Anchorage Day Two

We had a chance to be tourists today. We started by finding the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail where we plan to ride our bicycles on Saturday, along with Marilyn and Larry. Then we drove to the visitor center that Don remembered as having a thatched roof.

It wasn’t hard to find, nor was this familiar car with orange kayaks on the roof!

We caught up with Dennis and Carol a few blocks away just long enough to chat about where to shop and what to see, as they were ready to leave the downtown area. We then did a little shopping and saw a moose but not a live one.

I bought an Alaska sweatshirt and a monopod (one-legged tripod) for my camera. Don looked for new sheepskin slippers but hasn’t found just what he wants yet.

It was almost lunch time so we decided to check out the mall’s food court. What a pleasant surprise to discover L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Don’s favorite! We’ve visited the original L&L Drive-In in Kaneohe, Hawaii – Don’s former home – as well as locations in Phoenix, AZ and San Diego, CA.

He’s a happy camper!

This mall is on 5 levels, including one below street level. Access is by elevator or escalator, so it doesn’t take much time to see all the shops at a glance.

Walking around town, we could see everything from skyscrapers to street vendors, musical performers and sidewalk cafes.

And, yet again, we found a familiar vehicle and parked in front of it (Jim and Pat’s camper).

A few minutes later we got a phone call from Pat and Jim and came outside to find them with Mary and Gary parked behind them!

It’s a small world!

We went to the BX on the joint Elmendorf AFB and Ft. Richardson Army base, and I found some compact 12x binoculars. These will help me see wildlife, glaciers and distant mountain vistas.

Larry and Marilyn moved into the Black Spruce Campground on Ft. Richardson with us sponsoring them this morning. Dennis and Carol grilled special sausage/hamburgers tonight, with us bringing salad and Larry and Marilyn bringing chips and condiments.

Dennis and Carol provided an orange tablecloth, orange paper plates, orange napkins, orange plastic utensils, orange bowls…you’d think they like orange!

Dennis and Carol have been looking for a good home for Brandy, his mother Patsy Hill’s dog that she couldn’t keep when she went into the nursing home. They also have her cat Patches and their own cat Rainbow. Marilyn loves Brandy and wouldn’t mind adopting her, but Larry has another viewpoint. We’ll see what develops.

Using my new monopod, I’m able to get clearer photos using the zoom on my camera because I can now hold the camera steady. Dennis looks good in his new hat, and his ears won’t get sunburned now.

Larry came over to our coach after dinner to try to get Don’s Dell computer running again. He tried several things, and finally pronounced it DOA. Don spent some time on the phone with Dell configuring a new computer, and is considering some other options. He’ll probably end up buying a new computer, but we’re not sure which brand yet. The problem with a Dell is that it would have to be shipped, and we’re a moving target right now. If he buys a computer of another brand while in Anchorage, he has several major retailers from which to choose that have other locations if he needs support. Any advice from readers?

Larry also helped me figure out how to transfer the pictures from my phone that I took a few days ago. Here’s one of our group enjoying the sunshine in Palmer.