Days 16-18

On Day 16 we decided to head into downtown Anchorage and do some touristy-gift-shop-shopping. It's funny because I don't really feel like a tourist, although technically I am, but I know I'm not a local here. I'm not from here in a lived-there-all-my-life sense, but I did live here for nine years so I think that even when I come back to visit that qualifies me for my own special status somewhere in between the two.

But I can still do some souvenir shopping with the best of them. Haha.

John and I didn't buy too much, we just got a couple of small things for the boys and then took notes of things we might want. It was a little early in the trip to commit to spending much money when we had so many other places to go and things to see. I think we'll probably head back downtown sometime before we leave.

We did have coffee at Kobuk Coffee, where Alison got mugs for us from last time she was up here alone. It was delicious!

Day 17 we went to the Anchorage Market. It was fun--there were a lot of handmade things there--but we just didn't find as much as last time. I was most bummed about not finding the handmade dog ropes/leashes that we didn't get last time and then regretted. I think I'm going to have to google and see if the person who made them sells them up here anywhere...The boys had been angelic shopping the day before, so I should have known better than to take them on this day. That's all we will say about that. Haha.

Lunch on day 17 was a reindeer sausage dog. Mmmmmmmm. So was lunch on Day 16. They sell them from a hotdog cart, topped with onions cooked in coke and they are delicious.

On the afternoon of Day 17 I went to the ten year reunion of the class I was part of my sophomore year. While I didn't graduate from Heritage Christian, I really enjoyed my time there and the people, so I was super excited to be included in the reunion. It was fun to catch up with people, hear about their lives, and just fun listening to everyone too.

On Day 18 John, the boys and I went to church at an Alliance church here in Anchorage. It was amazing to sit together and learn from the same sermon. I don't remember the last time we went to church together...Nope, I just paused to think about it and still don't remember. John is definitely called into ministry as a pastor, and I know that, but it was really neat to get to be encouraged spiritually together this morning. The sermon was about faith, and leaning into faith (we liked that phrase he used) instead of your doubt, like the father of the demon possessed boy in Mark who said told Jesus that he believed and asked Him to help his unbelief.

Such a good reminder.

After church John and I got coffee at Kaladi Brothers, a local place. It was possibly the best mocha I've ever had--it's tied with a little place on the Kenai peninsula that I plan to visit tomorrow. I told John I don't want to spend all our money on silly things like snacks (you know, like chips and silly snacks like that we can get at home), but spending it on coffee is different. That's an experience.

When we got back to the Krafts' house we ate a quick lunch and then headed out to the Glen Alps trailhead, which is where you hike Flat Top Mountain too, and hiked around the powerline trail there.

The powerline trail is one of my favorites (am I saying that about everything yet?) because there are a decent number of people hiking and biking on it (so less bear worry), but it's the wilderness, just ten minutes from town. I love that about Anchorage. You can drive twenty minutes and see the best production of The Nutcracker ever and be all cultured, or you can drive twenty minutes and be lost forever and possibly eaten by bears. Okay, ignore the bear part. But it's the best of both worlds. I finally figured out I'm not really a country girl or a city girl. I'm an Anchorage girl.

While we were hiking we did some geocaching, which was really fun. Mark Kraft geocaches so he was letting us search for caches with him. I think we should try to get into that when we get home--it's a fun "extra" thing to do when you're hiking.

We looked up at one point and noticed a thick white cloud hanging between two mountains. Mark decided we needed to head back, which was a good idea because the temperature dropped right about then and I really thought we were going to get soaked.

By the time we were back at the trailhead the weather was still okay so we hiked up the bottom of Flat Top a little, just to the start of the Blueberry Loop trail (which is barely not the bottom) and at that point decided we could go ahead and head back because dinner was waiting for us.

Dinner. Oh, dinner.

Tonight we had bread (like we do every night. Mmmmm.), spinach salad, broccoli, and roasted potatoes.

Sounds good already right?

AND HALIBUT AND KING CRAB.

Halibut. And King Crab. In one meal.

I love Alaska.

Dinner was delicious.

After we finished eating John put the boys to bed and I came back inside to finish up this blog and possibly have some coffee...