Funner Summer - Staycation Part 4

We did something very Alaskan and went camping and dipnet fishing!  We've been here for over 2 years, and never done it!  Essentially, you wade into the water up to your chest at the mouth of the river, and hold out a huge (5 foot wide!) net on the end of an even huger pole (I think ours was 15 feet long!) and wait for the fish to swim in.  Crazy right?!

The tide tables said it would be a slow weekend, but we didn't care.  We just wanted to get out there!  Any excuse to camp is a good excuse!  This was Ava's first camping experience and I think she loved it.  She played in the sand, ran around, slept late, and ate marshmallows!  We ended up with 4 salmon, and a flounder!

And we're off!

Alaska!

Look, it's warm!!!

We made it!

We tried for s'mores, but Ava prefers her marshmallows rare, and couldn't be bothered with a cracker and chocolate.  

Playing in the sand.  How weird is it that she's wearing sweats in the sand?! (It was cold...)

Midnight sunset!

Our crazy camping neighbors.  He had a generator for his coffee pot, waffle iron, and microwave (for Hot Pockets...huh?!)!  The next morning he still made a donut run.  Crazy!

Eddie heading in the water!  It was chilly, but bearable, especially with insulated waders.

Some of our catch!

We cooked one whole for dinner.  It was SO good!  The best salmon I've ever had!  

Waterfalls on the way home.

Once we got home, we filet'ed (???) our salmon, and vacuum packed them for the freezer.  I took a piece off the belly and it was the best salmon sashimi I'd ever had!  Can't wait to go again!  We're waiting for a big tide to see what we get!  Man, I love camping!

Funner Summer - Staycation Part 3

Next we headed out to the Anchorage Botanical Garden.  I read they had several peonies (my new favorite flower) and they would be in bloom from late June through early July.  It was a warm 65 degrees, and overcast, which seemed perfect for wandering around for a couple of hours!

Peonies need another week or so.  Bummer.

Orange!

"You mean I get to just wander where ever I want?!"

Love us!

Walking down to the herb garden.

Buttercups.

I don't knows.  lol.

Trying out some macro.

Family picture time.

Bleeding hearts, and my hearts!

Super cool big tree.

Almost done.

This moose is so Alaskan.  

Funner Summer - Staycation Part 2

After the Fish Hatchery we headed over to the big wooden park they have on base.  I've drooled over this park all winter long.  I dreamed about these kinds of parks when I was a kid, but we didn't have anything like them in Hawaii (it was rough growing up in Hawaii people).  This one was a huge hit, and we will be going back!

There she goes!

Here she comes!

Daddy had to try.

Man, that really is a fast slide!

Love these two.

Ava loves swings.

Showing Mommy the way, she's a pro.

Funner Summer - Staycation Part 1

Last week we were recovering from being away for so long.  Eddie took the week off so we could spend time together, and do all the summer things we've never done in Alaska.  First on the list was the Ft. Richardson Fish Hatchery.  Huh?  I didn't know, but there are stocked lakes all over base, and this is where they get the fish!  There were *millions* of fish people!  Everyone there was really nice, and you're just able to walk around and watch what they're doing.

Checking out the fish.

Baby salmon!

Not many fish in this one.

Perfect galoshes day!

Super huge water intake.

Cute girl.

Huge rainbow trout coming our way!

Biosecurity.  Watch out!

How they transport the fish.

Millions of babies!

Good to know.  :)

Insta-Friday!

Another week!  It was a fun one.  Here we go!

At the park, all bundled up in Alaska again!

We picked up Daddy too!

Chocolate chip cookie brownies for our house-sitters!

Ava loves wagons.  This is at the sleep center.  (One of us is not well rested...)

Alaska gas prices...I finally filled up my truck after months of $20-ing it.  Gas went down 10 cents an hour later.  Bummer...

I don't know what we were doing in the living room, but it was fun.  

Purple moose, free reindeer sausages, excellent surprise free bbq.

Super huge decaf Mocha Coconut Frappuccino, with my name on it!

My new tattoo, Harry Potter wearing his invisibility cloak.  Can't wait for July 15th!

Lets do this again next week shall we?!