Wasilla, Alaska

For the past two nights I've come back to the hotel from work; ordered a salad from the restaurant in the lobby; poured myself a drink in my room; ate my dinner; watched some TV; maybe knitted a bit; and went to bed. I found that rather unfulfilling. You know my motto - life's a feast and most poor bastards are starving to death. So I decided after work today I would get in the car and drive. I chose to drive north to Wasilla since there was all this lovely daylight. No, I didn't see Sarah...and I didn't see Russia.

A few thoughts on the drive up to Wasilla. The scenery is spectacular. You've seen 'deer crossing' signs in West Virginia; not in Alaska. You see Moose crossing or Moose crash area signs. There are groves of white birch trees. I can only imagine how fabulous they must look in the fall when they are a sea of yellow. The foliage is a lot like what we saw in Seattle during sister's weekend - lots of tall pine trees.

Wasilla is about 30 miles north of Anchorage, and sits in the shadow of the Chugach Mountains (pronounced Chew-gotch). It is a small town that would remind you of Ellijah, a little town in the north Georgia mountains...except you have this fabulous view. Mother always said you were close to West Virginia when the hills got close to the road. Alaska brings new meaning to 'hills close to the road.'

Once in Wasilla, I went the to Farmer's Market (scheduled every Wednesday from 11 to 6). You can't tell it from the picture but this cabbage is as big as a basketball. I learned that Alaska grown produce is gigantic...which I thought surprising since the growing season is so short. But I learned that while the growing season is only a few months, each day provides an exceptional amount of daylight, and so the produce grows REALLY large.

I thought of Snippie when I found 'the grape tap,' a restaurant and wine bar. Snippie would have really enjoyed this place. The food was amazing. I was able to stick to my diet - a GREAT Malbec (Joe would have approved), a filet mignon with a glaze reduction of wine, beef stock, shallots and peppercorns, asparagus and a warm kale salad. OMG!!!! I learned that the chef, Melissa, was born and raised in Wasilla. She was a treasure. The waitress was also born and raised in Wasilla. The barmaid, however, was a transplant from the midwest. She and her husband came to Alaska to visit and never left. When I asked why, she said, "Because Alaska is filled with extremes; extreme scenery, extreme daylight and dark, extreme people." I haven't found the people extreme...do you think maybe that's because I'm a bit extreme myself?

I also learned that the Alaska State Fair will be held in Palmer during the time when Kelly is here. We will definitely be spending a day at the fair.