Hope, Alaska

On one of the beautiful days when the sun shone (we didn’t have many – Anchorage is having an especially wet summer this year), my husband and I took an outing to Hope, Alaska. This entailed driving 70 miles on the Seward Highway around Turnagain Arm (where Captain James Cook had to “turn again” after realizing this waterway was not the Northwest Passage), then driving 17 miles on the Hope Highway.

Railroad that follows the Seward Highway.

Slough and meadow near the railroad, filled with wildflowers.

The scenery was breathtaking – the Chugach Mountains, Cook Inlet in the distance, and Turnagain Arm dominated the view. We stopped at a Visitor Center/railroad depot to pick up some information, and to explore the railroad tracks and slough. We saw lots of wildflowers, including Fireweed, Cow Parsnip, and Shasta daisies. With all the water, everything was green and lush – almost like Southeast Alaska. This kind of outing reminds me how important nature remains for humans.

The Social Hall in Hope, Alaska.

A more current social hall - the Seaview Cafe.

Hope is a tiny town with a Gold Rush history. There is a Historical and Mining Museum to explore, but we spent most of our time watching people fishing in Porcupine Creek, and walking on the marsh close to Porcupine Creek Campground. The air was clear, the sky blue, the clouds white; being outside seemed more appealing. Later, back in Anchorage, we ate a late dinner at the Moose’s Tooth and then attended our son’s art opening at the Crush in downtown Anchorage. It was a grand day!

Porcupine Creek - a paradise for fishing.

Personal Path

On my morning walk near our Anchorage hotel, I discovered this small path that cut into a park, taking me off the busy street and side walk. This little personal path was a delight, with its landscaping of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Further up the path is a park bench positioned to take in the view of a small wood, lush green lawn (water conservation is not a concern), and playground equipment in the distance.

This is a great example of small landscaping in a public place. It is attractive, beckons to be explored, and moved me away from splashing cars during a small rain shower.

Small path cuts through the park and parallels the road.

Green Roof in Anchorage

This green roof caught my eye in downtown Anchorage. The Visitor Information Center is covered with a meadow of local wildflowers, reminiscent of a prairie sod roof from pioneer days.

Visitor Information Center in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. 

The log cabin is also surrounded with annuals in shades of pink and purple. Annuals are very popular in a place with a short and intense growing season. The soil is rich with nitrogen so the flowers grow large and bold.

Sod roof and perennial border of bright annuals.