June 28, 2011

Daily Report from the Journalism Committee

To The Pool Once More by Tyler

Back to square one: the Palmer Community Pool. Palmer, being where the first few days were spent, was not a foreign atmosphere. The pool is an essential stop for us every once in a while. This is due to the fact that on this trip, showers are lacking, so we use the pool as a time to get clean, as well as a place to enjoy one another's company. For many, the mere idea of being clean is grand. This is why the pool is so enjoyable for all. Being clean is something that is seldom on this trip, so we take full advantage. The pick-up basketball game in the pool, the tricks off the diving board, and the water gun fights are just a few of the many memories made at the pool. Great times with friends, both young and old are had at the pool. Who ever thought water could do so much for one's entertainment?

Driving to Seward by Allison

"Time to get up!" and the flashing of the lights in the church woke us up very quickly this morning. Today was another day of driving to a new location, which meant we had to pack up our belongings, eat breakfast, and clean as fast as possible. Within about two hours everything was packed into the vans and we were on our way to Seward. First we went to Sam's Club to buy food for meals and van snacks. Another stop that we made on the way was to a waterfall that went into a big pond with lots of rocks on which we climbed and took pictures. We stayed there for about an hour then were on the road again. We drove until about two in the afternoon, with rest stops every hour or two. We stopped in Girdwood to eat soup for lunch at a little restaurant called The Bake Shop and to go shopping. One of the most popular stores was the jade store. Girdwood had a beautiful view of the mountains surrounding it. After a couple of hours we left Girdwood and continued to drive on the scenic highway to Seward. When we got to our campsite in Seward it started raining. We all raced to find a spot to put up our tents and get our sleeping bags inside of them once they were built they would not get wet. After the tents were set up it stopped raining and we ate dinner. After dinner we got free time. Within an hour we were told to go to our vans because we were going to have a tour of downtown Seward and have time to go shopping. We left downtown Seward and went back to the campground at a quarter after nine for hug time then bed. It was a tiring day but we are all looking forward for the adventures that lie ahead, including climbing Exit Glacier in the morning!

Jewels by Lyle

Muddled jewels of jade plunge deeply into a facetted field of fiery sapphire as the boar tide rushes in and the ebony and ivory of the eagles soar hungrily over the ocean. The jewels of our day were multitudinous, and only a fraction of them could be bought in a jade shop. The road between Anchorage and Seward is broadly believed to be the most beautiful drive in the world, and today proved it to be true. As the broad expanse of the Alaskan coastline spread itself before us the magnificently snowcapped mountains clad in emerald and jade soared thousands of feet into the air. To add to this magnificence, the bald eagles of Turnagain arm plunged into the grey depths as the boar tide rushed in to cover the mudflats. Yet another magnificence of the road was in the weather. As we set out, a thick heavy cloud cover dulled our day, yet yielded to azure skies that reflected in the various clear and still lakes that dot the landscape like mirrors for the most beauteous faces of the angels that are the coastal mountains. As the day progressed we stopped at Alyeska ski resort and had a lunch of some of the best soup in the world, followed by another room of jewels, the jade shop, inhabited by creations of the iridescent state stone. The bits of foliage hued stone curved into bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and statues, bits of the essence of green that imbibes those who truly experience what Alaska is built into symbols of what Alaska truly is.