Virginia A. Spiegel

Alaska bills itself as “The Last Frontier.” I would say that they need to exclude java as they are in the vanguard of availability and quality of their coffee. Way out in the middle of nowhere there would be a drive-up coffee hut and the coffee from it would be the best I had ever tasted. i said that all the way across Alaska. The explanation I heard is that coffee is a necessity of life in Alaska’s dark winters.

Most of the coffee huts weren’t plain old sheds. They had themes and decorations. The hut above had carved animals on all three roof corners and a moose looking out a “window” in the back.

Here’s another lovely piece of folkart from Seward:

Of course, if want you want is just a great cup of plain coffee, then this is your best bet:

Morning in Homer

I”m back after journeying about Alaska for three weeks. WOW on these fronts: mountains, trees, water, wildlife. AND coffee AND art (more about these two items in future posts.)

We visited these major areas and all the little stops in between: Anchorage, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali, Seward, Homer. Besides Fairbanks (Hot Licks coffee/oreo ice cream – need I say more?), I most enjoyed the small towns such as Hope, the more isolated campsites and roadhouses, and the ocean. Today’s photos are three of the many that I plan on enlarging and framing for myself.

Dog food in the air.

On the waterfront.