ANC-UNALAKLEET

Flight to Unalakleet, a small village on the Bering Sea. This is a checkpoint for the Iditarod, meaning the teams have to come thru here. Now this is the airport experience we would all love. Check in, no security, only one main gate area and they serve coffee and tea!!! Can't beat that. Denali, Mt. McKinley, was crystal clear almost the entire one and a half hr. trip. Felt like you could touch it. What a sight, majestic.

Arrived in Unalakleet at 9 degrees and sunny. Last year it was -40!! Bret, owner of the only restaurant here, Peace on Earth, pizza place. He arranged our stay last yr and this. We will stay over the pizza parlor (music and all) next door to Bret and Davida, Bret's wife. We can eat meals with them as it seems most people in town eat with them as well. Their door is open to everyone. Bret met us with a t-shirt on, pj type pants and shoes(no socks). We had on parkas etc. I'll try to print the picture of Hank and Bret.

Had pizza downstairs when we got here==veggie type. $28 for a small one!!!! Went to the grocery store- the ONLY one, and we paid $1.40 each for apples. Gasoline, in most areas of Alaska, is around $4.00 a gal. (that was just a sidebar). Went to the little coffee house, down the street,(after that we will have hit all the businesses in town). Cute place, with internet access. All the reporters will be there tonight. A smoothie is $6.00!!

To Iditarod Headquarters and not many there yet. Waiting until the mushers are closer. Their computers are down so not much info from them. John Baker is now first but that is changing constantly. We are so sad that Newton Marshall was scratched. He is the Jamaican who finished his first Iditarod last year and was a huge crowd pleaser. Don't know the reason for the scratch but will find out.

Fast race this year, I am told., due to the warmer weather. 

Sun going down now over the Bering Sea (our room windows are right at the Bering Sea frozen waterfront. Sun going down and its 8pm.!

NEWS FLASH: The front runner should be in tonight at approx. 4am. OHHH That is NOT on my schedule. Maybe I just won't go to bed!! Is that 4am or 3am TIME CHANGE TONIGHT!!!

Gotta go get revved up for tonight. I have a sign to hold up-- SALT POINT,NY WELCOMES YOU TO UNALAKLEET.