5 June, 1999

TEA 1999

VISIT TO CORDOVA, ALASKA EN ROUTE ANCHORAGE

JUNE 5, 1999

It is now 10.35 pm, and I have just arrived at my hotel, the Voyager, in Anchorage Alaska, after a long trip from Washington D.C. Though somewhat tired, I am immediately energized by the beauty and splendor of the brilliant sunshine, gorgeous weather of 73 cool degrees, picturesque landscape of snow capped mountain ranges, children playing in the park, people enjoying an evening stroll, and a friendly greeting by the hotel attendant. Once settled in, I left in search of something to eat. By then it was 11.30 pm and nearly all the restaurants were ready to call it quits for the evening. However, I found a really nice cafe/diner, where I was able to enjoy a lovely seafood platter. An hour later, the sun was still up. It was a bold reminder that I was in the Land Of The Midnight Sun. With my sudden burst of energy and the abundance of light on my side, I went for an evening stroll myself, taking in the sights and sounds of the Arctic and literally enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening.

My reflections of the day soon occupied my thoughts......quite a mixed bag. It was a wonderful opportunity to parcticipate in this follow up activity to learn more about the ecosystem of Prince William Sound and its recovery ten years after the oil spill. My journey into Anchorage was a little different from my previous trip of a year ago. I flew from Washington D.C. to Minneapolis, leaving at 2.10 pm eastern time and arriving at 3.49 pm central time. After an hour and five minutes lay over, I left for Anchorage at 5.05 pm and arrived there at 8 pm. All of the flights were very comfortable. I did some reading, watching TV, listened to some music, and dozed off for a while. I woke up in time to hear the announcement that we were flying over the Yukon territories. The pilot indicated the various ranges and mountain peaks that would be visible on the left and right of the aircraft. As usual, this aerial view was spectacular. Passengers were either glued to their windows, or were walking up and down the aisles to peek through an available window to check out the view. I was one of the fortunate ones to have had an assigned window seat. My stay in Anchorage was short, one day. However, there were going

to be enough activities for me to do and see. After a call home to my family at about 1.00 am Alaska time

(5 am eastern time), I called it a night. I invite you to rejoin me tomorrow and for the rest of the week as I relate my experiences while in Alaska.

View from the flight into Anchorage, Alaska.

Aerial view from the flight into Anchorage, Alaska.