Our first full day in Alaska and we were off on our adventure. I was struck by how similar the climate is to Nova Scotia. Many of the same plants, lupines by every roadside, wild pink roses, sea grass with their purple-blue sweet pea flowers along with other plants I recognized but couldn’t name. The same brilliant sunshine and blue blue skies, but cool air that needed a jacket near the water. And weather so changeable you really can’t predict it. We were supposed to have rain in the morning, clearing to overcast skies in the afternoon and finally becoming clearer in he evening. Instead we had brilliant blue skies and sunshine all day and drove into the rain as we headed back to Anchorage. They even have a tidal bore schedule here although not as significant as our Bay of Fundy.

At home we have our resident bald eagle that you often see around the lakes or along the hiway. But,  here you see them everywhere and usually 2 or 3 at a time covorting in the sky. Still, what makes Alaska so amazing are the HUGE snow-capped mountains that surround you everywhere you look. Majestic in every way. 

We started the day at the Aviation Museum. In preparing for the trip we had read Mitchner’s book Alaska, and a central figure was a bush pilot. So much of Alaskan life depends on these pilots that carried supplies to far off villages and mining camps. Our hosts here at the BnB are both pilots and Lake Hood, just down the road is the largest seaplane base in the world with 800 flights a day in the summer. The museum was full of old sea planes and their various landing gear, wonderful videos of the true Alaskan frontiersmen that the characters in Mitcheners book seemed patterned after and an outstanding video on Alaska’s role in WWII and how that shaped the development of Alaska by finally making it important to the US government. 

Most fun of the day: trying our beer samplers at lunch at Midnight Sun Brewery with names like Modern Romance, mudflats, pleasuretown, fallen angel, nitro, and panty peeler!

Most awe-inspiring: the drive along Alaska route 1 and seeing the mountains and walking back for an up front view of the Byron Glacier. 

Majesty worship His Majesty!