We went to Alaska! Just... because, well, why not? We would like to hit all 50 states eventually and this was a good one to knock off while we can go for free. It was very lovely up there, but having grown up in Washington, Idaho and Utah, it didn't knock our socks off like we were expecting. We drove for over an hour to see Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North America. To be honest? A little underwhelmed. The peaks next to it are almost the same height, so you don't get that "wow" factor. Also, one book said that you could see it from downtown Anchorage. That person needs an editor. Anyhow, we had a good time. We saw lots of wildlife. Eagles, bears, elk, moosen (I hope you listen to Brian Reagan), buffalo and oxen type things. Some we saw in the wild, and some we saw as we drove through a flooded nature conservatory which keeps bears and more exotic things. They keep them in the "wild" only with fences around the perimeters to keep them from mauling your rental car. Where is the fun in that? The lying book also says that there are over 2000 moose and around 800 bears that live in the city limits of Anchorage. One of many reasons not to live in Anchorage. Besides being half a globe away from anyone and paying Maui prices for food, it is also cold. Didn't know if you knew that. Ya- April is not the time to visit. The lakes are all still frozen and we couldn't take any day cruises. Oh, and another reason not to live there. The JW's burned down our Stake center. Ok, they didn't really. It was an electrical problem with the heating or something. I am totally joking about the JW's. We saw some walking near the previously mentioned chapel and had a great laugh imaging them to be the culprits. We were surprised to see the burned up chapel though. It's right next to the Temple. How sad for the local members. Our trip ended on a high note by enjoying the famous Alaskan king crab. Best crab ever, and seriously huge. Well, save your time and money. Alaska is amazing, but except for glaciers, it's got nothing on Utah.
