Mom comes to Alaska!

In August (I know I am late in posting this....) Mom came to Alaska for about 2 weeks. She started here trip by visiting me up here in Nome for 4 days. After that, we went to Anchorage and traveled around the state. With me having to work for part of the time she was here, I directed mom out into town, armed with her camera, for a few days of site seeing and fun. I also booked her a flight with Bering Air (the same company that we use for a medevacs) so she could see some of the villages and the surrounding areas.
One other day I sent her out with Richard, our local tour guide, for a trip around town and out onto the tundra. Richard has lived in Nome almost 15 years, coming from a back ground as a Broadway singer. Richard is very knowledgeable about Nome, the history and the local flora and fauna. If I had only known how much fun they were going to have, I would have gone along!

Nome from the air, mom took the picture as she landed after her trip up the coast.

The local sign in town. Look how far away Denver is...

The welcome to Nome sign by the Bering Sea.

Up on the hill, outside of town, there is a place called Anvil Mountain. These are structures left over from WWII. This part of Alaska was used as a monitoring site for the Russians.

The dredges in town. These were used to find gold in the old days as well as moving sand around to make the sound.

Iditarod dogs in there homes. Most racers have up to 50 dogs at a time. When people in town talk about “head” of animals, they are not talking about live stock, they are referring to dogs.

Mom next to the Bering Sea. We walked on the beach every day she was here.

Mom at the Safety Roadhouse. This is a bar about 17 mile out side of town. It is in the town of Safety, which is the last check point for the Iditarod race before the racers get into Nome. The bar is run by Tom and his wife and is usually only open in the summer and for Iditarod.

Notice they sell Coors.....

Dollars at the Safety road house. Now everyone who stops by will know mom was in town.

Sculpture along the Safety road. The boat represents one of the old skin boats that are still used today.

The church across the street from my office.

Me on the grass but the beach. This is the only grass in the area!

the "milk run" goes from Nome down the coast hitting White Mountain, Koyuk, Elim, Golovin, Shaktoolik, and Unalakleet. Bering Air runs mail, food and people everday. Cliff was the pilot.

On the milk run, this is the coast by Koyuk. It is very green this time of year. I wish there were roads down here so I could walk on this beach!

Trees by Golovin. The shadow is the plane mom was in....

Coast line along the "milk run".

Coast near White Mountain.

Out of Unalakleet. I like the river and all the trees! I wish there were trees in Nome....

Alaskan swamp land south of Nome. This is still tundra.