Rick woke up bright and early…his body clock had him up at 4:00. I got us about 7:00 and we had coffee in the lobby and talked with the owner for awhile. We also chatted with a few members of the Coast Guard who were in Barrow doing research about a possible new base. Time went on and we had to check out of our room by 10:00, so at 9:00 we woke up the kids and made the decision to call a cab and ride over to the ocean…a quick 4 minute cab ride but a LONG, cold walk back when wet! We went in one at a time and since I was the only one who was NOT going to completely submerge myself in the Arctic Ocean, I went first so that I could take pictures. I walked in to the waters edge, got up to mid-calf and surrendered. My legs immediately tingled so Rick snapped a picture as proof then I got the heck out!
Next went Rick…he stripped his outer layers down to his bathing suit and ran into the frigid water, went under, then ran back out to the comfort and “warmth” of a thin beach towel! Next went Christopher, who ran in full steam ahead, and with us cheering him on from shore, he plunged all the way under then ran back to shore.
Elizabeth was last but she didn’t chicken out. She took a running start and then dove head first straight into the icy Arctic. She came up and immediately ran out into a towel that her daddy had waiting. I think the expressions on everyone’s face says it all!
We gathered all of our things off the beach (very fast!), then ran to the waiting cab. Got back to the hotel in time for everyone to grab a quick shower before we had to check out. Since we had to check out by 10:00 but our flight out wasn’t until 8:00 p.m., the hotel was kind enough to allow us to leave our bags in the lobby while we spent our day seeing the sights in Barrow.
Priorities were food and finding out something about our missing luggage. We had settled on a place right down the street from the hotel and it was supposed to open at 11:00 so we killed some time walking the area. While we were out, Rick’s cell phone rang and it was the lady from the airlines who had been helping us locate our bags. Elizabeth and I held our breath. We just knew they were calling to say they had found our luggage…no such luck. she was just checking in to update us that she was still on top of it. Crap. Elizabeth and I were trying not to let it ruin our time there, but it was always in the back of my mind. All of our cruise clothes, binoculars, rain gear…so many things that weren’t necessary but would be sorely missed if we didn’t get them back.
After the deflating phone call, we walked back to the restaurant, but at 11:15 it still wasn’t open and we were right near the airport, so we walked over to talk to Nicole to see exactly what was being done to locate our luggage. Not much else we could do, but she did give Elizabeth and I $50 each to go buy any necessities that we might need. It wasn’t a gold mine but it was something.
By this time we were more than just a little hungry so we ended up choosing a diner near Pepe’s called Osaka. GREAT CHOICE! They had just about any kind of food you could want, from breakfast to traditional American fare to oriental. Christopher got an oriental dinner, Lizzie got a double cheeseburger and fries, I got a hamburger and Rick ordered a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings. I don’t know if we were super hungry or if it was that good, but eating in this place brought me back to life. Still suffering from a bit of jet lag and the food hit the spot for all of us. The ladies working there were the owners, I suspect, and they were friendly and efficient. Again, prices were high but it wasn’t a shock so we were ok with it. A grilled cheese sandwich was $8.00...same price as my hamburger plate!
After paying the check we got the restaurant ladies to call us a cab which took us to the Inpuit Heritage Center. It was a $5 admission and well worth it. There were many pictures and exhibits which gave a great education about the local people and their culture, much of which has not dramatically changed for centuries. I was particularly interested in the semi-annual whaling festivities, how they are divided into groups and how the harvest is divided and shared among the entire town.
After spending about two hours at the center we walked across the street to the general store, very much like a typical grocery store but with clothes, hardware, etc. Elizabeth and I decided to spend our $100 here, getting several shirts and a few toiletries. We both left a little happier knowing that we had at least a change of shirts. We decided then that as long as our luggage turned up before the cruise, we would be fine and make do with what we had. What else could we do? This was not going to ruin our vacation.
Rather than get another cab, we decided to walk back to town. Got a few post cards from Top of the World gift shop, spend some time hanging out by the Arctic Ocean, then made our way back to the hotel to pick up our things. We decided to head on over to the airport and hunker down to await our flight. The kids played some Uno and Christopher taught us a new card game.
It finally came time to board…we were all settled in ready for our flight to Fairbanks when I heard a familiar voice coming down the aisle. It was Nicole from the airlines. She stopped in the aisle beside us and with a big grin she held up a pamphlet of tickets and said, “Guess what I found?”
Elizabeth and I shrieked so loud the entire plane stopped to stare at us. I didn’t care! She said our luggage had come in on the flight that just landed and she personally made sure that our luggage was on the plane with us! WOO HOO! DOUBLE YOO HOO! Oh man…we were so excited. NOW we were ready to have some fun! That gurgling, meddlesome, burning pit in my stomach could now go away!
The flight to Fairbanks was uneventful. We landed, went straight to pick up our bags and they were already there…all of it! Elizabeth’s & my luggage looked like it had been through the wringer but we didn’t care…it was back in our possession, safe and sound! We called the Alaska Lodge for a shuttle pick up and we were checked into our room within 15 minutes. No kidding…it was that close…fast and easy!
After settling in, Rick and Christopher got the shuttle driver to take the to Fred Meyer, a local grocer/all-purpose store where they picked up some beer and supper from Taco Bell. None of us ever voluntarily choose Taco Bell but we had limited options and it was actually pretty good. Hard to mess up a quesadilla and tacos!
By this time it was about 11:00 (3:00 a.m. Eastern time), so after eating we all climbed into bed and went to sleep. Next stop…Healy, AK.
Barrow Photo's
No comments:
Post a Comment