be it if they are not. We really can’t complain since Alaska’s infamously fickle weather has been good to us for most of our trip; not many can say that.