Alaska, June 28, 2025, Last Day

   Ward and I recently took a trip to Alaska. We flew into Anchorage (via a stop in Seattle) and used our friends' house as our home base. I am chronicling our trip here.

One of our souvenir stops

This was our final day in Alaska, so it was a day to do all of our last-minute things. First up were souvenirs. 

Bo and B took us to downtown Anchorage for shopping. Our first stop was the Ulu Factory. Ulu knives were a new thing for me, but I learned they have been around since at least 2500 BC and were widely used by the indigenous people. Now they are one of the most popular souvenirs from Alaska. We'd stayed with the trend and bought two. We used one the other day to chop nuts, and it made the job easier than it ever has been. 

Ulu knife with bowl-shaped cutting board

After visiting another souvenir shop and having lunch, we headed to the Anchorage greenhouse. There, we saw a wide variety of tropical plants. 

Next up was Chugach State Park, where we got a good view down into the city of Anchorage. We also watched paragliders. 

In one direction, we looked down on Anchorage.

In the other direction were the Chugach Mountains.

Then we had to face reality, and that it was time to leave. We packed and got airplane snacks for tomorrow before heading out to dinner.

Ward was especially happy with our choice for dinner.

The next morning, we left Bo, B, and Charlie at 6:30 a.m. to head for the airport. It was sad to leave our incredible hosts, but all good things must come to an end. Everything went smoothly at the airport, and a few hours later, we were back in the Lower 48, meeting our friend Caroline in Seattle. 

Until next time...