It’s blueberry season in Alaska and what better way to celebrate it than with a festival! We traveled to Girdwood to meet up with one of the Hippygeek’s old friends from Houston and to visit with some new friends we had met at Salmonstock. It was a bonus that there was a festival going on.
Nestled into the Chugach Mountains, the Alyeska Ski Resort is an idyllic setting to host the annual event. There are mountain peaks and glaciers at every turn as well as blueberries on every bush at this time of year.
It was fun to share the day with the Hippygeek’s friend Daniel, his wife Kathleen and their daughter Brynn. Local artisians filled tents with their crafts, bands played throughout the day, funnel cakes and other “fair food” was available as well as gourmet food prepared by the hotel’s restaurant staff and blueberries served in every way.
Blueberry bushes line the ski runs and the resort offered free rides on a chair lift to get to the blueberries on the mountain. We took the ride up but, the festival goers with buckets got there before us so the berries along the trail were picked over. Although, the Big Dude did end up with a small bag of blueberries and a few raspberries too.
left: A new way to make lemonade?
The Lil’ Dude was determined to get into the pie eating contest but, his lame parents missed the registration so he had to watch instead. It was amusing to see pie all over the children’s faces and would have been more amusing to see pie all over the Lil’ Dudes face. However, I had to leave before it was over because I have a hard time watching anyone gorge themselves (especially children) to earn a prize. I actually would like to have a word with whomever invented the idea of food eating contests!
The resort is also a popular paragliding site and the paragliders could be seen all day circling the valley and landing in Moose Meadow.
right: Brynn and the Lil’ Dude climb the wall.
The whole day was great fun and since one of the goals of our trip is to visit old friends, it was especially nice to have been able to spend it with Daniel, Kathleen and Brynn.
below: Daniel, Kathleen and Brynn’s reflections in a pond below the chairlift.
Feeling low, feeling blue?
Don’t know what you’re gonna do?
Feeling dull, in a funk?
Well make yourself
Some blueberry grunt!
Lousy day, rotten luck,
Almost run down by a truck?
Feeling just a little punk?
Just make some hot blueberry grunt!
Grunt, grunt,
Gooey, sticky, yummy, grunt.
Mmm! Eww! Just the thing
when you’re feeling blue.
Broken leg? Broken arm?
Did you loose your lucky charm?
Brother lock you in a trunk?
Have some more blueberry grunt!
Lose your job? Can’t find work? Someone treats you like a jerk?
Have to lead life like a monk?
Try some more blueberry grunt!
Grunt, grunt,
Gooey, sticky, yummy, grunt.
Mmm! Eww! Just the thing
when you’re feeling blue!
Sienna V