Nome Creek




The scenery on the way to Nome Creek

Last week, Eddie, Samantha and I went to North Pole (Fairbanks area), Alaska to spend the week with our friends, Sarah and Kurt, and their 4 terrific kids: Emma, Gretta, Elana and Dieter.  We arrived early, early Saturday morning (like 1:30am early)...and it was still light outside!  Yup, we were in the "Land of the Midnight Sun."  We had such a good time, we're already saving our airline miles to do this again next year! :)

The first day, we just kind of relaxed, planned the week, did some grocery shopping and went out for Chinese dinner (mmmmmm, Pagoda, mmmmmm).  Then on Sunday, we went to church and then packed up the car and headed to Nome Creek.  It's about 2 hours outside of North Pole.  But then again, as I was talking to Sarah, seems like most everything we had planned that week was just about 2 hours outside of North Pole.  (Reminds me of, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" ... "a geographical phenomenon!  Two weeks from everywhere!"  Ok, if you haven't seen the movie, that won't make any sense.  But I digress, back to Nome Creek.)

Nome Creek

Driving anywhere in Alaska in the summertime is a beautiful drive!  The fireweed was in bloom, there are mountains and green everywhere--it's truly breathtaking!  When we arrived at Nome Creek, we made a fire pit so we could get the charcoal started for our foil dinners.  I love foil dinners, Samantha even had her own foil dinner! :)  After dinner, Kurt and Sarah built up the fire and we had s'mores!

In between all the yummy food, Ed and Kurt went gold panning and...we're millionaires!!!  Not really - I think they just found a little gold dust, that was it, but Eddie had fun!  Gold panning was on his wish list for this trip to Alaska. 

As for wildlife, the "Alaska state bird" was everywhere up there...the mosquito!  Not just little pesky mosquitoes like we have here in Washington, these are mosquitoes on steroids!  They're huge!  A bit more impressive was the beaver we saw.  He was busy building his dam - it was fun to watch him scouting out new pieces and bringing them back up out of the water, placing them and securing them to his home.



The beaver building his dam

Elana, Gretta, Emma and Dieter

Is this what Dr. Seuss meant by, "Hop on Pop?"
Kurt carrying Elana, Dieter and Gretta, with Emma to the right.

Tiptoe through the tulips...er, fireweed!

On the way home, we stopped in a field of fireweed for some pictures.  What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon/evening; with family and friends!!!

What a cute family, if I do say so myself! :)