Fall Fun

LABOR DAY, SEPT 2009 (Above) -- We had an amazing fall trip to see our nation's largest National Park -- Wrangell St. Elias and the small town of McCarthy, Alaska. The weather and jaw-dropping scenery couldn't have cooperated better! Hope has proven herself as a worthy hiking partner, hiking 10 miles without complaint. We saw the most amazing technicolor bear scat - hot pink from the abundant currants and other berries (but no bears on this trip). We spent two nights at cute (i.e., tiny) historic hotel in McCarthy. We ran into quite a few people we know and we have decided to try to make this an annual Labor Day Trip.

NEW ORLEANS, OCT 2009 (Below) -- In October, we headed to New Orleans to celebrate cousin Vanessa's fun wedding and visit with friends and family! First stop was Lake Fausse State Park outside of Lafayette (Cajun Country). We experienced alligators (oh no cocodrie!) and mega-mosquitos and crawfish etouffe and canoes and Banangrams and a lot of fun with Grams and Grumps.

Next on the agenda was the wedding and its preparations. Hope was the flower girl - she's quite a pro and loves all the fuss surrounding weddings. The wedding reflected Vanessa's and Teddy's traditions and families and we had all of the cousins in one room for the first time in several years. We passed a good time yeah cher.

We had a 7-hour layover in Chicago on the way home. No better way to end a trip to New Orleans than adding on a little deep dish pizza and Millenium Park lagniappe.
WOLVERINE PEAK, AK, October 2009 -- Returning from New Orleans, the following weekend we took a hike up to Wolverine Peak (one of the ones in the Chugach Range that you can see from Anchorage). We didn't make it to the top because we got blueberry sidetracked. Good thing since the frost came the very next day. We got the last of the 2009 Alaska blueberries and we are enjoying them still!


HALLOWEEN 2009 -- Hope was a Snow Cheetah this year. Not to be confused with the Baby Cheetah in 2005, Plain Cheetah in 2006, Leopard in 2007, and Alaska Cheetah in 2008. We have had 3 Cheetah costumes in the past 5 halloweens. Alas, in 2009 it was not a white Halloween for the very rare Snow Cheetah (which was just fine with me!).