19 March, 2001

Today, I took a drive from Anchorage to Seward, it was 300 miles round-trip. New Seward Highway runs through and along the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. I think the ride was considered driving through fjords. Room 12, please find out for me exactly what the definition of a fjord is? There were many warnings for avalanches along the way (gulp!). It was a spectacular drive along the water and in between mountains. I saw magpies, eagles, and of course ravens. Magpies were a new bird for me to see.

William Seward was the secretary of state in 1867 (Who was the president?). He thought it would be a good idea to purchase Alaska. People thought he was crazy  and called it Seward s Folly and Seward s Icebox. It was purchased from Russia for about two cents an acre. He though the natural resources would be important for the United States. It did cost 07.2 million dollars. I guess that was a lot of money then, but it certainly was a good investment, don t you think?

Well, tomorrow I fly to Fairbanks and to meet the person in charge of the dig in Wales, his name is Dr. Roger Harritt. I look forward to this next part of my journey.