An Expedition to the Chugosh Mountains

We arrived quite late to the Roe House. They were very generous to have supper ready and the kids awake very late. It was really great to see everyone.

The next morning a hike to Flattop Mountain was the plan. Little did Doreen or I know that this is the profile of the hike:

But we were game!

After all, the kids were being carried up the mountain by their folks:

SO off we went.

It started off nice and easy. (Oh, I would usually have a Runkeeper profile here. But something when wrong with that technology. Sorry, you'll just have to believe me)

and we walked through some nice hemlock forests:

Beautiful views of the Cook Inlet:

and the Chugosh Mountains

Which we took in with our new binoculars!

The views got better as we got higher

and I was very impressed that Josienne and Jared could carry those kids up without tumbling down the mountain:

(looking where they may be tumbling)

(Great view of Anchorage)

We got to one of the saddles and took a well deserved water break.

and this is what we had to look forward to:

So we kept at it

 and kept at it

The views on the back side of the mountain was just as good as the front side:

and each time we came to a saddle we rested

We had a movie star with us.

and we kept going up!

This part of the trail was pretty good.

But it turned into scree at the top. This is where you had to use your hands. Climbing, not hiking.

But we summited!

 Fantastic views

 Excelsior!

A good day.

Quick post about Flying TO our Expedition in Alaska

Our flight was on United. And it was late.

But I repeat myself.

We did get some views out the window:

Denali

Basin and Range

Mt Hood?

Lake Texoma

Snowy Peaks

Glaciers (more to come!)

Water.

Other than being 90 minutes late, with another 30 minutes tagged on by not having a gate at the end, it was an ok flight.

The Start of an Expedition to Alaska

We are flying today to Anchorage.

The flight leaves about 3:00 PM CDT, arrives about 7:30 AKDT (that is Alaska Daylight Savings Time). We rent a car and drive to the Generous Roe House until Wednesday.

We are looking forward to this trip!

It is sort of hard to pack for a four week trip, which includes a wedding at the end.

I feel like a cheechako.

An Expedition to Austin

Houston gets hot in June. So we decided to take a trip North. To Austin.

To make the trip possible, we had to stock up on provisions.

We got these from the very famous Houston beer and wine (and convenience) store D&Q Market. (Here's a good hint. If you are even in Houston, and want an interesting beer or wine, go to D&Q. If you don't know what to buy, just ask. You will get very good advice)

There is a good selection of beers that are hard to find in Austin. That way we knew we would be welcome.

This is a bottle of Lone Pint Yellow Rose. You can see the bottle date on the back. I bought it on the 19th, we drank it on the 20th.

We arrived in Austin at The Bechle Estate Saturday afternoon about 3:00 or so. It was a pretty nice day, coolish (for June) but overcast.

Domi suggested we go to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. What a great idea! So we bundled ourselves into our cars and headed out. The center is very close to the BechleHouse, so we got there quickly.

But when we did, it started raining.

So as a next best alternative, we decided to go to the Jester King brewery. (It was the day before Father's Day, after all, and this was a good trip for Nate).

What a place! It is a "farmhouse" brewery, which in this context means that they are trying (and succeeding) to make beer with a very local edge.

Here are Doreen and Domi and Oliver as we waited to see what sort of beer we wanted to try:

Here's Nate coming up from the Big Barn below, where he was looking for a table.

He found one, and we headed in that direction. 

Ollie was in a bad mood, so he wouldn't smile at me: 

Oscar was in a good mood. Maybe that is because of the beer in front of him:

Inside the big barn. It was a Big Barn o'Hipsters!

And here was the brewmaster giving a tour. They keep those barrels full and aging for as long as three years!

They only make 1,400 barrels of beer a year! Crazy place. Lots of fun, I am sure we will go back there again at some point.

Most of the beer, the farmhouse beer, is pretty sour. Very sour, in some cases. But that is the way they like it.

The next morning was sort of slow going. Here I am with Oscar and Maggie trying to wake up.

 Oscar and Doreen and I were the only people awake. So we decided to take a short walk. Oscar was kind enough to guide is to a place where "My mommy would buy me cake pops. She wants me to have a cake pop". Whenever he wanted us to do something, he would invoke his ultimate authority - "Mommy Says" when we would cross the street, he would say, "Mommy says you have to hold my hand when we cross the street" when we got to William Cannon Blvd (no, that is not Ironsides) he would say "Mommy says we have to push all the buttons to cross".

When we got back, Oliver was awake and in a good mood. He wanted to put together the US State puzzle:

and he did a good job!

Later that morning (after some great home-roasted coffee and some great kolaches we picked up on the way to Austin) we DID head over to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center:

I have never been there. It is a great place to visit.

 I wanted to get everyone's photo.

It is harder than you think:

You have a great view of the Hill Country close to Austin from there.

and, of course, we had to take a self portrait.

We picked up a bunch of Fredericksburg peaches to take home.

They are small, but delicious!

A great trip.

An Expedition to Oslo

Occasionally, I have to travel alone. I had a short business trip to Oslo:

Interestingly, the flight followed the dawn line:

 You could see daylight out of the port side of the plane

but night out of the starboard side

The weather in Oslo was fantastic:

I don't usually have much daylight time there.

Here is the Grand Hotel (Ibsen's favorite. It is also where the Nobel Peace Prize winners stay)

Parliament:

The Grand Hotel with lilacs. I haven't smelled lilacs in a while. Brings back memories.

A manhole cover with the city seal of Oslo. That is Saint Hallvard. The wikipedia article is sort of interesting. It says that the naked woman at his feet was originally an armed warrior, one of the evil men who killed St Hallvard. But it morphed into a naked woman who Hallvard was protecting.

Tulips are still in bloom in Oslo. On June 5th!

The National Theater. That is my train stop.

Detail of the National Theater:

in an outdoor cafe in front of the National Theater

 Ibsen! (Not Buddy Ibsen)

That is my hotel (The Hotel Continental) and my room (the one on the top floor with the windows open.)

I took the above photo next to those steps down there.

My lunch in Frankfort. Frankfurters. 

Then I came home.