When traveling with our best friends Larry and Helen, adventures make themselves — and this trip was no different. This expedition was about the beauty of God’s creation, good food, and finding wildlife.

The Double Musky Inn

Our outing started with an hour’s drive north to Girdwood, Alaska, to eat at the Double Musky Inn. This restaurant is in the middle of nowhere — off the beaten path from the main road, with a gravel and dirt parking lot. Even before it opens at five o’clock, there is already a long line to get in. The dinner did not disappoint. The portions were so large that Mike and I shared the pepper steak, and Helen, having ordered the wrong thing, ended up eating off Larry’s plate of prime rib. The desserts were both delicious and enormous —we took them to go.

The sun was still out as we headed back to Anchorage. We continued looking for wildlife, but not even at Moose Pass did we catch a hint of any.

Aurora Borealis

It was too cloudy to witness the Aurora Borealis in person. While strolling through the streets of Anchorage, Larry noticed a theater specializing in the Northern Lights. For an hour we sat through far too many slide exposures of the lights. In my humble opinion, it is simply not the same as witnessing it yourself. These lights are so beautiful, but only through the naked eye can you truly appreciate this gift from God.

Seward

The following day, we made the drive to Seward. It was breathtaking — the Turnagain Arm body of water followed us most of the way. We walked around the quaint fishing village, ate lunch, and visited the aquarium. For the first time in my life, I saw puffins in captivity.

A beautiful backdrop of Resurrection Bay and a gleaming white commercial cruise ship created a scene that looked like a painting from our dining table.

We drove back in the rain, but it was still light out by the time we reached the hotel. Later that evening we decided to just order appetizers for dinner. The first to arrive was the salmon dip with toast, then the chicharrones with dip, followed by two orders of buffalo wings. Meanwhile, Helen had her eye on the steamed clams. I was in a healthy mood and ordered a broccoli salad — and if that were not enough, we also ordered chicken quesadillas. We all had drinks to wash down the grub, and from there we walked to Baskin-Robbins for dessert. The next morning I found myself wondering why my clothes were so uncomfortable.

Off the Grid

On Friday we drove to Talkeetna, just north of Wasilla. Helen insisted on getting the feel for an Alaskan campground, so we went off the grid — down a scary road that looked like it had no return. We all exited the car with very different thoughts. Helen wanted to go on a hike. I was terrified of ticks — and my outfit that day was not helping matters. My capri pants looked more like high-waters, and the high socks did not quite cover my calves. Larry was scared of bears, and Mike was up for the adventure. Both Helen and Mike came across some canoes and wanted to take them out — thank the good Lord they were locked up! On the way back to the car, Helen pointed out the green moss and orange mushrooms and stopped to take pictures. As we made our way out, we diligently looked for wildlife — no bears, no moose. Even a chicken would have sufficed.

Talkeetna offers rafting, ziplining, and those tiny planes that land on glaciers — but you must disclose your weight to board one of those would-be aircraft, and the cost was astronomical. We all opted out.

No Wildlife

Our last night began with a delightful dinner, followed by a wild goose chase for bear and moose. The waitress told us to take Raspberry Road to find moose. Halfway up, I spotted a huge moose and screamed at the top of my lungs — “MOOSE!” — but we decided there would be more along the way, so we pressed on. The road was nearly at its end when we reached a consensus to turn back to the spot where I had sighted the moose. Honestly, everything looks the same in the dark, and we never found the beast. We did, however, see some enormous animal hindquarters — but due to the dense forest, we never saw their heads. Larry, Helen, and even Mike eventually came to the conclusion that they were horses. In my mind I just thought, really? Two big-bottomed horses in the middle of a forest. I kept that thought to myself.

Helen was persistent and was not going home without seeing something with a tail. At the end of the road we came across Kincaid Park. It was rainy, but we got out and searched — we must have looked like overgrown Pokémon Go players. Larry wanted nothing to do with it and stayed in the parking lot. Our adventure took us to the edge of the park, overlooking another beautiful body of water and a very thick forest. An eerie feeling crept in and the urge to turn back grew strong — but Mike went deeper into the forest anyway. Sadly, no moose, no bears, and perhaps a few big-bottomed horses. Only God knows for sure.

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” Proverbs 18:24

By now, the neighbors know my daughter’s dog by the name Shut Up Paco. The little yapper barks at everything — not even a mixture of vinegar and water can repel the disturbance. If anything, he seems to enjoy the flavor. The shock collar was next, but he powered right through that too. My other granddog is equally memorable — she sheds relentlessly and suffers from a severe case of small dog syndrome. She huge but thinks she’s a lap dog.

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My grandchildren were each given an allowance of five dollars for the Dollar Store — silly string, candy, soda pop, and makeup for Maddie. At the counter, Jacob decided to put on a scene. First came the look — that never works. Then the verbal warning. Then the counting to three. And finally, two firm swats on the backside. It is not that I am old school, but it is the only thing that works on Jacob. Go ahead — call the police, videotape it, and shame the grandma. It is still going to happen. As we were leaving the store, my voice echoed all the way to the car: NO ONE GETS A THING FOR 30 MINUTES! AND IF YOU TALK BACK, ANOTHER 10 MINUTES WILL BE ADDED!

Soon all was forgiven, and they swam for a short while. It was only 6:30 by the time they were done, so Netflix came to the rescue. While I took the dogs outside for a potty break, Maddie came running out with the announcement that Lucas had puked all over his tablet and pajamas. After he got cleaned up, he asked for more candy. William’s behavior, meanwhile, was positively saintly — and he was not sick. Very suspicious.

Maddie polished my nails in two different colors — three coats plus a top coat. My nails took so long to dry that they stuck to everything. I kept getting notifications from Instagram, only to discover that Maddie had posted a selfie.

By ten o’clock I was more than ready for them to go to bed — oh no, not these kids. As if it were New Year’s Eve, they held out for the stroke of midnight. Jacob did eventually fall asleep and went limp like a motionless marionette — all forty pounds of him had to be carried upstairs. We said our prayers, and finally, I was praising God for much-needed rest.

Where was Mike during all of this? Mike always comes in for the cleanup — and like the fourth batter up, he hits a grand slam. Mike cooks, washes, vacuums, and yells — a lot. Together, our little family is safe in the arms of two screaming, temperamental grandparents. We adore them endlessly, but we mostly love where they came from.

“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6