When I travel, I almost never add extra time to the trip for sightseeing. I always have work to do at the bench at home, plus a book to edit and family stuff to take care of.
But during this week in Anchorage, Ak., I had almost a whole day free, and several of the members of the Alaska Creative Woodworkers Association took it upon themselves to give me a crash course in life outside Anchorage.
We drove down to Seward with Jonathan Snyder (a biologist and the famous Alaska Woodworker) and Paul Rupple (a FedEx pilot and a member of the board of directors of the Alaska SeaLife Center) serving up a fascinating commentary on the wildlife, geography and history of the scenery unfolding out the windows of our minivan.
In Seward we toured the Alaska SeaLife Center, where I pet a sea anemone, got up close with an amazing array of shore birds and saw marine animals aplenty. Ever wonder what seal tastes like? Jonathan tried to describe it. I think it would be good in nugget format.
Lunch was a landmark for me: My first piece of fresh halibut. In high school I worked for three years in a fish store, band sawing frozen halibut. That is where I developed my love of the band saw and my dislike of cleaning a meat-cutting band saw. (Wood-cutting band saws are much easier to clean.)
Oh, fresh halibut is %$#&* amazing.
On the way back to Anchorage we stopped at the Byron glacier and climbed up to it. We climbed up to a glacier. A glacier. Dang.
Then we headed back to Anchorage so I could speak to the club about workbenches.
Alaska – at least the small part I saw – is intoxicatingly beautiful. I hope I can return before too long.
— Christopher Schwarz
“eight stars of gold on a field of blue” – I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be smitten by this state. And with its size, you have ocean, mountains, plains (tundra), and vast expanses. Nothing like the majesty of mountains that drop right into the sea – it’s just overwhelming isn’t it? Kind of puts us in our place.
Sadly,next stop on the Schwarz Tour is Rockville, MD. Well, at least there’s a mall.
Maybe you could take him to Calvert Cliffs – the park with the fossils, not the nuclear reactor. 😉
My neighborhood, as it happens. But if he were up for that long a drive he should go to Mt. Vernon, which he should go to anyway.
Great Falls… the Maryland side of course.
Um…good chili at Hard Times Cafe. It’s no glacier, though.
I think there is a difference between a tourist and a guest. A tourist just comes to see the landmarks, stays on the tour bus, and doesn’t experience the culture or people of the area. A guest goes off the beaten path, has a conversation with the people, wants to learn how the area breaths. I think you are experiencing Alaska from the guest perspective.
Great point Jonathan. I knew that, but need to be reminded from time to time to seek out those opportunities. Thanks, Chris for sharing a little taste of your time there.
Bring the family next time and do an Anchorage, Fairbanks and Seward driving loop and visit Denali for a few days along way.
Forgot to ask, what camera did you use? It takes really nice pics and I’m shopping for a new one. I’m finally going to retire the fully manual film camera. Thanks.
When I travel I use the Canon G15. I believe there is a newer model now.
Thanks. It really handles the whites and darks well.
Great pics! Too bad you only got a day to tour about. I spent a week in Anchorage, some 20 years ago, visiting my sister who spent over a decade working and traveling the state. I always wanted to get back, but sadly haven’t yet. So many great places to see & visit in this country.
Very cool. Alaska is a place I’ve never been to, and hope to see one day.
Nice photos Chris !
I’m glad you had a good time Chris! Plan to stay a little longer next time and bring the family. We will have to get you out halibut fishing.
Thank you for coming to Alaska Chris!
Your photography is almost as good as your woodworking – that’s a compliment. Keep it up so all get to travel vicariously!
Thanks for coming up, enjoyed the class, & sorry I couldn’t make the presentation as well… Next time let’s find you a brown bear to see – we’ll just keep you further from it than you got to the moose. We don’t want it to have to rename the shop the Chris Schwarz Memorial Workshop after all.
All the best!
Woodworking for a living and traveling the world. Jeez, living the dream. At least Rockville, MD has liquor stores.
The bears probably wonder what tourists taste like
No moose here in Maryland, but I did see a groundhog today.