I mentioned in the very first post of this blog that I teach school. In fact, I have been a teacher for 28 years - all in the state of Florida. Based on years of service, I can start collecting retirement in 2 more years. Of course, I have to retire to do that!
We are considering a move to Alaska at that time, and I will likely resume my teaching career. If you've read this blog, you know that Anchorage (or another city) would not be attractive to us. However, a small town would be. This, and the prospect of another relaxing picturesque day, led us to Hope, Alaska.
To get to Hope, we drove north (back toward Anchorage) then turned on the Hope Highway. The trip took about 45 minutes from our B & B. The drive was nice, and had many beautiful views of the water on the way. We parked near the center of "town," which is a cafe, an RV campground, and a couple of stores. There are public restrooms there, but the toilets don't flush. (We got used to this in Alaska.)
We walked down to the water along the marsh and the shallow part of the river (using those waterproof shoes.) We spoke with a friendly resident, who invited us to walk through her yard to see the river. We visited the museum, which consists of a room with local gold-rush artifacts and several "period" buildings (schoolhouse, cabin, barn, etc.) No charge, but donations accepted. Outside a "prospector" had a tent set up, selling buckets of dirt to tourists. Running the dirt through the sluice box yields a few flakes. We saw a couple of moose munching in a house's flowerbed. Just another day in Hope.
We spent about 2 hours there and saw the entire town. Lots of Alaska history there. On the way out of town, we had a good late-afternoon meal at Tito's Discovery Cafe'. Then, out of a teacher's natural curiosity, we drove by the school: new, impressive, and probably plenty of room for the small Hope population.
We enjoyed our time in Hope, and the town is on our short list for future relocation. It is pretty remote, and to get there, you have to really want to get there. But you can be in downtown Anchorage in 2 hours.
Our day continues in the next post.
We are considering a move to Alaska at that time, and I will likely resume my teaching career. If you've read this blog, you know that Anchorage (or another city) would not be attractive to us. However, a small town would be. This, and the prospect of another relaxing picturesque day, led us to Hope, Alaska.
To get to Hope, we drove north (back toward Anchorage) then turned on the Hope Highway. The trip took about 45 minutes from our B & B. The drive was nice, and had many beautiful views of the water on the way. We parked near the center of "town," which is a cafe, an RV campground, and a couple of stores. There are public restrooms there, but the toilets don't flush. (We got used to this in Alaska.)
 |
| The Seaview, in Hope, Alaska |
We walked down to the water along the marsh and the shallow part of the river (using those waterproof shoes.) We spoke with a friendly resident, who invited us to walk through her yard to see the river. We visited the museum, which consists of a room with local gold-rush artifacts and several "period" buildings (schoolhouse, cabin, barn, etc.) No charge, but donations accepted. Outside a "prospector" had a tent set up, selling buckets of dirt to tourists. Running the dirt through the sluice box yields a few flakes. We saw a couple of moose munching in a house's flowerbed. Just another day in Hope.
 |
| Walking along the riverbank in Hope |
We spent about 2 hours there and saw the entire town. Lots of Alaska history there. On the way out of town, we had a good late-afternoon meal at Tito's Discovery Cafe'. Then, out of a teacher's natural curiosity, we drove by the school: new, impressive, and probably plenty of room for the small Hope population.
 |
| Scenic view from the Hope Highway |
We enjoyed our time in Hope, and the town is on our short list for future relocation. It is pretty remote, and to get there, you have to really want to get there. But you can be in downtown Anchorage in 2 hours.
Our day continues in the next post.
