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Fairbanks Convention
The Fairbanks IDEA curriculum fair started today. We have a nice booth location just inside the door. We weren’t able to use our new gray tablecloths because they are designed for eight-foot tables, and the tables at this event are six-foot. The blue ones are some we had from last year. It was just serendipity that they match the draping at…
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Outside of Fairbanks
For our day off today, we drove out into the country. Our first stop was the Alaska Pipeline. I learned that the reason it is above ground is because the oil is warm (about 100 degrees F) as it flows through the pipe. The ground, however, is frozen permafrost. If the pipeline were buried it would thaw the ground and…
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Denali Viewpoint South
The second “sight-seeing” stop of yesterday’s road trip was at the Denali Viewpoint South. It involved a short uphill hike for the best view. I wasn’t too sure where it would take us, so I asked some ladies coming down if the hike was worth the view. They assured me that it definitely was, and that I was almost there.…
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Talkeetna, Alaska
On our road trip today we enjoyed a detour to the little town of Talkeetna. Tourists that we are, we decided that it was a quintessential Alaskan town. We walked down the street lined with authentic log cabins… …whimsical buildings… …and even a yurt! I would have liked to try this coffee shop, but it didn’t seem to be open…
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Out and About in Anchorage
Last night we had dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse in downtown Anchorage. This restaurant is just down the street from the convention center, so we walked over. Obviously, brewed drinks are their specialty, but they had some unique beverage choices in the non-alcoholic section of the menu. I chose Blackberry Basil Lemonade. It was delicious! I would have never thought…
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Kenai Convention
Today was our first convention day here in Alaska. We even put together a special little display featuring books we carry that are set in Alaska and of course we had to add a cute moose mascot. He will be going home to live with Judy’s little grandson, but for this week he’s helping out in the booth. Our booth…
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Driving to Kenai
Today’s travels took us from Anchorage to Kenai. The drive was described by the convention sponsors thusly: The 3-hour (145-mile) ride from Anchorage to Soldotna on the Seward and Stering Highways is nothing less than magnificent, traveling first along breath-taking Turnagain Arm with wonderful views of glacier-capped mountains across the inlet, and then through a mountain pass before you drop…
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On a Jet Plane
Day 1 of my Alaska trip was mostly spent in the air. Our flight out of Denver was at 6:10 a.m. It usually takes about 40 minutes to get to the airport, so allowing time to get through security and such, we left home at 3:45 a.m. Ugh! The first leg of our trip took us to Salt Lake City.…
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Headed to Alaska
I will be co-hosting the Sonlight booth at the Interior Distance Education of Alaska curriculum fairs next week. I will be traveling and working with my friend, Judy. I am looking forward to visiting Alaska again this year! Here’s our itinerary: Monday, April 27. Fly from Denver to Anchorage. Tuesday, April 28. Drive from Anchorage to Kenai. Wednesday, April 29.…
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Scheduling Our Homeschool
I have to admit I was a pretty laid-back homeschooler. We didn’t have a set schedule that we followed every day. Instead, I tried to cultivate good habits with lots of flexibility. Early on I discovered that it was best for me to get up early, before the children did, to have a chance for some quiet time and to…
