Aug. 16-17.  Well, the “split up” only lasted a day.  I decided that I wanted to visit Barrow, the northernmost community (and point of land) in the U.S.  It would be my first time to go north of the Arctic circle.  Fortunately, Alaska Airlines flies several times a day in a Boeing 737, so I could go up in the morning and return in the evening.  It was cold, meaning 34° F. (1° C.), and there were snow flurries and wind.  The ice floes were blown toward the shore, which is unusual in the summer.  So I got to check this off my “bucket list,” sticking my finger in the Arctic Ocean and observing briefly the culture and customs of the Inupiat people, who have been hunting whales here for several thousand years.

Meanwhile Cynthia, who did NOT have visiting the northernmost US community on her “bucket list,” spent some time in the Matanuska Valley, which is famous for growing huge pumpkins, cabbage and other such things because they get 22 hours of sunshine during the short growing season.  She visited a musk ox farm, as well.

Back together on August 17, we drove farther up the beautiful Matanuska Valley and actually went out on the Matanuska glacier, which is up to 1000 feet thick farther up the valley.

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