I recently made my first trip to Alaska. I will say right now that it will not be my last. I loved it! We started in Anchorage visiting my cousin Justin and his family. Justin moved to Alaska about 30 years ago and never looked back. His wife Evelyn is from there and they are now raising two amazing children Celeste and Orion. The idea for this vacation came from my Aunt Donna, who is Justin’s mother, and turned into a memorable trip of a lifetime to celebrate with my parents their 60th wedding anniversary. I do not know why I have not made this trip before. It’s not a well-kept secret from Minnesotans, we met several during our visit. Three girls were from Clearwater, just 20 miles from our home. Four other Minnesotans were from the St. Cloud area. We felt right at home except for the daylight for 19 hours a day.
My husband Mike, my uncle Mark, Justin and his wife Evelyn spent a day fishing for halibut. They caught several and some rockfish. I had not eaten either before, but Justin as a trained Chef, grilled the halibut to taste like no other fish. The white flaky fish almost had a sweetness to it that reminded me of Crab. Justin also prepared my favorite Alaska King Crab legs one evening and I could not get enough. While they were fishing, we all decided to drive to Seward, Alaska, to the beautiful aquarium. I saw my first tufted puffin. (Try saying that three times fast.) This is a quirky bird that looks like a drawing.
Alaska has so much to see and do, eight days was not enough. We spent Father’s Day taking a train ride through the Alaska mountains with sights of blue glaciers, pink snow, mud flats, Dahl sheep high on cliff ledges, moose, and even a black bear. There were park rangers on board to walk us through the history of Alaska and explained exactly what we were seeing. When I booked this 12-hour trip, I misunderstood it to be a train ride visit to a village where we could have lunch and shop, then take a leisurely train ride back to Anchorage. Instead, we ended up on a mountaintop with gorgeous views but not a restaurant for more than 100 miles. We survived on almonds and tea, but it proved to be a very long day.
At my age, I have decided to only collect a memorable souvenir while on vacation. I made an exception in Alaska and brought back two. A ULU knife with a handle made from a walrus oosik fossil and some Qiviut yarn that comes from the belly of a Musk Ox. (My mom offered to knit me a Qiviut headband.) The highlight of the trip was an airplane ride to visit a glacier. For 90 minutes we flew over some of the most beautiful scenery in America. A picture does not do this justice but as a friend recently told me, “Alaska makes everyone a professional photographer.” Head North my friend, to Alaska!
Hugs and Peace, Sandy
“Alaska isn’t about who you were when you headed this way. It’s about who you become.”
– Kristin Hannah
Heavenly Halibut
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash hot pepper sauce
2 pounds skinless halibut fillets
Preheat the oven broiler. Grease a baking dish. In a bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, green onions, salt, and hot pepper sauce. Arrange the halibut fillets in the prepared baking dish. Broil halibut fillets 8 minutes in the prepared oven, or until easily flaked with a fork. Spread with the Parmesan cheese mixture, and continue broiling 2 minutes, or until topping is bubbly and lightly browned.
Hearty Halibut Chowder
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely diced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, diced
2 large carrots, shredded
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic, and continue cooking until the potatoes have softened slightly, about 10 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the halibut. Continue simmering uncovered until the halibut is flaky and no longer translucent in the center, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in the Cheddar cheese and red pepper flakes until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.