All Things EARTH... part 2

[laurspag]

Melody, I love the poncho dress.  That is very elegant looking, and you will stand out so nicely in the sea of black.  🙂  I think that color will look beautiful on you.

 

With the second outfit, your necklaces are both beautiful.  I think that multi strand pearls with coins jumps out at me.  I think that the multiple strands are very eye catching.  one of my favorite necklaces are different strands of golden pearls that are braided.

 

I think the longer pearls with the tassel may seem less formal.  I know most cruise lines don't call it formal night anymore.  RCI calls it dress your best.

 

That reminds me, I have a nice sparkly gold top.  It looks like antique gold, which is pretty neat.  I haven't had any place to wear it just yet.

 

I appreciate everyone's input on footwear for the merlot dress.  I think my gold sandals are the way to go, and I am going to think a bit about how I want the overall outfit to feel.  That will help me decide on earrings and a bracelet.  It is likely coming with me on the October cruise so I have time.

 

I am really wanting to plan daytime outfits for the May cruise, since I am waiting to see what my daughter chooses for dinner outfits.  I can put them in the spare bedroom, if I want to leave them out...all my summer stuff is put away!

 

Anita, you have made great choices for your trip.  I think you have a lot of great things picked out.  Have you looked at the forecast yet?  I believe you leave in a few days.  I would guess that Alaska is consistently cold at this time of the year.

 

I wear a lot of fleece tops to keep warm in the winter.  For bottoms though, I go with jeans.  I really don't wear leggings except to the gym.  I do a few "athleisure style pants from Athleta.  I love how versatile they are.  They tend to be ankle length though, and not very warm.  I am curious what I will bring to Alaska someday when we cruise.  While I am not someone who wears things on repeat often, I do rewear jeans.

 

Melody, is that like a key lime cheesecake?  Yum...

[awhfy]

Thanks Laurie. I’m taking both necklaces with me so will decide on board. The longer one is very adjustable & has a blue bead…it may win the contest. 

the pie is key lime chiffon with a pecan sandie crust. It’s from Millers Seafood in Galveston TX

[Anita Latte]

Melody...that blue will look fantastic on you! I struggle with accessories, especially necklaces. For whatever reason, I usually just wear a chain with pendant style. I have one "chunky" necklace, a multistrand with a Venetian glass pendant...but the beads on the multistrand are very small, so it's something of a delicate chunky necklace...LOL. I think with all the pattern on the jacket and the sparkle on the cami that you could have a more simple necklace...but it's impossible for me to visualize without a body...LOL.

 

We leave for Fairbanks on March 22. But this weekend we are going to Tampa for a weekend music festival...and DH's last workday is this Thursday. We have Friday to take care of major chores around the house. Like...we bought a chest freezer for our utility room...and we were planning on replacing the plastic like freestanding tub sink in there...so we go to remove the sink and BAM water shut off valves don't work. Sigh. The freezer doesn't fit without removing the sink so...It wouldn't be a big deal except that we went to a youth livestock auction on Sunday. We purchased a lamb and a hog...so we NEED the freezer! If we run into issues, we can use the freezer in the garage...it is a "garage ready" freezer, but I don't want to.

 

I have been watching Fairbanks weather for months...just because. The swing in the weather is pretty broad. I read that we should be prepared for -20 to +30 degrees. Currently, we're looking at highs of 20 and lows of 0 for the forecast that I can see.

 

Most of my leggings are for layering. The catalyst for the Fairbanks choice was chasing the Aurora Borealis. So with that, if we are just sitting in the car for warmth...not moving...and it's between 10pm and 2am...it's the coldest part of the day...and so we need to bundle up significantly!! Thus, the 400+ expedition weight leggings and the insulated snow bibs etc. We even bought down blankets which are super lightweight and have strategic snaps so that they can be formed into a poncho. LOL. 

 

It may seem odd to some, but DH and I have a pretty good tolerance for the cold. Even being here in Florida. We are less tolerant of the heat still LOL. At the auction, under the shade, wind blowing, high of "only" 64 degrees LOL...we're looking around at how bundled up everyone was and we basically had on long sleeved tees and warm vests. We were okay...not super comfortable or uncomfortable...I could have enjoyed having one more layer or a hat...but was fine. 

 

Melody...I've always been partial to vests. I still have cold weather clothing from when we lived in Colorado; and because we like going to places that are cold/cooler, we have always kept things like hats, gloves, neck gators, which I guess they call buffs now.

 

So what I've gathered so far are mostly layering clothes for winter activities and street wear bottoms (the plaid and the wine colored pants). Funny enough, I still don't own any jeans. I haven't felt stable enough in my weight to warrant the time it takes to find a really great fitting pair of jeans. I am planning on wearing a dress for the evening of my birthday...with one of the black leggings and the tall boots. 

 

We have three "excursions" planned...snow machining, dog sledding, and ice fishing. We have an aurora borealis plan at a community center type place that is away from city lights. And we have a night reserved at a public use cabin. I kept the second half of our trip unscheduled incase we have to reschedule either the snow machining or the dog sledding. The ice fishing is in a hut so no need for a reschedule there. Other plans TBD as each day progresses include World Ice Art Championships 2022, Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum (which also has fashion of the time of the autos on display), UofA Museum of the North, Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, Chena Hot Springs Resort, Local distilleries and breweries, and so much more. I'll be wearing street clothes for many of these such things...a bathing suit at the hot springs!...so I'll still be gathering other clothing.

[awhfy]

Anita, can’t wait for your pictures!!!

[MJC]

Anita, your trip sounds so exciting. I love the variety in your clothes, and how fun to have such a practical hairstyle for such an action packed vacation. Also your green eyes really pop. You seem to have covered all the bases with lots of layeringing options and head coverings. One of the big hassles for me with wearing hats is what to do with my hair under it. I don't look good with a hat just pushed on top of all my hair, so it means braiding, or a ponytail or bun that the hat has to accommodate... generally a pita.

 

Melody, I would vote for the shorter multi-strand but that is just because when I wear a long necklace I tend to bang them up too much, or get them in my food, or other assorted disasters. As a teacher I didn't like bending over a desk or table and have it swing around. So for me they've always been far down the list. I think they suit you though and if one is calling out to you... that is the one.

 

I've been tweaking our itinerary for Niagara Falls. With the changes in testing etc for entering Canada, it will be much easier for us now. We've also added a day to make the schedule smoother and to allow DH to work a bit along the way and save some vacation days for later in the year. We have some fun activities planned and got some good tips from our regular waitress at the diner. You never know what you're going to learn just by chatting with people. I love that.

 

I have just a couple photos left from our last cruise. Did I mention when we went to Nachi Cocum there were only 12 people there? I felt bad for the staff but we tipped well. With so few people there the service was very personal and the food was even better than I remembered. Such a relaxing day.

 

 

 

 

There was a HUGE iguana running around the bushes by the pool. Our only company. 🙂

 

 

[awhfy]

3 hours ago, MJC said:

Anita, your trip sounds so exciting. I love the variety in your clothes, and how fun to have such a practical hairstyle for such an action packed vacation. Also your green eyes really pop. You seem to have covered all the bases with lots of layeringing options and head coverings. One of the big hassles for me with wearing hats is what to do with my hair under it. I don't look good with a hat just pushed on top of all my hair, so it means braiding, or a ponytail or bun that the hat has to accommodate... generally a pita.

 

Melody, I would vote for the shorter multi-strand but that is just because when I wear a long necklace I tend to bang them up too much, or get them in my food, or other assorted disasters. As a teacher I didn't like bending over a desk or table and have it swing around. So for me they've always been far down the list. I think they suit you though and if one is calling out to you... that is the one.

 

I've been tweaking our itinerary for Niagara Falls. With the changes in testing etc for entering Canada, it will be much easier for us now. We've also added a day to make the schedule smoother and to allow DH to work a bit along the way and save some vacation days for later in the year. We have some fun activities planned and got some good tips from our regular waitress at the diner. You never know what you're going to learn just by chatting with people. I love that.

 

I have just a couple photos left from our last cruise. Did I mention when we went to Nachi Cocum there were only 12 people there? I felt bad for the staff but we tipped well. With so few people there the service was very personal and the food was even better than I remembered. Such a relaxing day.

 

 

 

 

There was a HUGE iguana running around the bushes by the pool. Our only company. 🙂

 

 

We had 20 people when we went. I too felt bad for staff (we doubled our usual tip)

[laurspag]

I made the reservations for Nachi!  Yay!  I am very excited for both of our cruises this year.  They will both be different: one short, one long, one with tried and true ports, one with a few new ones.  One with my daughter, and one with my husband.  The list goes on.

 

Melody, I was thinking about your sparkly shirt.  I think I mentioned I had a new one, but haven't had a chance to wear it.  I ordered it in December, thinking it would be a nice New Year's Eve top.  We don't go out, but it is still fun to dress up.  I came home and I just wanted to be comfy and warm, so I I think I wore a hoodie!

 

What I like about this is that it reminds me of antique gold.  I got a bit nervous when it first came in, because these knits with the metallic usually had black as the base color, and this one did as well.  However, in most lights, it looks like a brownish or antique gold, which I think is great.  These are weird pictures, but I was trying to let you see the fabric rather than the top itself, if you know what I mean.

 

 

And by the way, the new Athleta tankini is great.  It is very brown and earthy, with a touch of black.  The two shades of brown are so predominant, I really don't notice the little bit of black.  Their swimwear really fits me well.  I think the only thing I don't like is that they like the back to have a lot of different kinds of straps, and I have a rough time with the hooks.  This one has a tie though.

 

I hope Anita is having a great time in Alaska!

[awhfy]

Laurie, yay to Nachi; our favorite Cozumel spot. 
 

I thought Anita was leaving today?  I likely got date wrong. 
 

we leave on April 7. Friends of ours are driving over from Tampa area to spend a couple of days with us before we board Celebrity Reflection  on 9 April. 
 

We were supposed to have a huge storm yesterday & today & it missed us completely, darn, we needed the moisture 

[laurspag]

You are right...she left today.  For some reason I thought the 17th and realized I had that wrong.

 

Do you have a preference with cruise lines?  I have only sailed RCI.  I would like to explore but my husband can be a creature of habit.  We really love Royal though, so it doesn't bother me.

[awhfy]

13 hours ago, laurspag said:

You are right...she left today.  For some reason I thought the 17th and realized I had that wrong.

 

Do you have a preference with cruise lines?  I have only sailed RCI.  I would like to explore but my husband can be a creature of habit.  We really love Royal though, so it doesn't bother me.

We definitely prefer Celebrity. They’ll match your Royal status up to Diamond/Elite.  Non smoking casino, superb service everywhere, one announcement a day, quieter crowd with fewer kids, excellent food in MDR & specialty dinners are great. Martini Bar is fabulous. Shows are better on Royal.  Celebrity offers Always included, classic beverage package, wifi, gratuities. We do upgrade our beverage package to premium ($12 per day per person; both do not need to upgrade with a 10% discount if you upgrade precruise for Elite status)

 

give it a try, the suites are fabulous (but pricey) with their own restaurant. Aqua class (I don’t like location of many of their rooms, under pool deck) has the Blu restaurant. We prefer Sunset Balcony. 
 

We were on Royal in October & are both looking forward to our Celebrity in 2 weeks!!!  Melody

[laurspag]

I probably need to learn more about Celebrity.  I understand they are under the same umbrella, and that your status transfers from one line to another.  I would definitely need to learn more about the general things, such as many of the items you mention above.  I think it is great that they offer a wifi, gratuities and beverage package as part of your cost.  I'm assuming the classic beverage package is soda, coffee, etc?  $12.00 a day to upgrade that is pretty good.  

 

Essentially, the 4 drinks a day from being diamond cover us.  Sometimes though, with a sea day, I could use one more because I will use one for coffee.

 

I really loved the grand suite, and all the perks that came with it.  Generally though, we get a balcony room or a junior suite if we book early enough and they have those in between price drops where I can upgrade for just a few hundred dollars.  I put in a Royal Up bid last time, and it was the first time we've ever won so that is why we had the grand suite.  We really took advantage of all the extras.  Right now, with cruising getting back to normal, both cruises went up in price so I will probably remain in a balcony room for both.

 

My daughter has never been in a balcony room, so she is excited about that.  I told her that once you have a balcony, you really never want to go back.

 

You must be excited about your cruise!  Just two weeks!

 

Margaret, are you at your apartment these days or the lake house?  We have had a lot of back and forth weather, but that is what spring brings.  It was in the upper 50s today and sunny.

[awhfy]

Laurie. The classic beverage package covers all drinks up to $9 (alcohol too). We pay the $12 Pp per day upgrade because we like the good wines & martinis. The $12 per day gives you all drinks up to $15 per day (no brainer for us). Coffee at ElBacio is great (all treats are complimentary 

[awhfy]

Laurie, on Celebrity you get an Elite 2hr cocktail hour at any bar on a limited menu & mimosas & bloody Mary’s at the Elite breakfast(continental). We did like the 4 drink anytime on Royal, that was a good change 

[slidergirl]

I missed the part of Anita's post about the down blankets.  I wonder if she bought Rumpls.  I have one for camping - I LOVE it.   I've been keeping it in my KIA over the winter as part of my ICE kit.  It stuffs into a nice little bag.  They aren't down, but made from recycled plastic, but still nice and warm.  

 

When I get closer to my barge cruise trip (103 days), I'm going to need some help selecting my eyewear.  I'm taking at least 3 pair, maybe 4.  Yes, I admit it, I'm a sunglasses hoarder.  I blame it on my new favorite sunglasses site - Blenders.   Great price points, great styles, great frame colors, great lens colors.  I'm a little ashamed to say I probably have about 15 pair of shades, starting with my custom-made Oakley Jupiters from 2009 to the last pair of Blenders I just picked up 2 weeks ago.  But, when your ophthalmologist says you MUST always wear polarized sunglasses after my surgery, well, I'm following instructions.   Good thing I'm not going to Rome this time - there wass a really nice shop around the Spanish Steps area that had a really nice pair of foldable sunglass readers in the window that caught my eye and I had to go in and get them!

[laurspag]

Oh, how I wish I could say the same with sunglasses.  Unfortunately, I have to wear glasses all the time with bifocals.  That means I have one pair of prescription sunglasses, even though I wish I had a bunch!!!

 

I tried the contact lens for people who wear bifocals, but I have very sensitive eyes, and my eyes were swelling badly after I wore them.  I found them pretty uncomfortable, so I must have been having an allergic reaction to something.  I tried different lens solutions too.  😞

 

Tell me about the barge cruise!

[awhfy]

I’m so excited. CODA won best picture last night!!!. If you haven’t seen this, watch it, it’s a strong film about the deaf community. It was a dark horse, not expected to win, but thrilled to be nominated for 3 categories (& won all 3 categories). We’re proud to say that our friend, Armen Garo, was in this powerful film. If you like horror films watch 645 (he’s in that too)

[Anita Latte]

We are back from Fairbanks! Sadly...we did not want to come home. We so enjoyed Fairbanks and felt so at home there. 

 

Our trip to Fairbanks was...travel outbound Tuesday, March 22, arriving just after midnight on Wednesday, March 23. Travel homebound began on Tuesday, March 29 at 1:55 AM...yes AM. UGH. We were flying Delta...Delta doesn't have but the one flight that goes in and out of Fairbanks daily. We fly Delta though because DH has status with them and we can reserve exit row seats without additional costs and check baggage (though we get that perk from our AMEX as well). It's something that we may need to rethink since moving from ATL...DH travels for work and Delta flights aren't friendly between MCO and DC, so he's been flying American. We'll reevaluate once he loses his current status.

 

In Fairbanks, there were places offering discounts if you flew to Alaska on Alaskan Airlines. Not anything significant on this trip...but something to explore.

 

Before we traveled out of state...we did cross the Florida peninsula to Tampa to attend the Innings Festival. It was a two day music festival with several bands playing Saturday and Sunday, including two of my favorites, Incubus and Lumineers. I love live music! I wore a scarf on my head for the first time while at the festival. My Lumineers Cleopatra concert tee isn't EARTH, but I'm always thrilled when a shirt that isn't black is offered up...I wear this one a lot...at least it's muted. 

 

 

We drove home Sunday night/Monday morning after the concert...which really is the best time of day to drive through Orlando from Tampa. I-4 is the worst.

 

I haven't flown since September 2019 when we took DS to London for college. DH has flown quite a bit. DS has flown back and forth...I'm the odd man out for getting back on a plane in a COVID world. I wasn't concerned but I wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea. With masks required for air travel, I had done some research...learning the difference between a "source control" mask and a "respiratory protection" mask. I purchased several boxes of respiratory protection masks from MaskLab. For a mask, they are comfortable and VERY breathable, or however you say it's easy to breathe while wearing. I'm wearing a green ombre and DH is wearing a gray ombre.

 

 

Figuring out what to wear for travel was a bit of a dilemma. Our highs in Florida were in the 80s and we were arriving on what was to be a high of 18 in Fairbanks...low of 0...and we were arriving right around midnight...so definitely trending toward the 0... Layers are always good for travel...I opted for jeggings...high stretch factor so very comfy...knee high compression socks and my waterproof lightweight hiking boots. On top, I had a fitted, compression like sleeveless tank with my pink patterned lightweight Smartwool hoodie. IDK if you can get the impression of how thin the material is on my hoodie. This is 150 weight Smartwool...I have a couple tops in this weight and it is surprisingly comfortable in warm weather. I use this hoodie for sun protection but it is also really great a mitigating the effects of air conditioning. I also had my Smartwool vest handy and my packable down puffy jacket from Uniqlo. I also had my down blanket in my carry on.

 

Speaking of...Kat, we bought Horizon Hound brand down blankets. The GR-20. It weighs 1 pound 6 ounces...is 77"x50" and has 350 grams of down. I looked at the Rumpl blankets but the price point was friendlier with the Horizon Hound. 

 

Leaving MCO at around 11AM...easy morning...but we had two connections...one in Salt Lake City...one in Seattle. I thought of you in SLC Kat! We had about 90 minutes in SLC...gates close together and a decent food choice right there. I definitely recommend Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh for a protein/veggie forward meal. Weird to say, but it was SO NICE to be able to sit down at a table...take off the mask and enjoy a meal. We had time to take a bit of a walk down to the end of the terminal where we could admire the snow-covered mountain peaks, working out some stiffness from the first flight.

 

A hopper flight to Seattle and THEN...the FIVE hour layover.

 

This was originally going to be a great fun thing because the one Delta Sky lounge near A1 is incredible. We were able to be there on our outbound trip to Vancouver in 2018. But the gold AMEX Delta card no longer has the perk of being eligible for admission to the lounge. Even on our day of travel, we hadn't figured out what we would do. So on a whim, we decided to go into the lounge just to see what they would say...and they said to try the Club at SEA lounge.

 

I recall seeing the info for this lounge online, but I wasn't too impressed. Especially when compared to the Delta lounge. However...when facing a 5 HOUR layover...finding a decent place to sit becomes a high priority. Walking through our area of SeaTac, there weren't any comfortable looking sitting options anywhere...even the bars and restaurant seating looked hard and like a dismal place to park so we went to check out the Club at SEA, which is well represented by this link:

 

https://shop.theclubairportlounges.com/products/the-club-sea-concourse-a-day-pass

 

Admission was discounted to $32 pp when we traveled. At that price, I would visit here again if I had another long layover. I think there were at most 15 people in lounge at any one time? Located on the second floor near A12, there are two main rooms...one overlooks the airport terminal below...one is a wall of windows that looks out onto trees and mountains in the distance with a lightrail periodically crossing the view. The main thing was the QUIET. No ambient music even. It was just a quiet, daylight filled, comfy sit and lounge and feet up kind of place. I wanted to take pictures but with as few people as it had, especially on our side with the outside view...it was like taking photos of individuals and that feels bad. So I didn't.

 

The food was limited, but worked for me. Access to the food was restricted with one lounge worker there to serve you what you wanted. There were a couple premade plates covered in plastic...I think hummus with carrots/celery and a cheese plate. The one hot offering was a ginger chicken stew like "stir fry" served over hot sticky rice. Plated when you asked for it and handed over. It was homey and satisfying and pretty tasty...even if there was a lack of texture. We were happy.

 

There were also free drinks. We enjoyed a craft brew or two or three...they had Elysian in bottles as well as several mainstream bottled beers. Wine, liquor, tea, coffee, soda and water were also available. DH had a couple whiskey pours. He tried J&B because that was my Grandmother's libation of choice when traveling, and Walker Black, I think...just because he could and hadn't before.

 

I think that you can get complementary access to this lounge with a certain Chase card and if you are cruising with certain cruise lines. But I'm not entirely positive about that...

 

While debating whether or not we really needed to pay for a lounge, we met a man who was also traveling to Fairbanks, also trying to figure out what to do with himself for 5 hours. He was headed home after wintering in Tuscon, AZ. He did join us for a bit in the lounge to chat. I didn't learn too much new that affected any plans we had, but it was just good conversation to talk about living in Fairbanks, etc. 

 

With the help of my blanket and the window seat, I managed to sleep a bit on the flight to Fairbanks. We arrived slightly ahead of schedule and all our luggage arrived too *whew*...we did check 3 bags. Winter clothing is large and I overpacked because I brought choices since I wasn't sure what would work best for me in terms of layers.

 

There was a bit of a mix up with the rental car.

 

DH was concerned that the rental place would be closed when we arrived...even though the hours were clear...open til 2 AM. He called from SLC and somehow, during that call, our reservation was altered. They had our reservation for midnight morning Tuesday...not midnight morning Wednesday. But all was well...she had a vehicle she could give us. So instead of an AWD Kia Santa Fe type SUV...we ended up with a black 4Runner...Woot woot! We own two 4Runners...it's nice when you don't have to figure out your rental car...especially at 1 AM after traveling all day. And we were pumped to have a real 4WD vehicle.

 

It doesn't take long to get anywhere in Fairbanks...we were soon at our home for the week. Springhill Suites in downtown Fairbanks. I highly recommend this hotel for both the rooms and the location. With all of DH's travel, we had points enough to cover the cost of our entire stay, so we didn't shop around...except to learn that this is the only Marriott in Fairbanks. However, for the river view (currently iced/snowed over)...the ease of walkability in the downtown and the large room with the separate living area and wet bar area...this place is a winner. I would choose to stay here again.

 

Late arrivals in Fairbanks are common apparently. There were several of us checking in...and the front desk personnel said that there's always a "rush" around this time. No problems with the room. No problems parking. We got ourselves sorted and were calming down and ready for lights out before 2 AM.

 

No alarm set. Wednesday was largely unplanned as an easy recover from travel kind of day.

[Anita Latte]

I have so many pairs of sunglasses! All my recent ones are polarized...I should just get rid of the ones that aren't but I like them. They are more fashion-y and so I keep  them. DH and I each just brought the one pair each though...the ones we were wearing in the festival pic. Mine are the most wrap around of the ones I have and I thought with all the snow that would be the best option...and they went well enough with everything I brought. I match my sunglasses to my outfits more when I'm at home though.

[awhfy]

Anita, what a fabulous trip!!!

[slidergirl]

Anita - it sure sounds like you had a wonderful time in Alaska!  How did the Woolx leggings work out for you up there?  Seems though that you packed exactly what you needed. Welcome home!

 

I haven't been to the "new" SLC except for the Immigration office to get my Global Entry renewed.  I think it's taking a long time for locals to get used to it because we had such a nice, small, easy to get around, airport and now we have this big thing with LONG walks from the front entry to the gates.  Supposed to have a tram installed, but not for awhile.  

 

[purduemom1]

Welcome home, Anita. Glad your travel days went well. I have made 3 round trips since the beginning of Covid-all on Delta-all connecting in SLC. I REALLY dislike the new terminal!  You were fortunate that both your flights were mainline and gates were in A concourse. Ours are always in both A and B and involve a bus to a regional flight. As Kat said long walks, moving sidewalks but no trams. Have heard that there may be trams once they complete the project but that is 2 years away. 
 

Looking forward to more trip details.  
Sharon

PS love the scarf-looks nice with the blue shirt and on you!

Edited March 31, 2022 by purduemom1

[Anita Latte]

I think I've been to the old SLC airport but that would be years and years ago. It seems that we had an unusually good experience there! LOL. Couldn't have been any easier for us. Without any history, I'm a big thumbs up for SLC. I'm trying to remember if we are going through SLC when we go to Glacier... I'll be forewarned for potential hang ups with the connection there if we are...and I think we are...

 

Kat, the Woolx worked well for me. I was concerned that the Stella alone wouldn't be quite enough for me so I actually wore a very thin pair of long johns under the Stellas...and with that combination...it was plenty warm for me. Might have worked with the Stellas alone...but I was in the mood to be overly warm rather than cool when I wore them as my main bottoms that everyone could see.

 

I ended up taking 3 pairs of such leggings with me. I had the Stellas, which had a stretch component that meant they were good for being seen and not just a layering piece. I had a pair of "expedition" weight 33Minus wool leggings that were 100% wool with no stretch factor. They were excellent as my base layer when I really wanted to be warm...and I usually wore my snow bibs over those. They were a 400+ weight. Then I had a thin pair of polyester REI brand long john type bottoms that should never be seen but just used as a base layer when you need a little extra. I wore those under the Stellas and also under my "normal" legging style woven fabric pants.

[Anita Latte]

Back in Fairbanks...it's the morning of Wednesday, March 23. We've had some sleep...and woken up to a winter wonderland.  It's sometime between 8-8:30 AM...this is our hotel room view.

 

 

This is the Chena River that runs through Fairbanks...and here is on the north side of downtown. To the right of the building is access to the greenbelt park that is along the shore of the river and will lead to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center. It was 1 F with a wind chill of -11.

 

A COVID affected continental breakfast was offered at the hotel but we weren't ready for it this morning (it ended at 9 AM)...I was excited to eat at the Crepery which just happened to be across the street from the hotel on the away from the river side.

 

 

Even though I'm in Florida now, I have lived in Colorado and Kansas...where we would get cold and snow. As I recalled, businesses would be well heated...just as air conditioning in hot locales is almost cold to the point where you have to be able to bundle up a bit whenever you are inside, even in extreme heat, I thought the same might be true in Fairbanks, but opposite. I tried to not bundle up too much if I knew I would be indoors. Here I'm wearing my plaid leggings (I did wear my thin long johns underneath) with Darn Tough socks (I highly recommend these if you are a Smartwool lover) and my Xero brand winter boots, style Mika, which I LOVE. Smartwool 1/4 zip top with a fleece lined jacket. My cashmere scarf (very warm) and a wool beanie I bought at an arts and crafts fair in Winston (I met the man that knitted the caps). Also fleece gloves. 

 

 

Snow pack on the sidewalks and road. Piles of snow banked where paths had been forged. 

 

The Crepery is one of those specialty type places where they just focus on crepes, they have so many different breakfast, savory and sweet crepes. Specialty coffee, etc. The inside was one of those quirky decor, local type places...from the kitchen, there were 3 large hot plates open to the dining room areas where you could watch them make crepes and then make the stuffed crepes. I don't have much food porn...but here are the Alaskan breakfast crepe with eggs, cheese, reindeer sausage, onions, and mushrooms and the smoked salmon stuffed avocados.

 

 

 

The smoked salmon salad was very much the way that I have made tuna salad with some crunchies of choice (celery/onion) and a bit of pickle. It was excellent. DH and I split both and we were stuffed.

 

There was a museum that I was very interested in visiting this afternoon...winter hours were Wednesday and Sunday only 12-4. We had time before it opened so we ventured to the local sporting goods shops to check out what was offered in AK. It's always fun to see the local shops.

[Anita Latte]

Very exciting happenings over here...I got a new computer yesterday! Woot woot!! It's the first time in absolute years that I've gotten a NEW computer. My last one was a refurbished MacBook, which was perfect for me because I wanted the discontinued 11" sized MacBook. The OS hasn't been supported for a long while now, upgrading wasn't recommended...it was a 2013 model (an absolute dinosaur in today's computer world), and I reached a point of not being able to function online that necessitated a change. We already had a wonderful monitor and other peripherals so I got a Mac mini...I can't believe how small the "computer" is. Transferring everything is going pretty smoothly. I should be able to continue posting about my trip now!

 

Right after I get my taxes done...

[Anita Latte]

Fairbanks has a museum that is like, what in the world is this museum doing in FAIRBANKS? It's the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. They have on display a collection of over 95 pre-WWII automobiles, including some of the earliest automobiles ever made. Some autos are one of a kind, like the one made in Skagway by a man who had only ever seen photographs of automobiles when he decided to make one. Interspersed with the vehicles are the then current fashions of the time, some shown on vintage French made manikins. It's also considered a living history museum because of the photographs that are also displayed all along the walls displaying life in an automobile centric way, especially in Alaska.

 

When I told Mom about the museum, she said, that's like the one in Malaga! From the websites, it appears to be a very similar concept...

 

The Fountainhead museum is housed in an underwhelming looking industrial metal-type building, with a less than grandiose double door entry. Tucked away behind snow covered apartment buildings and what appears to be a resort of sorts with a snow packed parking lot, there was no indication for DH that this was going to be as amazing as it was. He was along for the ride and humoring me a bit for going on this particular indoor sight seeing walk. It wouldn't necessarily have been the first thing I would have chosen to do in Fairbanks but the winter hours are reduced to Wednesday and Sunday only, 12-4pm. If we hadn't gone today, being Wednesday, our first full day in Fairbanks, we would have had to go on Sunday, smack in the middle of our trip...that didn't seem as good in the timing...

 

So after a leisurely, and very filling breakfast...complete with latte for me...we whiled away some time exploring the local stores that would compete with such stores as REI, Academy, Dick's, etc. And we did go into the local REI, which I have to say was so disappointing because their inventory truly was franchise like in that they carried much the same things that our Orlando REI carries, which does and doesn't make sense to me.

 

Finally it was time to go to the museum! After arriving...and then immediately realizing that I didn't have my camera...back to the hotel...back to the museum...we walked carefully over the slick parking lot...(my boots were pretty good...nothing is absolutely slip proof on ice...but my Xero Mika boots were everything I'd hoped they would be)...and we were dazzled by the high ceilings and bright lights and shiny cars everywhere.

 

There was a bit of an introduction given to a small group of us that had arrived at a similar time. We learned the progression of the age of the vehicles as a path we could walk to tour the collection. The gallery to the side was Alaska specific. We could also see into the working shop of the museum where cars were worked on. All but 3 cars are operational. All but 3 cars are actually taken out and driven about once yearly, usually when the weather is nicer than typical winter weather.

 

This museum is CRAMMED with its collection. It doesn't necessarily feel jam packed when you start walking around, because when you START walking around, you want to be able to see a lot. As with any museum though...you get fatigued by continuing to see the same things over and over again. You think to yourself, can I look at ANOTHER car...and surprisingly, there will continue to be cars that spark your interest for one reason or another, but this is easily a museum where you could repeat visit and truly enjoy all the wonders that are on display. I had no idea that there were so many early car makers...so much diversity in the methodology of creating a vehicle that would be powered by something and carry however many people in varying degrees of comfort.

 

Each vehicle is a work of art really. And the fashion is the same way.

 

I took SO MANY photos in this place. Overview type photos didn't do justice to what I was actually able to see and focus on. Detailed photos didn't do justice to the overall look. I'm going to draw this out a bit here, especially because I will include some of the fashion photos. I won't show so many as to ruin what anyone might see if they were to visit the museum themselves, but I think we can have some fun with a few deep dives on a few pieces that were on display.

 

I hope this isn't boring...it happens to be helpful for me anyway in going through all my photos.

 

Not at the beginning, but more towards the beginning than the end...there was a glorious combination of a sequined evening ball gown and early model Cadillac. I still don't know how sequin gowns are made, if they have to be made by hand, but I'm guessing that a such a gown in 1900 might be constructed with a sewing machine but that the sequin would definitely be added with hand work. 

 

 

 

I wasn't thinking of it at the time, but it would be nice for my depth of field in the photograph to be shallower. For the background around the dress to be more blurry. I think this is a matter of the ISO? Does anyone know? If I were to have changed the ISO would I get a more blurry background?

 

When I looked at this dress, I wondered about the undergarments. I'm not sure what types of undergarments were popular in 1900 and how they might wreck the lines of the dress...and could you see them through the mesh panels? I like how the design breaks up the neckline across the chest very much. The way the blue is added to the silver...I think is very flattering.

 

 

How in the world do you walk with a train? It strikes me that people are entirely too close together in some situations for a train to not be a safety issue...and how could you not care about your beautiful gown just being dragged across the floor?

 

DO NOT TOUCH signs were everywhere. And I should note that flash photography was not allowed...and certainly a flash wasn't needed with how well lit everything was. Depending on the individual display, you were definitely close enough to touch most of the displays so you could really see the details.

 

 

One thing that got to me over and over again, looking at the clothing especially, but also some of the older automobiles, is how much smaller people used to be. I've seen old beds too...and there's no way my feet wouldn't hang off the end. This dress in particular wasn't as trim and slim as some on display, but the person was still shorter than myself. I'm pushing 5'8''.

 

DH is the person in the background. You can catch a feeling for how tall the building is, how much light there is, how closely the vehicles are displayed...how shiny everything is...the size of the photograph reproductions on the walls. Still...I wouldn't mind a bit of a blur in the background here too. 

 

 

The complete vignette of fashion and automobile! Again with the background versus the subject in the photograph... This is a 1903 Cadillac.

 

I took pictures of the signs describing each automobile but they are hard to read without zooming in. This is the information on the sign, not my own words:

 

"1903 Cadillac

Model A Runabout with Tonneau

 

The Cadillac automobile was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French explorer who in 1701 built the 'Ville d'Etroit' settlement that later became Detroit.

 

The 1903 one-cylinder Runabout was the first car produced by Henry Leland's Cadillac Automobile Company. The attractive 'one-lunger' sold surprisingly well and quickly earned a reputation for reliability, driving simplicity, ease of maintenance, and remarkable pulling and climbing capability. This car bears serial number 714 and represents early production at the Cadillac Motor Company.

 

The hoodless, S-curved dash and horizontal tube radiator make a 1903 Cadillac instantly recognizable. The engine sits under the front seat and is surrounded by a copper water jacket. The car's most innovative feature - and one that would eventually bring Cadillac fame and prestige - was its precision-engineered parts that could be assembled without the hand-fitting that characterized most automobile manufacturing in the early 20th century."

 

There is more information given with the stats of the Cadillac including engine, transmission, etc. The facts that I found interesting are:

 

1. Max. speed of 30-35 mph

2. Economy of 25-30 mpg

3. Production: 2,497

4. Factory Price: $850 with tonneau

 

 

All the details on these vehicles...like the brass lamps...the tufted seats...the roll up windshield. These vehicles are like little works of art.

 

 

 

Things like axles and mechanical pieces are all on display. They are all pristine and beautiful. It's mind blowing that these automobiles run as they were originally manufactured to do. 

 

There was a coat rack type area for the museum. A sort of self serve area where you could unbundle yourself if you were bundled up for the weather. I must admit that DH and I weren't trusting enough to hang our coats there. We didn't have heavy coats on though...knowing that we would be indoors.

 

I didn't find this particular dress to be that dated. Is it just me? Except for the train, and even with the train really, it doesn't seem like such a stretch for someone of today to wear this dress...provided that there is the opportunity to wear such a glamorous evening dress. You have to go out of your way to plan an occasion where you would wear something so elegant and formal. I often think that it would be fun for those of use that enjoy such things to plan a big event...just a big excuse really to wear something so formal...just for the fun of it. 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Anita Latte
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