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We stayed at the Sheep Mountain Lodge last night. It is on the Glenn Highway as we headed home.
There is a main lodge with a restaurant and small bar area. All guests stay in charming log cabins on the property. The cabins have a nice front porch with rocking chairs. 
We all really enjoyed this place. After a yummy breakfast in the lodge restaurant, we headed on. We stopped along the highway to enjoy a peek at another glacier.
Near Palmer, we rode through some less traveled roads to check out several farms of the Mat-Su Valley. These farms are known for producing much of the fresh produce we enjoy in Anchorage. The soil looked dark and rich, good stuff for growing those huge vegetables. I'm sure some of those 100 pound cabbages that have won ribbons in the state fair came from this area. Another farm we visited was the musk ox farm. These animals were relocated to this area from an island. The hair from the musk oxen is harvested and woven into beautiful apparel. Native knitters weave intricate patterns into the scarves and hats. This hair, known as qiviut, is seven times warmer than wool. The pieces are gorgeous but expensive. After leaving the farm we continued on toward Hatcher's Pass.
We literally climbed up into the clouds. You can still recreationally pan for gold in this former mining camp. You can tour Independence Mine which was once a booming gold producer.
We didn't tour as it was still rainy and foggy. 
This area will also go on our list of places to return and explore when we have more time. After stopping for ice cream, we made our way home to Anchorage. We rested for awhile and headed out to Sicily's Pizza for dinner. They feature a buffet and Anne put on an outstanding eating display. Greg and I both dozed off by the time she finished. A stack of plates in front of her was proof of the bounty she had just enjoyed. I relay this story based upon Greg's recollection of the events. We returned to the apartment to talk about the trip and look at the hundred or so pictures we had taken. The trip had been a blast and we were all exhausted.
There is a main lodge with a restaurant and small bar area. All guests stay in charming log cabins on the property. The cabins have a nice front porch with rocking chairs. 
We all really enjoyed this place. After a yummy breakfast in the lodge restaurant, we headed on. We stopped along the highway to enjoy a peek at another glacier.
Near Palmer, we rode through some less traveled roads to check out several farms of the Mat-Su Valley. These farms are known for producing much of the fresh produce we enjoy in Anchorage. The soil looked dark and rich, good stuff for growing those huge vegetables. I'm sure some of those 100 pound cabbages that have won ribbons in the state fair came from this area. Another farm we visited was the musk ox farm. These animals were relocated to this area from an island. The hair from the musk oxen is harvested and woven into beautiful apparel. Native knitters weave intricate patterns into the scarves and hats. This hair, known as qiviut, is seven times warmer than wool. The pieces are gorgeous but expensive. After leaving the farm we continued on toward Hatcher's Pass.
We literally climbed up into the clouds. You can still recreationally pan for gold in this former mining camp. You can tour Independence Mine which was once a booming gold producer.
We didn't tour as it was still rainy and foggy. 
This area will also go on our list of places to return and explore when we have more time. After stopping for ice cream, we made our way home to Anchorage. We rested for awhile and headed out to Sicily's Pizza for dinner. They feature a buffet and Anne put on an outstanding eating display. Greg and I both dozed off by the time she finished. A stack of plates in front of her was proof of the bounty she had just enjoyed. I relay this story based upon Greg's recollection of the events. We returned to the apartment to talk about the trip and look at the hundred or so pictures we had taken. The trip had been a blast and we were all exhausted.
Hey Greg,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you and Phyllis are getting a chance to see some beautiful country up there. I saw on the news that the northern lights have been really specatular lately. Have you noticed any difference in them?
---Jonathan Bennett (Blue Ridge Parkway)