The Iditarod!

One of the highlights of our trip to Alaska was a visit to the trail head of the Iditarod dog sled race. This year was the running of the 36th event. We had an opportunity to meet Joe Reddington Jr. who is the son of the co-founder Joe Reddington Sr who passed away in 1999. We got the chance to play with the sled dog pups. At Wasilla, (the trail head) visitors are encouraged to play with the pups and handle the dogs so as to make them familiar with people. Karen just loved those pups. This race is also called the "Last Great Race on Earth". The race covers 1150 miles starting in Anchorage and begins the off road segment in Wasilla. The end of the race is in Nome Alaska. The race is done over a period of 10-17 days depending on conditions. Each sled is pulled by a lead dog with anywhere from 12 to 16 dogs. The race actually began as a supply and mail route to remote sections of the state. Mail and sullies in and gold going out. As whether or not I would participate in such an event it seems highly unlikely given there is no warm beach involved. In the sumer the teams continue to train. The dogs are trained to lay down when they stop running both to rest and conserve heat. This place is worth the visit!

Seward, Alaska

Well this is the sleepy town of Seward. It is the offshore fishing capital of Alaska. It is home to Killer whale, humpback whales, puffins and lots of fish.

We stayed there in a private home and loved this place. This last picture is of the arctic puffins who are so ugly they are cute. We also passed the Bear Glacier which has receeded over half a mile in the past few years. We ate salmon and halibut til it came out of our ears. We also shipped a box of our salmon to Texas for us to enjoy!

Who are Karen and Dave?

Karen and Dave are a couple of 50ish kids at heart trying to complete our bucket lits asap. Karen runs her own hairstyling business and is quite the talented lady. She can cook like a gourmet chef and has a wonderful sense of humor. Dave is a retired dogcatcher, just kidding, I am too poor to retire. I work in a hospital in Texas and love my work.

This picture reflects my sentiment about life. If you have an axe to grind do it here at the axe grinder in Moose Pass Alaska!

Alaska, July 2008

Well sit back and strap yourself in for the mighty adventures of Dave and karen. We set off for the wilds of Alaska. Little did we know the dangers that lurked there!

We were tracking this grizzley bear and come to find out he was really tracking us. These guys are really dangerous so kids don't try this at home. The grizzley can outrun a horse for short distances. Guess what, we were a very short distance from him. Needless to say we beat a hasty retreat.