Slept late due to the time change. After lunch, we decided to take a hike on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage's most popular trail. This 11 mile trail goes along the edge of Cook Inlet from downtown Anchorage out to Kincaid Park. You feel like you are miles away from the large city as you walk on this lovely trail. Our first stop was beside the marsh. Beluga whales are often seen swimming in the inlet from this area. Yes, that snow is once again piled as high as the park benches. Amazing. You can see the edge of the bustling Port of Anchorage.
We were seriously hoping to see a moose along the trail but the elusive creatures stayed hidden from us yet again. Fresh moose scat on the trail assured us they were indeed in the area. We crossed a wooden bridge over the marsh and took pictures along Fish Creek Bridge. This is built above a popular salmon fishing creek. In the late summer, salmon migrate up this creek to spawn. We left the trail at Westchester Lagoon and headed back toward civilization. The lagoon is filled with birds, beavers, muskrats, and other animals in the summer. During the winter, it is filled with families enjoying ice skating, hockey, ice bowling, and other sports. We returned after a 3 hour tour to our room, tired but ready to see more of the 220 parks and 428 miles of trails in the city. Wow.
For dinner we decided to stay in and eat some halibut Greg had been given at work (thanks Carolyn). We haven't cooked this fish before, so we decided to create our own recipe. We sauteed the halibut in butter and added blackened seasonings to it. This with a side of mac and cheese proved to be delightful.
You need to get some ice skates. I remember doing that as a kid on our pond at home. Tell Greg to smile a little, although it is probably his cut-back in nicotine that makes him look so somber!
ReplyDeleteLaura Best