Nome, Alaska

August 1 - 8, 2013  
Nome, Alaska

Once again the sport of basketball takes us to a new destination - Nome, Alaska.  Don has been asked to conduct a basketball camp there so early August 1 we take off.  A 6:30 flight takes us to Chicago, then 6 1/2 hours from Chicago to Anchorage, then 3 hours to Nome which involved a stop at Kotzebue which is past the Artic Circle!  We arrive in Nome about 8 pm which is 3 hours ahead of central time.  So from the first leg to the end it took 17 hours!


We had a 3 hour lay-over in Anchorage.  We had time for lunch - seafood chowder and fish & chips.  We also had time to explore the Native Alaska exhibits.

In the Anchorage airport

Friday
We are staying with Chuck and Peggy in their lovely home looking out to the Bering Sea.  Friday was a low-key day of exploring Nome.

The Bering Sea

We went to the recreation center where Alan Stein was
conducting his work outs for a few days.

Using Peggy's car Don and I drove around the area.

The High School gym

Art work in the new hospital which Peggy is
responsible for.

Friday night Chuck arranged to have a big seafood feast with the coaches and others at the fire station.  We had Alaska red crab, salmon and halibut.  It was all delicious, but we LOVED the crab.  The coach of the girls team, Don is a crabber so he really knows how to do it right.

Coach Don getting the crabs ready.

Salmon grilled on cedar planks.

Don enjoying the Alaska red crabs.

Saturday
We lined up a helicopter tour for noon to get an overview of  Nome and the area.  It was a cloudy and misty morning but we flew anyway.

Flying over Nome

An abandoned dredging machine
Dredging for gold was and still is going on in Nome.

The Snake River

Nearing the mountains

Mosquito Pass

One side of this lake was still frozen.

Glacier Lake

Cripple Creek

Around Nome
Nome's population during the gold rush got up to 40,000 in the late 1800s.  Now it's about 3500.

The huge gold panning pan in Nome

An old church that is now a community center.

The Nugget Inn on Front Street - the main street through town.

City Hall

Welcome to Nome wooden sign

Much mining and historical items at the Museum

Front Street is full of bars - here is the oldest saloon

At the top of Anvil Mountain

We found a herd of Muskox on the way down Anvil Mt.

Gold dredge # 5 is no longer used.
There are these gold dredges all around the Nome area.

We climbed in, up and around this dredge.

Don at basketball camp

Our Hosts - Chuck and Peggy Fagerstrom

Peggy fixing crab cakes!

Chuck and Peggy out at their "camp"

Salmon berries from an afternoon out on the tundra.

Sheri (Chuck & Peggy's daughter in Nome) bagging
all the salmon berries.
Peggy made a pie and it was delicious!

Many days we had a fire in the wood stove .
August weather was cloudy, rainy, cool

Their house looking out at the Bering Sea.

Chuck getting the salmon ready for the grill.

The Fagerstrom family
Chuck and Peggy
daughter Sheri
son Buzz from Anchorage with Will & Laney