A Change in the Weather

If you've been watching my Instagram feed, then you'll know we've had some interesting weather over the past week. There's been everything from snow to sun to thunderstorms- all in September! Believe me, these thunderstorms are nothing like what we see in Seattle. These are dump-a-swimming-pool-on-your-head-sky-crashing-down thunderstorms. Fortunately, we are okay with storms. It's been fun watching the flashing clouds cross the valley and estimating how long it will take for them to get to us. I'm sure if they were any worse we'd feel differently though.

Saturday was the last farmers market of the year in Jackson Hole, so we definitely couldn't miss the opportunity to check it out! As it so happens, that day also ended up being the morning after the first snow in the Tetons. Did that stop us? Nope! We braved the pass anyway. It actually wasn't too bad, which we were thankful for considering the road has a ten percent grade! Once we were over the pass it was all sun and smiles.

This is a shot of the famous antler arches with the market going on around them. Tourists are still visiting even though "tourist season" is just about over. Soon ski season will start.

Here are some of the items we picked up at the market. I especially liked talking to the family who owned the raw milk dairy and the Cub Scouts selling coffee instead of popcorn to raise money.

We were finished at the market around 1pm and headed over to "Pinky G's" for pizza. The slices were humongous! Pinky G's was featured on "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" with Guy Fieri and they have a pizza board with his face hanging on the wall. It's a fun little place and the pizza is delicious. Just the right amount of gooey cheese and perfectly seasoned sauce.

Before we left, we made a point to visit the Jackson Hole History Museums. In one, we learned about Native American art and life here. In the other, we learned about the pioneers. Both museums were interesting but I was especially captivated by the native art. At the museum with the pioneer exhibit, my daughter found a calligraphy set where she could mix her own ink and write with a feather. She's been practicing all week, which is fun for this history nerd to watch.

The beads on these are itty-bitty!

Other than our visit to Jackson Hole, this week has been pretty quiet. We've been keeping our eyes out for things we've never seen before, which usually means food. ;-) We tried Red Button Vintage Ice Cream, Grand Teton Brewing Company Root Beer (made just down the road), O.S.M. Waffles from the Bunnery in Jackson Hole, and we visited an old fashioned soda fountain where we ordered an "IronPort Float." All were really good! The kids were a little less enthusiastic about the waffles because of the texture from the oats, sunflower seeds, and millet. I liked them, though- especially with our Alaskan birch syrup.

We also found the library and now have our temporary cards and some new books. Hooray! 

My husband has been traveling almost since we arrived and returns tomorrow. It will be good to have him "home" again. Once he's settled we can all start to experience Idaho/Wyoming together. Being together makes everything more fun.

Wishing you all a great week! Be sure to steer clear of storms!

- Jen

Greetings from the Teton Valley!

After a week of driving from Alaska, we've made it to our new "home" safe and sound! It's amazing how tired we are, even though we sat for most of the journey. I'll just blame that on the time change. In Alaska we were one hour behind Seattle and now we are one hour ahead. As fun as it is to refer to ourselves as "time travelers," this wreaks havoc on our sense of when to do things and call people. I know we'll adjust again soon, but for now it's a practice of constantly checking the clock.

Here's a visual of our travels so far according to our satellite tracker

The journey down the Alcan was just as fun as when we drove up, although there were a lot less people on the road. Many of the stores and camp sites have either closed for the season or are about to. This made finding gas interesting. Here are a few pictures of animals we saw who couldn't care less when it's tourist season or not.

A herd of bison lounging at the side of the road

Just snoozing in the sun... look at those horns!! Ouch!

 A young male elk

 Mountain goats with babies

Caribou. Do you know what the difference between a reindeer and a caribou is? Reindeer are domesticated.

Big Horn Sheep

Black bears- so many black bears!

This Grizzly Bear was eating plants by the side of the road and stopped to pose for pictures. ;-)

 What a ham, right!?

Needless it say, it was pretty amazing. We drove through Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta. Before leaving Canada, we drove through Jasper, Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks and stopped a few times to marvel at the scenery. "Train ride through the Canadian Rockies" has now been added to our ever-changing joint bucket list. It was so beautiful!

After crossing the border into Idaho, we visited family and then headed to our new "home" in the Teton Valley, which is right between Idaho and Wyoming. The mountains along the road gave way to red rocks and brush, which gave way to plains and hills. The climate became drier and the scenery more "western." We started seeing signs that told us we were on the "Nez Perce Trail," "The Sacajawea Scenic Byway," and the "Lewis and Clark Trail"- all opportunities for living history lessons.

After reaching our destination, I can confidently say that the Instagram pictures will be a little different than the one's you saw from Alaska. For example, there are vast fields of cows, and ranches everywhere. I also noticed a drive-in theater with a giant potato in front of it... I mean, how could I NOT get a shot of that at some point?!

For now, though, we've mostly been getting settled and have been focusing on reestablishing our routine. This leg has only begun, so if you have any tips for must-see places in and around the Teton Valley, Jackson Hole, The Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone areas- let me know! And if you happen to know Harrison Ford, tell him we're in the neighborhood....in case he ever needs to borrow a cup of sugar or something. Hey, it could happen! ;-)

Happy first week of Autumn!

- Jen

Time Traveling

Hello from Alberta, Canada! We made it safely down the Alcan and have crossed two time zones in two days. We should be back in the "lower 48" the day after tomorrow. This is just a short check-in to let you know we're fine and enjoying the scenery.

I've been posting a daily pic on Instagram for anyone who might be curious about our progress.

See you next week!

-Jen

This is the Schmidt Family in Alaska, Signing Off!

.....Well, not signing off completely. We still have year to go, after all! This is just our last blog post coming to you from the great state of Alaska. This time next week we'll be somewhere in central Canada heading to our next destination (cowboy country!). If we have internet access I'll try to post a little update to let you know we're all alive and well and made it back down the Alcan.

Leaving Alaska will be bittersweet for us. On one hand, we're ready to explore a new region and discover new things. On the other hand, we love Alaska. It's beautiful, the people are kind, and there's no shortage of things to learn about. I'm sure we could be here for the next ten years and still not satisfy our curiosity! For now we're happy to have had this experience and to have gained a better understanding of "the real Alaska." As we prepare to leave, my youngest son and I are scheduled to camp out this weekend with a local Cub Scout pack. It's a great way to spend my birthday and complete this leg of the trip, I think.

As of Wednesday, school has officially started for the Schmidt kids. It's an adjustment for them, as the older two have been in the public school system their whole lives. It's been hard to see the pictures of their friends in line for the bus, knowing the timetable of how the school works and what everyone is probably doing at any given time. There's a feeling of "missing out" even while their friends are cheering them on and are telling them that they wish they were on this adventure too. We went through this last year when our youngest was homeschooled for the first time. It takes time to "deschool" but we'll all find our new learning rhythm eventually. They're all motivated to stay on top of their basic studies (math and languages), so that has made the transition easier so far. Most of what they'll be learning for science, history, geography, etc. will come naturally over our travels. We've been discussing what else they'd like to study this year. So far I have two votes for Spanish and one for French, and the older two want to learn about computer animation, which is all possible with our flexible schedule.

As for our explorations, last weekend we drove down the Kenai Peninsula to Homer and drove through Anchor Point, which is the westernmost point on the U.S. roads system. There are other roads in the western parts of Alaska but you have to fly or sail to get to them first. So that makes two checks on our "Must Visit Places" list-The northernmost and westernmost points. Hooray!

Here are some fun facts you might enjoy. Alaska is the most extreme state because:

1. It's the northernmost, westernmost and easternmost state because the last few islands in the Aleutian chain cross the International Date Line.
2. It boasts the highest elevation point- Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) at 20,320 feet.
3. The top ten tallest mountains in the U.S. are located here.
4. It's home to the most remote location in the U.S., Ipnavik River, which is located 120 miles from the nearest sign of civilization.
5. Alaska is home to the largest number of volcanoes in the U.S.
6. The biggest earthquake recorded in North America was the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 at a whopping magnitude 9.2 for four minutes. You can still see the effects of it today! It liquefied land, petrifying trees. They actually stand in the same place today where they stood then, like sticks in the ground.
7. The coldest winters have been recorded in Alaska because of it's proximity to the North Pole.
8. Alaska is home to the most glaciers in the inhabited world.
9. Alaska is the largest state.
10. Alaska has more coastline that any other state.

Pretty amazing, right?! Here's a glacial view from Homer that's also amazing.

When we arrived in Homer, we had a wonderful view of the Spit. It was smaller than I thought it would be, but then again I'd never seen a spit before so I don't know what I was expecting. You can find the definition of a spit here. This particular one is large enough that boardwalks have been built on it and you can visit stores and restaurants. There are even apartments at the end, although I don't know if I'd want to live there in the event of a Tsunami.... Regardless, the view of Kachemak Bay is fantastic!

This is a view of the spit. See that little line snaking out in the middle of the water?

Here's a view of some of the buildings on the spit as seen from the tide pools during low tide.

You access the majority of the buildings via boardwalk.

We made sure to stop and pay our respects at the Seafarer's Memorial.

If you're a fan of the show "Deadliest Catch," then you'll recognize the boat "Saga." It was docked at the marina while we were there. Elliot Neese, former captain, is from Homer.

Another TV family from Homer that you might recognize are the Kilcher's from "Alaska: The Last Frontier." Their daughter is singer, Jewel. We drove by their homestead too.

The view of Kachemak Bay and the glaciers over it are glorious! There's no guesswork why the homesteaders who settled there chose to stay!

We loved the drive and made sure to stop by Two Sisters Bakery for breakfast. Believe me, it was worth every calorie!

We had lunch at "Little Mermaid", a small mermaid-themed restaurant with delicious local fare. I had the beet salad and the kids loved their pizza. My husband ordered tuna poke and finished every bite. The Alaskan food scene is pretty fantastic if you know where to look. If you're ever in the 49th State, be sure to consult Edible Alaska.

And now our final blog farewell to Alaska: It was our privilege to share some time with you. Thank you for your generous hospitality and big personality! We'll never forget it.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week, or two if you don't hear from me before we get to our next destination!

- Jen