ALASKA 2009

Well, this year we decided to take a different kind of vacation. There were two main objectives of the trip. First and foremost, we wanted to be at the 2009 Iditarod Dog Sled Race - sometimes known as "The Last Great Race." The second was to view the Aurora from the Artic Circle. I am happy to say that Bernice and I had a perfect trip. We really enjoyed it. We arrived in Anchorage late on March 4th, got a little sleep, and headed out to enjoy Anchorage and the 2009 Fur-Rondy. Fur-Rondy is a couple weeks of festivities prior to the Iditarod. We spent the first two days exploring the city, shopping and took the time to view the World Snow Carving competition.

The carvings were very interesting. The size of the carvings was really a surprise. Several of the sculptures depicted the central theme which was the 50th anniversary of Alaska's statehood. It was really great being in Alaska during the statehood celebration.

Prior to the Iditarod, we stayed at the Hilton Hotel which is located downtown in the middle of the shopping district and extremely close to all the major activities.