80s to Teens - LA to Anchorage

Sunday was in the 80s, even at Venice beach.  In this picture it was almost 5pm and was still warm with a lot of people on the beach - some even going into the chilly (55˚F -14˚C) ocean.

People were paying $9 to park their cars at 5pm to see the sunset.  The traffic was backed up for blocks.  The sort of situation when those of us on bikes feel a little smug.  The picture is from the Venice Beach parking lot at the end of Rose right at the Venice Boardwalk.  You can see the shadows are getting long as the sun is getting low.

In addition to the traffic, the gas prices were high.  (We saw $4.09 as we drove home from the airport in Anchorage.) I took this picture from the bus stop Monday (still warm but with clouds) as we waited for the afternoon bus to the airport.  (Yes, you can take the bus, but apparently you can't walk into the LA airport.)

And while there is free wifi in the Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco airports, I couldn't find it in LAX.

Lincoln and Rose

When we got to the airport, the good news was that we had been bumped up into first class.  I mentioned when we went down to LA that we had flown so much last year that we got MVP cards.  This MVP card has more benefits than I realized.  I didn't do anything, they just changed our seats. It also gets us on the plane earlier and gets us into a shorter security line. I'm not a hierarchical person - I don't like it when people are given status that suggests some people are better than others - because most such divisions tend to be superficial or even bogus.  And I don't see why people who have more money or fly more should get to cut in the security line.  Security is required by the US government and money shouldn't give you privilege for required government functions.  But that's a post of its own one day, maybe. 

On the connecting flight to Anchorage they put us in the exit row so we had lots of leg room.  And we checked in some baggage which we don't normally do.   But our 10:20 pm flight left about 40 minutes late and when you're due in at 1am, that gets to be a long day.  Then when we arrived we had to wait for a plane to be de-iced before we could get to the terminal.  Here we are sitting, waiting for 10 minutes, with a bit of snow still coming down. 

One reason we've checked in baggage - other than we were gone 5 weeks and had 2 bags each free check in with the MVP (and as others mentioned last time with the Alaska Club that any Alaskan can join free), is Alaska's 20 minute baggage guarantee. In the past we've waited for an hour for our luggage. Well, it was clearly more than 20 minutes this morning - and it was now 2:30am Anchorage time, 3:30am Pacific time - so I asked the baggage folks and they gave me the coupon for $20 off our next flight (or 2000 miles) that they offer if your baggage is over 20 minutes in coming.  While they apologized over the loudspeakers about the slow luggage, they didn't tell people to come get their coupons.  It does pay to read. 

Then there were no taxis outside.  Another 10 minutes until enough showed up to handle everyone.  And we were home at 3am or so. 

I've got a lunch meeting today, the garage door wasn't working when we got home, and the internet wasn't either. (The Internet I've obviously solved.)  So we have lots of catch up to do after our long absence.  Now I've got to shovel the driveway.  But yes, it's good to be home.

Seattle to LA - Clouds, Snow, Sun, Olifactory Seeing, Clear LA

One more trip to the airport.  First we took the ferry into Seattle.  It was raining this morning when we walked over to M's place.  But by the time we were headed to the ferry the sun was out.  We walked from the island into Seattle - around and around the ferry.  But on the water and in the wind, we were reminded why a jacket was still a good idea.

I still hate the TSA charade, but as an older white male who doesn't yet have any metal parts, it was relatively painless.  I guess I'm like the frog where the water temperature goes up slowly so you don't notice you're starting to boil.  I don't deny there are fanatics out there who might like to blow up a plane, but the way they check for that person is overkill.  We tolerate much higher death risks (autos, guns, no health insurance, etc.) with far less protection, but the symbolism of a plane coming down makes us spend way too much money and wastes way too much of our time.  Of course if you're a 1 per center, you can just take a private jet and by-pass it all. 

Soon we were in the clouds again, but on the sunny side.

We bought some yakisoba at the Waji's in SEATAC and I had Cutting to Stone with me.  I'd bought it nearly a year ago, but had put it down for other reading.  So it was just as we were passing over that I noticed we were right on top of Mt. St. Helens.



Crater Lake was glowing in the sun's reflection.  But the photos weren't good enough to put up.  But you could see the bowl holding the lake and an island.


Eventually we were in Southern California with the ocean mirroring the sun and wispy clouds gauzing the mountains.

The Channel Islands came into view.  (Thanks nswfm for confirming this on an previous trip.)  The picture is even more dramatic than the real thing.  To keep the sun's reflection from washing everything out, the rest of the picture had to be darker than it really was.  It was still pretty spectacular. 

I figure getting to see the earth from the air is one of the benefits of flying.  I understand that most people prefer the aisle, but that's a small benefit compared to this incredible view of the earth's geography. 

It was about that time I read about Shiva and Genet and Marion were playing Blind Man's Bluff on the Missing Hospital grounds in Addis Ababa.  Marion and Shiva discover their sense of smell.

I'm still amazed that I can be flying over the Western United States and be in Ethiopia at the same time.

 

As we made the slow turn into LA, Santa Catalina Island was relatively clear out in the distance.   And below me was LA's south beach coastline.

We turned in over LA south of the airport and then looped back to the north and around south of downtown.  It was an amazingly clear day.

Downtown Los Angeles

People often ask how we could move from LA to Anchorage and when I say there are similarities, they can't imagine what I'm talking about.  But both have salt water on one side and mountains on the other. 

If you click on this photo you can see the Hollywood sign on the closest mountains on the left.  You can't quite read it, but it's the white horizontal line on the top of the hills.  My little Canon Powerpoint surprises me when it gets pictures like this.  But then LA surprises me when it offers a day like this.  For those of you who don't know LA - we're looking north.  Downtown's buildings are on the right.  The first range of hills is the Hollywood Hills.  The Griffith Park is there with the observatory and the zoo.  Hollywood is at the foot of the hills.  Between the hills and the next range is "The Valley."  The ocean is off to the left.  Pasadena is north and a bit east of downtown.

And then we were on the ground.  This new construction made me think about how old this airport is.  The basic structures were up in the 1960's.  For high school graduation I went with a group of friends for dinner at the restaurant on the flying saucer like building in the center.  [I like different music, but the current restaurant's website music fits a science fiction movie rather than a fancy restaurant.] And now, the long tiled tunnels to baggage seem pretty bare compared to the many airports that have been built since then.  It looks like LA is now working on looking like all the other airports.   This is when I realize I better look this up.  Here's a bit of what I found on the LAX website:

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar development program for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The centerpiece of the program is the Bradley West Project which includes new gate and concourse areas at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).  LAWA also recently completed a $737 million renovation of TBIT that upgraded the facility with a new in-line baggage screening system and interior improvements to enhance service and convenience to the passengers and tenants who use LAX's premier international terminal.  The TBIT renovation incorporated sustainable design and construction guidelines developed by LAWA and the facility is more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly as a result.  LAWA’s commitment to sustainable development and the environment was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council which awarded its prestigious Silver LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Existing Building) Certification which is the first-ever for a renovation project at a U.S. airport.

There was a tour for media about the construction on Tuesday.  Here's the news release link.

Because I had to take a suit along for the wedding in Portland and we had some bulky gifts and because we flew enough last year to get MVP for this year - we decided to check in two pieces. On the up side, Alaska Airlines 20 minute baggage pledge meant the luggage was out after we took pit stops and checked on which bus to catch.  The on the down side  only one of our suitcases was there.

I saw one similar to J's but it was bigger and had pink yarn on the handle. The baggage person said everything was out. When she asked the color I pointed to the one that was like it. She got it. Looked up the passenger and said, "They had three bags." There wasn't much left, so the odds were that they had picked up the wrong suitcase, because one of theirs was still here. She found their cell phone number and within ten minutes we were exchanging suitcases at curbside.

Then we got on our bus and I snapped this sunset shot before getting to our stop.  And soon we were having dinner with my mom. 

Watching Eagle Harrassed by Ravens and Magpies While Running

I've been rationalizing that shoveling the driveway has been my exercise since October 30 and we've had measurable snow about every three days since then (at least that's how I remember it.)  But shoveling isn't running.  Today I cleared the snow that had accumulated on the deck.  Did some indoor tasks and the sun came out which got me itching to run.  It's a little colder than I like (10˚F or -12˚C), but I thought I should go at least on a short run.  I forgot how good it feels to run outside, even in the cold. 

I also got to see ravens and magpies ganging up on a bald eagle.

The raven is on the right above the eagle

The bald eagle, alone

And now a magpie (left) comes over to keep an eye on the eagle (right)

The sun was already covered again by the clouds at 2:30.  Official sunset was at 3:48pm - we gained, according to the newspaper, 1 minute and 27 seconds of sun over yesterday.  That may not seem like much, but at that rate, it's ten minutes in a week, and the amount we gain is increasing daily.  And for those of you wondering about sunrise - it was officially 10:15am. 

I know the photos aren't very good, I was running.  And my pocket canon powershot doesn't do distance well.  But I'm just documenting here what I saw. 

Sunrise Sunset

We left Anchorage at 6:30am.  You can tell it's September already and nearing equinox - it's not that light yet.

After a stop in Seattle, we headed east.  I'm not sure where we were, but it was 4:45pm Anchorage time - 7:45 or 8:45pm where we were. 

Anchorage Behaves for Guests

A squirrel* on the Winter Creek trail

We took some visitors to dinner last night at the Double Musky in Girdwood. The cloudiness was clearing up as we drove to Girdwood, stopped at the restaurant to put our names on the list and checked the wait time.


 *everything I could find through google suggests it's a red squirrel, but I'm not certain. 

Sated exit from Double Musky

We had 45 minutes to wander the area around the Prince Hotel and get back. A dinner that brought approving comments from our guests

and then a drive home into 11pm setting sun.  The picture just doesn't do justice to the water color quality of the water and sky.

And a short stop to watch the terns at Potter Marsh.

Denali was out and clear was we made our way home. (I was driving, no pictures.)

Flying to the Light - From Seattle to Anchorage

One trip experience I particularly enjoy is flying in summer from Seattle at night to Anchorage.   Since our flight left at 9:05pm Saturday, it wasn't quite dark when we took off, but the sun had set and it was nearing dark.

 We flew south out of Seatac then circled back over Puget Sound as the sun had gone down it was getting dark.

 Then around and up past Bainbridge Island.

 And for my Nanaimo readers, I took this shot as we went by the southern end of Vancouver Island.

 A little more than an hour into the flight, the sun appeared again over the horizon.

 Passing over a Prince William Sound Glacier.

 And 20 minutes before landing we passed these mountains blocking the clouds.

And before looping over the MatSu and heading back into Anchorage, we got a good dose of sun with Foraker and Denali silhouetted on the horizon.  Foraker is on the left and Denali is the very faint pyramid just right of center.  It's slightly clearer if you double-click the image.

Despite all the clouds in the picture, it was mostly clear in Anchorage as we landed at 11:30pm.

Douglas Island, Treadwell Mine Trail

More from Sunday afternoon:

Dennis, a blog reader, had invited me to check the beach trail over on Douglas Island, across Gastineau channel from Juneau.  Dennis is a long time Juneau activist (curmudgeon according to some) whose grandfather came here to help set up the mines. I find him a great source of everything Juneau. He's a living guide book.
And he drives this taxi. For anyone who needs a taxi when they come to Juneau, he'll give you as much history of Juneau as you can handle with your ride.  And lots of tips on things to see.  (He objected to my taking a picture on Sunday before he gets the van washed Monday morning.  I thought it looked pretty good considering how slushy the roads are now.) 



Across the bridge, the trail to the historic Treadwell Mine starts from the south end of town at the end of the road.  A Juneau Empire article says:

At its height, the Treadwell Mine was the largest and most advanced gold mine in existence, employing approximately 2,000 men and women and producing $70 million worth of gold.

Today there are some old ruins and twisted metal visible.

Here's Dennis leading down to the water.

The trail winds down to the waterfront where there are signs of old docks.  The sun was gone on the Douglas side, but still on the tops of the mountains south of Juneau.

And then back along the beach past the old salt water pump.

There's a big log chime on the beach.

To keep up the history tour, we had dinner at the Island Pub. Dennis related how this place opened in the 1920's during Prohibition as a speakeasy.

Mike, the owner, brought in liquor from Canada via the Taku River.  Later it became a popular steak and shrimp restaurant.

Now, under new ownership it's a bar with it's own pizza ovens.

Both the walk along the Juneau waterfront earlier and this trip to Douglas were a nice break.  It was good to spend more time out of doors.  Legislators should be back from the Energy Council Conference in DC and the legislature will be back in session.

I've got a DELTA steering committee meeting this week and Thursday night I'm scheduled to fly home.  This is too long to be apart.

You Can Feel the February Sunshine

At least inside, the sun has a definite warmth when it touches you.  When I go downstairs every morning to spray the bamboo, bromeliads, and begonias, it's light earlier.  Sunrise today was 9:10 am  and it sets at 5:18 pm (the moon gets four more hours in the sky) for a total of eight hours eight minutes and 55 seconds.   But don't believe everything you read on the internet.  The Anchorage Daily News says sunrise today was 9:09 am (five minutes after their scheduled moonrise).   And when I went on line to get the ADN link, I found the online version gave yet another time for the sunrise. (Note, the ADN link goes to weather in general and probably changes from day to day.)  At least they all agree on sunset time.



I'm not sure how you calculate exact sunrise for a place with mountains to the east.

In any case, here are some pictures of my flock.  

 

Leftover LA Shots - Villa Brasil, Eucalyptus, Levi Store, DC-3, Cactus Flower

Hotel Villa Brasil on West Washington is delightful refuge in the city and there's a Brazilian restuarant with it.  And Leaf Organic is down the block.

Eucalyptus bark.

A used jeans shop on Pico near Gateway.

A gathering of clouds watch the sun set.

DC-3 memorial at Santa Monica airport.

Cactus Flowers