7/16/10
We spent last night at an abandoned gravel pit along the Glenn Highway toward Anchorage. Gravel pits are common along the roadsides here. Bosco wonders what they do with all that gravel! This camp was fairly secluded from the highway and QUIET! Dogs loved it. They had waterbarred the road so we couldn't go deeper into the pit but we were very content.
Today we are headed to Anchorage but decided to stop just outside Palmer to see a Musk Ox farm. They are bringing back the musk oxen which had gone extinct in Alaska due to hunting and predators. To finance the operation and to give the native women an income they collect the inner fur of the musk ox and sell it to a knitting cooperative and they make shawls, hood/neck warmers, blankets, caps and scarves. Whew! the hood/ neck warmers are a 18" tube knitted in a lace pattern typical for the tribe they belong to and cost $320, a stocking cap $120, a head band $90. They say it is the warmest knitted fabric available. All of the products are the natural taupe color except the caps which add a design of white by bleaching the yarn and add silk because the bleaching weakens the yarn.
We started calling RV places in Anchorage and the prices were a bit steep: $47/ full hook ups in one and the other with just electric $41. As we wanted to stay 3 or 4 days that was outside the price range. We settled for Midtown RV with a price of $30. It's not the shiniest but people have been friendly and we've lots to do. On arrival I walked across the street and got my haircut by a very nice Korean lady. She and her friend talked and laughed with me and I love my hair cut all for only $25. Sharon, don't get any ideas!
We spent last night at an abandoned gravel pit along the Glenn Highway toward Anchorage. Gravel pits are common along the roadsides here. Bosco wonders what they do with all that gravel! This camp was fairly secluded from the highway and QUIET! Dogs loved it. They had waterbarred the road so we couldn't go deeper into the pit but we were very content. 
Today we are headed to Anchorage but decided to stop just outside Palmer to see a Musk Ox farm. They are bringing back the musk oxen which had gone extinct in Alaska due to hunting and predators. To finance the operation and to give the native women an income they collect the inner fur of the musk ox and sell it to a knitting cooperative and they make shawls, hood/neck warmers, blankets, caps and scarves. Whew! the hood/ neck warmers are a 18" tube knitted in a lace pattern typical for the tribe they belong to and cost $320, a stocking cap $120, a head band $90. They say it is the warmest knitted fabric available. All of the products are the natural taupe color except the caps which add a design of white by bleaching the yarn and add silk because the bleaching weakens the yarn. 
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