Q: What kind of fish are there?
A: There are many kinds of fish, but we saw a river where salmon spawn. My mom ate smoked and raw salmon with dill last night.
Q: Have you seen any sled dogs?
A: No, but I will be seeing some on Wednesday because we are going to Martin Buser's kennel. Martin Buser is a four-time Iditarod champion.
Q: What is your favorite memory so far?
A: Everything!
Q: Have you found a wild moose yet?
A: No, but we hope to!
Q: How cold is it in Alaska?
A: Here in Anchorage it has been in the 20-30 degree range, but in different parts of Alaska it is frigid!
Q: What is your favorite part about the bed & breakfast?
A: The breakfast and the comfort of home
Q: What is a bed and breakfast?
A: A bed and breakfast is a house that rents rooms. The owner usually lives in a part of the house and cooks delicious breakfast for the guests in the morning. At our bed and breakfast, we have a two bedrooms and a bathroom on the top floor. If we don't want to be in our bedrooms, we can go downstairs and sit in the living room or kitchen. There are only three groups of guests staying at this bed and breakfast, so it is very quiet and homey!
Q: Have you met any mushers before the trip?
A: Yes, we have met Lance Mackey, Joe Runyan, Jeff King, and Ed Stielstra. The first three are Iditarod champions. Ed runs in the UP 200 race that is in Michigan each year.
Q: What is the time difference between Wisconsin and Alaska?
A: Alaska is three hours earlier than Wisconsin! So if it is 7:00 in the morning here, and we are just getting up, it is 10:00 in Wisconsin, and you are getting ready for recess at St. Al's!
Q: Has it been snowing there since you arrived?
A: It snowed all along the Kenai Peninsula yesterday when we were driving to Seward. The peninsula is all along the water, so there was a lot of ocean-effect snow. It didn't snow at all today where we were, north of Anchorage.
Q: When does the Iditarod start?
A: It starts on Saturday, but that is just the ceremonial start. It's kind of like a big parade for all the fans. The real race starts on Sunday out of Willow (an hour north of Anchorage).
Q: Did you see any polar bears?
A: There are no polar bears where we are. They are much farther north near the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean where they can fish.
Q: Where did all the water go in the "Mud Flats" of Turnagain Arm? Excellent question from one of my 2nd graders!
A: Well, this is a pretty complicated answer, but I'll try to make it simple. First of all, you need to remember what gravity is. Gravity is a force that pulls things toward something else. For example, gravity is what holds us to the ground instead of us floating away. Gravity is what pulls an apple to the floor when you stop holding it in your hand. The moon has a gravitational pull on the oceans on Earth. As the moon rotates around Earth, it tugs on the water and pulls it higher onto shore. Think of it as your mom pulling your blankets up from your feet to your chin. The blanket comes up higher on your body when your mom pulls on it. When the ocean is high on shore, it is called high tide. As we were driving along Turnagain Arm yesterday, the moon was over Alaska and tugging on the ocean and pulling it towards the shores of Alaska. Later, when we came back up the highway, the moon had moved on around Earth, and was no longer tugging at the water on our part of the world. Because of that, the water was able to flow back out to sea, leaving the Mud Flats showing. This is called low tide. This would be like your mom not pulling on your blankets anymore, and them going back down to your feet. The tides are more complicated than this, but hopefully this helps you understand it a bit better.