Alaskan Museums

 

In Alaska we went to two major museums and also some casual museums. Casual museums were the displays at the train depot or a park or the airport or in some dining establishments. The first major museum was in Anchorage. We got off the plane before lunch, took the city bus into town, got off the bus, walked a mile to a taco stand, ate outside at the taco stand, walked another half mile to the Anchorage Museum at 625 C Street. We paid our admission and stored our luggage in lockers which cost a quarter but you got the quarter back. After all that walking with a backpack and pulling a wheeling suitcase, my back still felt like I was carrying extra weight. Offspring #2 was kind enough to take some of my burden along the way and up the hills but my old bones would not forget the torment. Plus I had a delicious taco in my belly that my body was trying to digest. I was trying to adjust to the three hour time difference. I wasn't at my best at this museum which featured science, nature, native art and a planetarium. The museum was huge and it reminded me of the Science Museum in Saint Paul. I looked and I read display information and I watched video but I could tell the information was not soaking into my brain. After a few hours of walking around and trying to comprehend science and nature and native art and the night sky, I had to sit down and drink a hot cocoa for a few minutes. The gift shop was nice but like all museum gift shops the merchandise was expensive. I was in better shape for the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center on Dunkel Street in Fairbanks. This museum was close to the Chena River. This time we left our luggage at Sven's Base-Camp Hostel so we weren't carrying heavy loads as we walked. We were used to Alaska time. And we had just had delicious coffee and crepes for lunch. My head was all clogged from sleeping in the dusty tree house but my back and legs felt fine. I took Dayquil. There is no admission charge for the Morris Thompson Center. Morris Thompson was a native leader, businessman and political appointee. Morris headed the Alaska division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1970's. He did such a good job they named a visitor center and museum after him. I learned quite a bit at this museum because my head was in a better place to accept new knowledge and ideas. I wish we had come to this museum on our way into Fairbanks or even on our way into the entire state of Alaska instead of our way out of town but I'm glad we made it here at all. We saw all the exhibits in a couple of hours and then we had to start walking back to Sven's hostel. We walked along the Chena River looking at downtown Fairbanks and watching motor boats zoom upstream and downstream. When we left the hostel it was 40 degrees Fahrenheit. By 4 p.m. it was 76 degrees Fahrenheit. We peeled off our extra layers and put our hats and mittens away. We walked through Pioneer Park which looked interesting but we had to get going. Pioneer Park reminded me of Deadwood, South Dakota or the Pioneer Park in Seattle, Washington. We walked through a residential neighborhood. We walked through some gift shops and an antique store. We walked past a dog park and an industrial neighborhood. We walked past a high school before coming back to an area with shops and restaurants. We ate at a Mexican restaurant before gathering out luggage and going home. A six day trip is not enough time to devote to such a wonderful state. I could spend an entire summer here (but never a winter). I have to say though that our trip was jam packed full of active adventure. Essentially the trip was designed for a person half my age. I managed just fine even with arthritis and even with a pandemic. What states do I have left to explore? Let me think, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and West Virginia. Sounds like a road trip east is in order!