Alaska Part 4--Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

"It is not ignorance, but knowledge which is the mother of wonder."--Joseph Wood Crutch

I know most of you are thinking "Oh noooo. Not another car museum story! All car museums are boring unless you're really in to cars!" Think again my friends! While I was in Alaska a few weeks ago my friend Sarah and I had a spontaneous day trip to the museum. Neither of us are car enthusiasts by any means, but we do love older cars and cars that are a bit different from the norm.

That is EXACTLY what this museum was like. Each car in there had something unique about it either in appearance or something innovative and different for its time. Accompanying each car were outfits showcasing the fashion of the decade/year the car was from. I'd never seen this done before and thought it added a very nice touch, especially for women who were dragged in by their significant others. They would at least enjoy looking at odd cars and really gorgeous antique clothing.

Each car had a plaque next to it describing just what was unique and especially interesting about each car, which was extremely helpful for non car enthusiasts like myself! Not only did they have cars, but they also had antique snowmobiles and bicycles. They even had a car you could sit in and take pictures with. Next to that was also clothing you could try on from the different decades represented by the antique cars.




Several of my favorites were cars that had umbrellas instead of roofs, fringe lined roofs, all wooden bicycles, the first steam powered car, very old electric cars, and of course the very first snowmobile. We spent a surprisingly long time in there, about 2.5 hours. There was so much variety that we didn't pass up looking at a single car. The shapes and sizes of cars today have become so streamlined and no car is really all that different from the next. However, this museum had such a crazy amount of variety that I had no idea cars were so different even from one model to the next. Antique cars were truly a work of art. I genuinely wish that there was so much variety today. You can really tell how much fun the engineers had designing these cars.



There's no doubt in my mind how the Fountain Head Antique Auto Museum become the number one attraction in Fairbanks according to yelp. The variety and quality of the cars and antique clothing was nothing short of astonishing. The museum was very fairly priced and the staff were extremely knowledgeable and you could really tell that they cared about their work. While you peruse the museum you can even see through the gigantic windows into the shop where they work on restoring the antique cars. Definitely don't miss out on this, even if you aren't a huge fan of cars. This place will give you a very pleasant surprise.

"It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense."--Mark Twain

Alaska Part 3--Aurora Borealis

"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."--Stephen Hawking

Seeing the Northern Lights aka Aurora Borealis has been on my bucket list ever since I saw them in a documentary in middle school. I knew my chance was fast approaching as I had recently booked a light to see my best friend, Sarah, in Alaska.

There is a website where you can check the intensity of the Northern Lights each night on a scale out of 10. We saw the forecast for the entire week and knew there was only one good chance of seeing them. That night they were going to be a 5 out of 10. Here's the website if you're interested! http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

Sarah lives in Fairbanks, which is quite a large city, but not anything like what comes to mind when you think big city. Alaska's population is very sparse. They have lots of people, but everyone is so spread out and environmentally friendly that it is hard to tell that you're in a very large city. There is very little light pollution so spotting the lights when they are out is not too difficult.

We drove to a spot away from all the homes and the school on a little side road where there was a nice clearing and no trees to block out view of the sky. We were one of two cars there and both of us were intent on getting some great photography shots! We had some difficulty in setting my camera on the correct shutter speed and aperture, but after some fiddling and trial and error we were able to get some great shots. They aren't professional by any means, but I'm proud of them.

In every photo or documentary the lights always seemed to burst out of the sky and were so vibrant, however they seem to be dull in color until I edited them in my computer. I'm guessing the location was the reason for this.

Fairbanks isn't the only place to see the Northern Lights. The farther north you go the more likely you are to see more vibrant colors and the lights more often. Norway is well-known for Aurora adventure tours. In addition, any location near to the Arctic Circle will provide lots and lots of opportunities! The winter is also a much better time to go see them.

If you have the chance, definitely take the opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis. There really is nothing quite like it anywhere else on earth.

 "You cannot rob me of free nature's grace, you cannot shut the windows of the sky through which Aurora shows her brightening face. " --James Thomson

Alaska Part 2--To The North Pole!

"The larger the island of wonder, the longer the shore of wonder."--Ralph Sockman

I never thought I would get a chance to go to the North Pole, but somehow we ended up there by chance. I was visiting my best friend who had recently moved to Fairbanks, AK. We had already had some amazing adventures and along the way we learned of an ice sculpting contest that was about to end. We thought it would be a lot of fun to make the short trip from Fairbanks to the North Pole.


When I think of an ice sculpting contest only a few things come to mind, such as really neat ice sculptures on display and maybe lights illuminating the creations. That in itself was reason enough for us to want to visit, especially knowing how much effort and talent goes in to making an ice sculpture. If I ever tried to make an ice sculpture it would look like an amorphous blob, so I have a lot of respect for those who can turn a block of ice into art.

We were 1000% blown away by what we saw there. It was so much more than just ice sculptures in a row lit up my brightly colored lights. The variation of sculptures was amazing. No two were anything alike. We saw a penguin, trains, abominable snowman, Groot, minions, and Christmas themed sculptures. Check out my pictures to get a better idea. Words just don't do that justice.

Not only were there dozens of amazing works of art to look at, but there were sculptures you could interact with. Before you even entered the area with all of the art there was a gigantic ice sleigh with a giant ice santa and reindeer that you could stand in, climb on, and take pictures with. Inside there were 3 ice slides you could go down as much as you wanted and all were varying lengths and heights. There were also sculptures that had a hole where the faces were so you can stick your face in to take funny pictures. They even had a walk in igloo and made it so you could pose with several of the sculptures.

Not only was the outdoor experience much more than we anticipated, the activities inside the main building also exceeded our expectations. The staff were all extremely friendly and more than happy to help. There was an area where kids could sit down and color while their parents relaxed and warmed up after being outside. You could also buy delicious hot chocolate that the staff were kind enough to make us.






The North Pole has a lot more going for it that just the Ice Museum with the ice sculpting contest. They take Christmas seriously there. Christmas decorations and lights adorn the town year round. They even have a gigantic "Santa's House" that you could go in and explore. If you love Christmas and gorgeous lights and a town that has no shortage of Christmas spirit, the North Pole is the place for you.




"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand"--Neil Armstrong 

Alaska Part 1--Snowmobiling Tour!

"One way to get the most out of life is to view it as an adventure."--William Feather

One of the first things I booked for my trip to Alaska was a snowmobiling tour. I wanted to knock that off of my list and the Glacier City Snow Mobile Tours out of the shop Great Alaskan Tourist Trap had fantastic reviews and pictures on their website. I gave them a call a few days before my trip and booked 2 spots for my first full day in Alaska.




I originally asked specifically for the Glacier Tour, which they said depended on the weather, but we would see when I got there. They had a Gold Mine Tour as an alternative. However, when we walked into the store to check in we were told they hadn't had the Glacier Tour the whole season because there wasn't enough snow. That would have been fantastic to know ahead of time just in case we wanted to make other arrangements. 



Before you think I'm just spoiled let me explain myself. I am 100% down for adventures no matter what. On their website the glacier pictures were nothing short of phenomenal. They had me chomping at the bit to go to Alaska and I knew I had to do that tour. The gold mine pictures in comparison were mediocre. It wasn't unique. Both my friend and I had been led to believe we could possibly go on the glacier tour so we got our hopes up, unfortunately.
That being said, we did have a fantastic time. 

Snow mobiling is an interesting sensation. It operates like an ATV, but tends to jerk around more. Unless you stay in the path of the person in front of you then it is difficult to maintain the desired direction. There's not really a finesse to it; it's more like you ran out of steering fluid and need to convince it that it should go where you want. That was part of the adventure and I fully embraced it. I was a little nervous and therefore slow at certain points, but we had a fantastic time.

We did runs of around 4 or 5 paths before heading to the top of the trail to take pictures and take in the scenes. The view from the top was breath taking and COLD. We started the tour when it was around -10 degrees F outside and with the wind chill at the top...let's just say that all of us were happy the snowmobiles had hand warmers on the handlebars!

Then we were off on quite a few more trails until we reached the bottom again. We were provided a delicious lunch of reindeer hot dogs and their own specially crafted cider. The food was scrumptious! It was definitely a highlight of the trip. Then we were off again on more and more trails!

After 4 hours of riding with a brief rest with food it was time to make our way back to the shop where we donned our gear. All in all it was a really fun trip and I do recommend snowmobiling in Alaska if you get the chance. There wasn't much time for pictures while you were on the mountain. You were only given the chance to take pictures at the top and during lunch, however some of the best shots came about when we were riding up or down the mountain. I fell behind several times because I stopped for literally 5 seconds to hastily line up a shot, which was slightly frustrating.

On the upside, their guides were very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was listening to the safety briefing and helped anyone who needed it along the way. The company has many great aspects, but there are several things I think they could improve upon for a truly stellar experience.

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."--Jawaharlal Nehru

Doggie Day Trip to DC

"If your dog doesn't like someone, you probably shouldn't either."--Unknown

My boyfriend, Will, and I LOVE our puppy, Atlas. He is a border collie mix we rescued from the shelter and fell in love with at first sight. We try to take him everywhere we can since he loves being with us at all times, loves exploring new places and meeting new people and fellow fluffballs.

The perfect opportunity arose when we were asked to house sit for my friend who lives in DC. Will and I decided to have as dog friendly a weekend as we could possibly have. Our first stop was the National Mall. We walked about 4 miles starting at the Smithsonian Castle. Atlas got his first taste of DC when we stopped there to fill up water bottles. A field trip was in full swing and of course everyone HAD to stop and give Atlas some much appreciated pets. We were off to a great start to our morning.

As we made our way past the Washington monument we made sure to take lots of pictures of Atlas having a complete blast. He got to meet several dogs of all sizes and species who were enjoying a day out on the town themselves. We then stopped for a quick lunch of sandwiches and may or may not have shared some with Atlas too. :-)

After a brief rest we were off again! Atlas was born for walkies so we didn't get to have much rest before he decided it was time to go exploring again. We were lucky enough to walk through the WWII memorial while several veterans were being honored. Will had just gotten out of the Navy so it was really neat for us to see this happen while we were standing there enjoying the beautiful memorial.The Vietnam memorial was extremely crowded and we didn't want Atlas to get overwhelmed or jump on anyone (he's still very much a puppy) so we decided to take the path less travelled through some trees and enjoy the shade.

Our last stop, and our favorite was the Lincoln Memorial.For some strange reason, Atlas HATES baths with a fiery passion and also doesn't particularly enjoy pools. BUT he will jump right in dirty rivers and the ocean. He hates crystal clear, clean water, but will swim until we have to drag him from the water when it's dirty and he can't see through it. He's weird.

That being said, Atlas REALLY wanted to chase the ducks floating in the reflecting pool, which of course was filthy...thankfully we were paying attention and he didn't manage to get anywhere near it.By far our favorite event of that weekend included the Lincoln Memorial. I'm guessing very few dogs have ever actually made it up all of those steps and into the actual memorial itself. Atlas is one of those few dogs who can proudly say he's met Abraham Lincoln. Will and I really wanted to get a picture of Atlas with the statue of Abraham Lincoln, but we doubted he would be allowed to walk around in there even on a leash. Did that deter us? Not one bit. America was built upon rebellion, why not us?Our solution was to carry our then 45b puppy up over 50 steps and to hold him in front of the memorial so we could say we'd done it. Take a took at the pictures. They are pretty priceless and well worth the effort.

After our small adventure we walked back along the mall and just enjoyed ourselves and the warm weather. DC has so many dog friendly areas and hiking trails most people have never even heard of. Most people only think of the city itself, which doesn't scream "bring your dogs!" If you ever get a chance to visit and you have dogs make sure to bring them! The National Mall has plenty of outdoor sites to see that you can easily spend a day doing. Many restaurants in the area have outdoor seating that allow dogs. The trails running all over DC have beautiful trails boasting waterfalls, small rapids, and just plain beautiful scenery that will make you forget you're in a massive city. The best part? You can bring your best doggie friend.Now on to planning our next dog friendly adventure!

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace. "--Milan Kundera

Tour of Richmond: A Sequel!

RIchmond's Gran Fondo aka Tour of Richmond has been going on for quite a few years. It is a cycle race that occurs annually and has several different options depending on experience level. You can do a 29, 59, 79, or 101 mile race!

This year we were set to start and finish our race at the Raceway Complex where several Nascar races occur. My boyfriend, Will, and I decided to enter into the 59 mile race. The previous year I made the mistake of doing the entire race on a mountain bike. Due to the tires gripping the road more my legs felt like they were falling off halfway through the race and by the end of it I wasn't sure I still had legs at all, but I had an absolute blast.

That's exactly why I wanted to do it again and even convinced my boyfriend to do it with me. This year we were smart and bought road bikes, which was a fantastic decision that my legs greatly appreciated. Here's a breakdown of how the race went for both of us.

Mile 1: Holy crap I'm excited! Are you excited babe? Yeah? Sweet I'm already passing people.

Mile 3: Is that a UNICYCLE? That person has balls of steel. Those hills are massive...I hope they don't die.

Mile 5: Feeling pretty great. Hey everyone! Looking good! We've got this!

Mile 10: I feel pretty good. Yes! A pit stop. Time to fuel up.

Mile 15: Still feeling good. Just humming along and enjoying the scenery

Mile 20: Phew these hills just keep on coming don't they? I'm glad they had a lot of food at this rest stop. Hey babe, let's sit here a few minutes.

Mile 25: HOLY CRAP I HATE YOU WIND. Why is the wind coming straight at us at 25mph? Yes I looked up the wind gust rate. I feel like my legs are made of jello and the wind is my worst enemy.

Mile 30: If I could murder wind I would go postal right now. Legs? What legs? This added resistance is insane. WHY is there a huge hill right here? Isn't the wind enough?

Mile 31: Remember, I wanted to do this. I wanted to do this. This is fun. This is fun. This is ...

Mile 35: Dear lord where is the REST STOP. Babe did we somehow pass it? Is this a cruel joke? Have my legs fallen off? Why didn't we pack snacks? Maybe the stop is around this corner?

Mile 36: Maybe the rest area is just up this hill?

Mile 37: Whoever designed this course is evil.

Mile 38: I love biking. I love biking. This is fun. (Said through gritted teeth)

Mile 39: I can do this. I can do this. Hey fellow biker and fellow comrade in fitness and leg numbness. WE CAN DO THIS. Any idea where the rest area is?

Mile 40: HALLELUJAH! Rest area. La la la la di dah rest area. Let's eat. And sit. Sitting it great. Ow my butt is sore. Oh well I asked for it. Maybe we should ride standing up? No my legs wouldn't like that either. YUM sustenance! Man I feel much better. We are so close! Let's pack snacks because....let's not forget what happened last time.

Mile 45: Cruising along, enjoying the adventure and scenery.

Mile 46: Did a 70 year old man just pass me like I was standing still? Yep. Maybe I should kick it up a notch.

Mile 50: ALMOST THERE. I can feel it in my bones!...minus the ones in my legs.

Mile 52: Any minute now.

Mile 54: Everyone let's get excited! We have come so far!

Mile 57: WOW they really had to put the biggest hill of all right at the very end at the entrance to the finisher's lap. Jerks.

Mile 57.5: That wasn't as bad as I thought. Okay I can see the raceway complex! Getting PUMPED

Finisher's lap: HECK YES WE DID IT! Oh hey smile for the camera! We did it! We did it!


In a nutshell, the race is physically and mentally challenging no matter which stage you do. Always, always, always prepare for all aspects and bring lots of water and snacks. This is such a well-planned event and I've never had anything, but great things to say about it. I can't wait to do it next year!

As a side note they have road support, medics on standby, DELICIOUS meals for everyone at the end (for free), quality medals, fun t-shirts that you will actually want to wear, maintenance crews for your bikes at the beginning and end, and booths that sell fun race items. There was even a band at the end! I highly, HIGHLY recommend this race.

A Journey To The Desert!

 “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” –Clifton Fadiman

Will is from the beautiful desert/mountainous city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He lived there for several years before his family relocated to Virginia Beach. His grandparents still live there and we had planned a trip to visit them over Christmas this year. Our flights were booked, Atlas had a sleepover planned at Will's mom's house so he could play with the pit bulls, and we had everything planned that we wanted to see!

Now we had to wait a month for our flights. Luckily time flew by. Next thing we know it's already Christmas Eve! We dropped our fluffy child/dog at Will's Mom's house so he could have a weekend of play time with the pit bulls, small children, and get some snuggle time in. We made it to the airport nice and early because we thought we would have to battle the masses of people flying out on Christmas Eve. However, we were pleasantly surprised that the airport was near empty! We breezed through security in under 5 minutes, which I'm sure most of you are jealous of that time.

Now we had to figure out how to kill a little under 2 hours in the airport. We ended up sitting at the bar having a refreshing drink and delicious dinner! By the time we finished eating we were pleasantly full and went to our gate to relax, read, and people watch.

Our flights were pretty uneventful and by that I mean we both passed out and I actually had a pillow aka Will's shoulder. We arrived in Albuqerque at 1130 after both of our flights were delayed, but it wasn't a big deal.

Before we left, everyone, and I mean everyone, in Will's family warned me that I was going to be EXTREMELY well fed while I was there and that his grandparents would try to feed me at every chance they got. They weren't kidding. Almost every decorative bowl in the house was filled with candies, chocolates, and other goodies. Every drawer either held cooking utensils or more food. Their pantry looked something like a bomb shelter supply that could last 50 people several years.

When we arrived at their house both adorable grandparents greeted us and of course offered us food. We politely declined and went to sleep almost immediately. In the morning, breakfast was promptly served and this the feasting began! Christmas day was off to a delicious start! Since we had just gotten there and Will hadn't seen his grandparents in a few years we decided to have a lazy day and just spend it with his family opening presents, talking, and watching movies. And of course, we had a FEAST that night!

The second full day consisted of driving around town, seeing where Will used to live, taking in the sights of the desert, and going to Old Town Albuquerque, which had lots and lots of stores that boasted handmade items, Native American pottery and other makes. It was really neat to explore all of the stores with nothing but handmade Native American crafts. As an anthropologist I loved seeing the drastic and sometimes subtle differences between the pottery and jewelry of different tribes.

One thing that I really loved about Albuquerque was the openness of the terrain. There were tons of mountains that you could always see in the distance, but there was also very flat desert all around you as well. It was completely different, as you'd expect, from the East Coast and I really enjoyed it. It was a very refreshing feeling.

The next day we were supposed to go skiing in Santa Fe. I was beyond excited because I had never been skiing before and the mountains were phenomenal looking. Plus I wanted to get some really neat action pictures for my portfolio. However, life had a different plan for my Christmas vacation...

First of all, I get sick about once every 2 years. Nothing in between, but maybe a small cold. I guess my 2 year sickness interval was up and of course it had to come while I was on vacation the NIGHT BEFORE the day trip I was looking forward to most. I was lucky enough to somehow get norovirus...I got it once before on a cruise and let me tell you it is no picnic. I don't want to get too graphic, but it is essentially like throwing up out of both ends, continuously for 8 hours straight...

My wonderful boyfriend should get an award for picking me up off the bathroom floor and carrying me to bed every few hours. I felt a little better by the morning, and by that I mean I could drink water and keep it down. I decided that I would come with the guys (Will and his brother, Nick) to the ski lodge and just rest there in hopes that I would be able to ski later. In reality, I just slept all day on a table and some chairs in a corner. It was a huge disappointment that I couldn't ski there, but I'm glad I got to see the mountains and that Will had fun day of skiing. The only upside to this part of the story was that I lost all the weight I had gained by eating until I couldn't move for a few days straight. Not that I would ever condone losing weight this way..ever. I'm just looking on the bright side.

We spent our last night there enjoying spending time with his family, playing scrabble, relaxing, and of course eating. We had a very nice trip minus the illness setback. We decided we will have to go back soon so we can add more adventure to our New Mexican repertoire!   I did get to see tumbleweeds and a road runner so I can call it a success ;-)    I've always wanted to see both of those and I finally got to! (Nick and Will did a bunch of eye rolling when I got so excited over them)

All in all, New Mexico was a great success and I finally got to meet that side of Will's family. It was also my first time to the West coast and I absolutely enjoyed myself. If you ever get the chance to go I would definitely recommend it. It was very picturesque and had a homey feel to it even though it was such a big city.

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins