Post 7-03-2014 Anchorage Museum, Elmendorf Fish Hatchery and Brewhouse

Post 7-03-2014 Anchorage Museum and Ship Creek Fish Hatchery and Brew House

We drove to the heritage center and caught the free shuttle to the museum because parking in the city is atrocious. ($8.00 for two hours), but we missed the first bus and didn't arrive at the museum til 11:15. So with the coffee break (30 minutes) and  the tour, it only gave us 1 1/2 hours to enjoy the place.



The statues are of different kinds of "people", there are fish people, wolf people, bear people, etc. but we are the Real People (Yupik).

 The Anchorage Museum was quite interesting. We started out with a tour by one of the curators that lasted about an hour. It gave us a lot of insight on what to see.  The first place we observed was about the damage caused by plastics in the oceans. Alaska has more coast than the lower 48 states and experience more damage to pumps, generators and anything that needs ocean water to function.  It is amazing to see the amount of plastics that end up in the ocean and plastic doesn't break down except into smaller pieces of plastic.


Current flows around the Alaska coast creating a vortex where plastic debris accumulates.

                            Plastic bottle art


                          All plastic bottles.

              dissected bird stomach-plastic

Artwork made of plastics recovered from the ocean


Nest made with plastic debris

They are most proud of an extensive exhibit of Native Alaskan artifacts on permanent loan from the Smithsonian. The displays were grouped in area rather than clans or tribes.  Although, the living conditions in the different areas also conform somewhat to the clans.  It seems that the early Alaska exhibit was dedicated almost all to the Native heritage like the Heritage Center was. But, it was really enjoyable.

Alaska Totem Pole

There was a room about kinetic energy that was child friendly. It was fairly busy for a Thursday .

Rolling Plates


We had a quick walk through the Kobuk Valley Desert room. The desert is located in the far northern part of the state, entirely above the arctic circle Very arid-only around two inches of rain a year. Can you believe that?. yep, it's true.

Sand Dunes

Vegetation

A Cassna with balloon tires landing on the  sand 

Musk Ox

The gardens around the Museum were so beautiful and there were children playing on the lawn each time we went by there.

  After getting the truck we visited the Elmendorf  State Fish Hatchery. What a place. We didn't get a guided tour but were able to walk around a hallway with windows for seeing the vats and there were several TV 's set up with constant movies of the process. It was free and we may go back if there are tours. It's a big tourist stop so I think there will be.

Out side is Ship Creek and places where you can view the salmon running . Salmon always return to their spawning grounds to lay their eggs. There is a high man made waterfall just upriver from the hatchery to block the salmon from continuing on past the hatchery. Along the bank there's a pipe about 14-20 in diameter that allows the salmon to try to go upstream again that takes them to a fish holding area where the employees strip them of their roe (eggs) and milt (male ejaculation fertilizer that females retain).

We spent a few hours watching the salmon try to swim the lower falls.  Didn't see one make it, but it was something to watch.

The water below the falls was full of large salmon.

Dwayne Tortolini

Dwayne was watching the salmon running as well. He was very informative about where we should go the enjoy trying to catch a salmon as we drove down the Kenai Peninsula. He is an Alaskan and  his family lives in the area. Said he wouldn't live anywhere else. Loves it here. He works in construction full time and fishes every chance he gets. Practicing for retirement. LOL

Today, the salmon running were King Salmon.  As you know, the salmon die after spawning. I don't know what they do with the meat.  Gotta find out.

There is also a William Jack Hernandez Sports Fish hatching program  incorporated in the hatchery. They raise and restock all the lakes with Chinook and Coho Salmon, Rainbow and Lake trout and Arctic Char. They have an extensive restocking program of all the area lakes that gives everyone a chance to catch fish.

The photo are a bit difficult to see since they are underwater in a swift creek. We tried to get a photo of them trying to leap over the falls but weren't able to. The step is several feet high and they can't quite reach it. Some of them look like they weigh 30-40 lbs. They were  huge

Later we decided to have dinner at a restaurant called "Brew House" The calamari was different and delicious with a tasty sage sauce. We had salmon (what else--when in /Rome--) and polished it off with a "World Famous Bread Pudding" with Vanilla custard, apples, currents, caramelized pecans topped off with Yukon Jacks Sauce. WOW! Now we know why it's famous. Had one of the best waiters you could ask for.  Ryan gave us efficient service and was very pleasant. Seems that all the waitresses and clerks are really friendly and always smiling.

We parked across the street several days earlier and saw the number of people going in and out.  We knew we were going to go there before we left town.  It was the BEST!  Went back the next night!

The only wood fired rotisserie in Alaska. They burn Kachamek Bay Alder wood for roasting and grilling.It imparts a unique subtle smoky flavor for seafood and meats.