This morning in Talkeetna, it's bright and sunny. I have a few cups of coffee...yesterday's is still hot in my thermos...while I make use of my campground's excellent Wi-Fi.
I've acquired an extra shower token, so I take advantage of that with my second shower in as many days. A "first" on this trip!
Around 10:30 or so, I head out for the 120 mile or so drive to Anchorage. On the way out of Talkeetna, I stop at a pulloff on the Spur Road. I know from my last trip that this pulloff has a really great view of Mt. McKinley. But...because Mt. McKinley is said to create it's own cloudy weather, the chances of getting a good photo of the mountain are only one in ten. This particular morning, I'm in luck...I've got a great view of the mountain...so...lots of photos.
All along the drive to Anchorage, I've got Mt. McKinley in view behind me...more photos.
Around 2:00, I arrive at Ship Creek RV Campground...again I'm in luck...have a nice shady spot available for four nights. Once I set up camp, I unhitch the camper and head out shopping. The best cigar shop in town is closed, but I make a grocery stop for yoghurt, ice, etc.
Back at camp, I manage to get in a load of laundry and, while it dries, I make myself a nice big Manhattan. I'm less than a mile from downtown Anchorage, but it's a brutally steep walk up to the street...so I call a cab.
Soon, I'm relaxing at the bar at Simon & Seafort's enjoying another Manhattan. I strike up a conversation with Tom (Anchorage in the summer, Florida in the winter), and he invites me to join him at a table for dinner. Tom eats here every Monday, so he knows every waitress in the place. So, in addition to some excellent conversation, I also get great service. I get oysters (very good), a Caesar salad (excellent) and a large cut of Prime Rib (sublime). All of this gets washed down with several glasses of great wine.
After dinner, I head over to "Darwin's Theory", my favorite Anchorage bar. I have a couple of beers with more interesting conversations.
Around 9:00 or so, I cab back to the campground. I figure that I'll have a nightcap and head to bed early. Not a chance. I'm soon joined by Steve and Sandra...then Bob...all fellow campers. Iget out the iPod boombox...everybody loves "Girltalk"...more beers..."arthritis medicine" appears and gets passed around. Everything is going fine until I break out the CatDaddy. Everybody does a couple of shots of that...and...a half hour later...it's "lights out".
Around midnight, I slide into the camper for bed. I will pay for this night tomorrow morning...I know that.
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