Discover Life During The Alaska Gold-Rush: Chena River Boat Cruise

     

     Coming from Seward to see the glaciers, Trina (my daughter) and I proceeded to Fairbanks. Our schedule permitted us to embark on the three-and-a-half-hour Riverboat Discovery Cruise. This cruise demonstrated the life in a native Alaskan village during the times of the gold-rush. Photos above and below show Discovery III, the boat that we used for the cruise.

Image: Discovery III, the boat used for the Riverboat Discovery Cruise.

      Discovery III (above), a sternwheeler boat, brings back passengers to the time of the gold-rush fever into the Alaskan wilderness through the Chena and Tanana Rivers.We chose the 1:15 pm Riverboat Discovery Cruise situated a few minutes away from the Fairbanks International Airport. We took a taxi that took us to Dale Road, the access road. The price for the cruise was $60/adult and $40/child. 

Image: Steamboat Landing, the take-off point for the cruise.

     Passengers were advised to arrive 30 minutes before departure, so we had time to rest at the pier landing for a souvenir photo.

Trina (L) and me (R) before departure.

     This Riverboat cruise has been managed by the Binkley family in Fairbanks since 1950. This cruise with third-and fourth-generation captains allowed the guests to experience the beauty and history of this native Alaskan community through a full narration during the cruise.                   

Image: Boarding Discovery III in this once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan river boat adventure.

     Not long into the cruise, we witnessed one of Alaska's bush pilots taking off right from the river. Most parts of Alaska may only be reached through one of these small planes (below).

Image: Alaska bush plane taking off right from the river.

     The riverbanks were dotted with adorable log cabins and houses (below). We were informed that an American president was once a visitor in one of these houses.

Image: Log cabins found along the Chena River.

      As we went further along the river, we stopped at the training camp for the Iditarod kennel, run by the family of the late four-time-champion Susan Butcher. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of 16 dogs, of which at least 6 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 9–15 days or more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race).

Image: Iditarod kennel training camp run by the family of Susan Butcher.

     Along the river, we also stopped by a riverside fish camp and learned how Alaska natives traditionally prepared salmon for smoking and drying. Smoked salmon is a gourmet food, native to Alaska.

Image: Smoked salmon being prepared by an Alaska native. 

     We had the opportunity to observe a native Alaskan community as we stopped for one hour at the Chena Indian village. The native Alaskan guides gave us insight in to the rich culture of their Athabascan village.The pretty girl below, wearing the beautiful dress made of animal fur, is of native Alaskan heritage and studies at the University of Alaska, while working part-time as guide. 

Image: Native Alaskan girl briefing the guests
on the traditional way of life of her ancestors. 

     During the tour of the village, we learned about the villagers’ connection to the land and the animals.

Image: Animal hide that they later turn into clothing.

     We also had a close-up view of the animals commonly found in the village.

Image: (L-R) Sitka deer and Alaska moose.

     The cruise offered doughnuts and coffee for free to the guests. Upon our return, we passed by this trading post (below) and bought some souvenir items found in the store.

     This Riverboat cruise is a showcase of the life, specifically, the food and clothing sources of a native Alaskan village during earlier times. This unforgettable experience is recommended to reminisce about the past and appreciate how the people managed to tame the Alaskan wild 

This Valentine's Day, Bring the Family to Uncle Cheffy: The Best Brick Oven BBQ and Panizza

     My sister and I always look for reasons to bond together, sometimes we invent these reasons. This time, it was Pre-Valentine’s Day. So, together with our co-conspirator, my daughter Tisa, off we went to SM Megamall, our usual hang out.

     

Tisa (L) and Ate Nette (R) at the Prestige Lounge.

     Because we came early, we went to the Prestige Lounge of SM Megmall to rest, freshen up and most importantly, keep each other updated on the latest ‘issues’ of the day.

Image: Uncle Cheffy @ SM Megamall (Background).

     After the much-anticipated sister-mother-and-daughter tête-à-tête, we proceeded to Uncle Cheffy: The Best Brick Oven BBQ and Panizza, our restaurant of choice for lunch. Uncle Cheffy specializes in brick-oven global cuisine. They serve brick oven panizza, grilled, roasted and barbecued foods, soups, salads, and desserts.

Image: Uncle Cheffy Menu.

     The dishes here are slow-cooked, so I think it was after 30 minutes that our first order arrived. For starters, we ordered the Uncle Cheffy Favorites Panizza, with oven dried tomatoes, mushroom, garlic, anchovy, chili flakes, basil and 3 cheeses. The cost for a family size was ₱395.00. You’re supposed to take a piece of panizza, roll and stuff with arugula, alfalfa sprouts, and fresh tomato salsa (below). Aside from coming as a square pizza, the not-your-ordinary-toppings made this special. I could have finished the whole serving, except that I was on my pizza-diet-mode.

Image: Uncle Cheffy Favorites Panizza.

     For our main dish, we ordered from their Uncle Cheffy Platter, the Surf and Turf, a combination of Chicken, Leg, Lamb Breast, Beef and Pork Ribs, Cream Dory, Salmon, Tuna Belly and Garoupa priced at ₱880.00.  Good for 4-5 persons, the platter was served with baby potatoes, a salad, and a bowl of rice. There were four dressings, pesto, tomato, mayo, and ‘house sauce’ (which I could not identify). The meats were soft except for the lamb, which we had difficulty chewing. Besides, I am never a fan of lamb meat because of its after taste. The rest were made more flavorful because of the dressings.

Image: Surf and Turf Platter.

     The dessert came next. We had chocolate roulade because it just looked mouth-watering. The cost was ₱150/serving. This was topped by a cherry and whipped cream, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. The filling was light and creamy and the chocolate taste was dense. The flavor and texture were just right and not overpowering. I could have seconds of this. But I was so full by this time so I finished the meal with a glass or two of water.

Image: Chocolate Roulade.

     Our food adventure at Uncle Cheffy was another successful lunch date with my sister and daughter. The foods tasted great and different than the usual bbq restaurant. The square panizza is worth coming back for. Uncle Cheffy, however, is not for those who are strict with their budget. Be prepared to shell out more than your average budget for your family outing.

Image: Inside Uncle Cheffy. 

   Uncle Cheffy is at the 3^rd floor of SM Megamall, Julia Vargas Avenue, Wack Wack, Mandaluyong with tel.no. (02) 401-3658.

Yabu, House of Katsu: Take Advantage Of Authentic Japanese Dishes In The Philippines

Outside Yabu Restaurant.

     My sister had been badgering us to go to Megamall before my brother and sister-in-law left for New Zealand where they have been based. Besides, a very special occasion needed to be celebrated: it’s my birth month. Finally, we agreed to go to Megamall to have lunch because it was the most accessible for us, coming from Laguna. This time we went Japanese. The restaurant of choice was Yabu: House of Katsu. From what I gathered, katsu is short for ‘katsureku’, Japanese for breaded and fried pork cutlet.

Image: Pounding the 'gomashio'.

                Before we were served our orders, a staff briefed us about the menu. Other service crews were very attentive to our needs, as well. To authenticate the Japanese experience of eating, we were made to follow certain steps. I remember that we dutifully pounded the ‘Gomashio’ (sesame seeds with sea salt), as suggested (above), maybe, to bring out the aroma of the toasted sesame seeds. They also added crunch to food.

Image: Adding the tonkatsu sauce.

                Then, we added this ‘tonkatsu’ sauce to the sesame seeds (above).

Bottles of dressings and spices to add flavor to the food (lower L).

     Dressings and spices were available to add flavor to the food (above). I love their spices and dressings, specially, sesame oil for fried foods.

Image: Black Tiger Prawn Set.

     We ordered the Black Tiger Prawn Set (above). This had four pieces of Japanese Black Tiger prawns covered in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and fried to perfection while retaining its translucent and soft texture. Yabu recommended that we dip it into Yabu's special tonkatsu sauce or sweet tempura sauce for complete satisfaction. This set was served with unlimited Japanese rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, unlimited cabbage with sesame dressing, a bowl of watermelon fruit and their house blend iced tea. The cost per set was ₱495.00. When this was still called Ebi Tempura in other restaurants, it was easily one of my favorite Japanese dishes. Today, this panko-covered-prawns are on top of my list.

Image: Chicken Katsu Set.

     We also ordered the Chicken Katsu Set with ¾ inch thick deep fried and panko-covered chicken breast fillet served with unlimited Japanese white rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, organic cabbage, a bowl of watermelon fruit and their house blend iced tea. The cost was ₱385/180g or ₱350/120 g per set. The chicken was tender and the freshly made panko added crunch to the dish. Mixed with the other side dishes, I definitely would come back for this perfectly prepared Katsu set.

                      Image: Family bonding. 

     Yabu: House of Katsu specializes in breaded deep fried foods. It emphasizes the practice of pounding toasted sesame seeds, using sesame dressing with the fresh cabbage and, of course, serving the meal with miso soup. The menu was authentic Japanese. They hired a Japanese chef to make the dishes taste Japanese. Moreover, the chopsticks and the hot/cold towel made this a real Japanese experience. Aside from these, the best part was being able to bond with family through food. I hope to bring my husband with me next time.

     Yabu: House of Katsu is located  at the 2^nd floor, SM Megamall, Julia Vargas Ave, Wack Wack, Mandaluyong with telephone no. (02) 631-1192.

Aurora Ice Museum, Chena, Alaska: The Best Ice Museum Ever!

    

Photo: http://jonlin-alaska2013.blogspot.com/2013/08/

alaska-day-74-chena-hot-springs-to.html

     Excitement is a very tame word to describe what was going on inside me when I visited the Aurora Ice Museum in Chena Hot Springs Resort, Fairbanks, Alaska. We were in Fairbanks for Trina’s graduation rites at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Since we were in the area, we decided to visit Chena, famous for its ice museum, healing outdoor mineral hot spring, indoor swimming pool and many more adventures. About 95 km from downtown Fairbanks, the trip took us about 1-½ hours by car. The drive to Chena was one of the most scenic drives in Alaska. An added bonus was a moose or deer that darted across our path below.

Photo: http://s177.photobucket.com/user/cjg004/media/MooseinRoad.jpg.html

     The Aurora Ice Museum is the world’s largest year-round ice museum that maintains a temperature of about -7 °C. 

Photo: Outside the Aurora Ice Museum.

     Inside the ice museum, I was captivated by the ever-changing colored ice crystal chandeliers. The colors tried to replicate the Aurora Borealis, also called ‘Northern Lights’, most often seen in polar Alaska. These ‘dancing lights’ emit colors in the sky like green, pink, red, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

 Photo: Inside the Aurora Ice Museum.

     The impressive ice sculptures, made of Alaska Diamond or Alaska Marble ice were created by the husband and wife team, Steve and Heather Brice. Steve is a 16-time world champion ice carver and Heather is a 7-time world champion. 

Photo: Life size jousters on horseback.

     The Aurora Ice Museum was created from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow all harvested at the resort. An ice sculpture of a nude woman is found at the left of the entrance. 

Photo: Ice sculpture of a nude woman (R).

     Photo below shows the two-story observation tower with circular stairs. Also, inside is a figure of a lighted pumpkin. 

Photo: Lighted pumpkin inside the tower.

     To keep the museum icy cold in the heat of summer is the patented absorption chiller, the first of its kind in the world used for this purpose. The creativity of the artists is shown through the ice sculptures below:

Photo: Christmas tree.

 Photo: Pulpit featuring the different figures and lights formed inside the balls.

 Photo: Polar bear. 

Photo: Bedroom made of ice.

     An igloo  and a xylophone are also found inside the ice museum (below). 

Photo: Igloo.

Photo: Xylophone.

     There were other ice sculptures found inside the museum, like the bar wherein guests may order their favorite drink or the sea horse that is also fascinating. 

Photo: Bar.

Photo: Sea horse.

     Outside are other points of interest like the souvenir shop and the massage room,  both made of logs.

Photo: Souvenir Shop (Background).

Photo: Massage room (background).

     The Aurora Ice Museum is a long way from home (Philippines). Having gone this far is, indeed, a welcome adventure and one that I will treasure the rest of my days because I may never be able to go this way again

Seward Highway, Alaska: Things You Must Know About Driving Through The Third Most Amazing Highway

Photo of Seward Highway, Alaska, USA

     Long driving could be a bore. But not when you’re driving along the Seward Highway from Anchorage to Seward, Alaska. It is one of the most scenic and dramatic highways on earth. About 201 km long of well-paved roads, it luxuriates in nature’s gifts like clouds of all formations, waterways, snowy mountains, and lush forests. My daughter Trina and I were about to go to Seward City in Kenai Peninsula to see the famous glaciers of Alaska. We wanted to visit before the glaciers melted due to climate change. An Alaskan adventure would not be complete without having seen the million-year-old glaciers. Add to that is driving along the third most amazing highway, Seward Highway, next to Italy's Amalfi Drive and the number one highway, the Rhine south of Coblenz.

Photo of snow-clad Anchorage Mountain as viewed from the plane.

        Our trip started by plane from Kodiak, Alaska, where Trina was based. The view of the Anchorage Mountain above seems surreal to a native Pinay like me, as snow is alien to my very existence.

Free tomato juice in the plane.

     I love the free drinks on the plane, specially, this tomato juice (above). The stewardess asked me repeatedly, so I ordered tomato juice whenever she asked. The smile on my face (above) shows how happy I am drinking to my heart’s delight.

Photo outside Wal Mart with the snow-capped
Anchorage Mountain, Alaska, USA as background.

     After touch down in Anchorage, we stopped by Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Old Seward Highway to take lunch at a fast food restaurant and buy some snacks. At the parking area, I couldn't help but be amazed by the snowy mountain (above, background).

Photo of Alaska Route (AK-1).

     We proceeded to take Alaska Route 1 (AK-1) passing by Kenai Mountains, Turnagain Arm waterway, Chugach National Forest before ending up in AK-9 in Seward, Kenai Peninsula with a rented Toyota 4Runner, a mid-size semi-luxury SUV with off-road capabilities . We were so happy with this SUV, as it came along with major features like, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry, single zone automatic climate control, power driver's lumbar support, power rear tailgate window, etc. 

Trina is shown above as the designated driver (L) with our rented 4Runner (R).

    On Seward Highway, the Turnagain Arm waterway can be seen to our right (below).

Parallel to the Seward Highway, the Alaska railroad system that services Anchorage to Seward is also visible (right). That railroad trip takes around 4 hours and 20 minutes. We made several stops along the way to better drink in the view

Photo of Turnagain Arm Waterway and the Alaska railroad track on the right.

     Seward Highway attracts migrating birds and waterfowl in the spring, summer and fall, and ice skaters in the winter. A long boardwalk at the north end of the marsh allows birdwatchers to get closer to see the birds (http://www.alaskascenes.com/turnagain.html).  There's a good chance of seeing dall sheep and a somewhat lesser chance of seeing some of Cook Inlet's 350 beluga whales and an eagle or two.

Birds and waterfowl may be seen in this part of the highway.

     Along the way, I requested Trina to stop so that I could touch the snow on the embankment. I might not have this chance to feel the freezing snow in my part of the world (Philippines) in the summer month of May. The temperature, about 4 °- 7°C, is bone chilling for my tropical-born-and-

bred body.

I had to get close to the snow.

     When we started this tour, the clouds were dark and heavy. But further along, the cloud formation changed. This cloud like a ball of cotton falling from the blue sky (below) is so rare and I have only seen this type in Seward highway.

Photo of a cloud formation like a falling cotton ball, Seward Highway, Alaska.

     We finally reached Seward City (below) after that long wonderful drive that, ordinarily takes 2 ½ hours, took us about four hours with stops along the way. The adventure-filled drive from Anchorage to Seward must be included in your bucket list because of the amazing views of the mountains, the waterways and the lush forests along the way. The beautifully maintained highway makes for a very relaxing and interesting drive from Anchorage to Seward vice versa.

Photo upon entering Seward City, Alaska, USA.