Exploring Alaska on the McKinley Explorer

From 2014 07 08 McKinley Explorer

One way to travel the 230 miles from Anchorage to Denali National Park is on the McKinley Explorer dome railcars. Large curved glass domes give you a panoramic view of the unfolding scenery, mostly forests and lakes and mountains in the distance, but also a glimpse at ex-half-term Gov. Sarah Palin's privacy fence in Wassila. If you are lucky, you'll be able to see Mt. McKinley (aka Denali), if it's not wrapped in clouds (which it was for us).

More about our trip on the McKinley Explorer after the jump.

Politics Has Been Making Us Stupid For Centuries

It can be depressing to think how politics makes us stupid. Whether it's evolution, climate science, or macroeconomics, politics drives many to hold fast to unscientific positions.

Has it always been this way? It's natural to think the answer is no. That people weren't always this stupid. That today's problems are worse. Then, you accidentally come across a passage in a history book that unintentionally reveals that human nature has a long history of ignoring science when it conflicts with ideology.

After the jump, what the life of Benjamin Franklin tells us about today's politics.

Anchorage, Hanging Basket Capital of the World

From 2014 07 07 Anchorage

Anchorage doesn't call itself the "Hanging Basket Capital of the World," at least not officially. But some say that garden writers call it that. Who am I to argue? If you come to Alaska expecting only snow-capped mountains and glaciers, you might be surprised to see all the flowers in Anchorage. Pleasantly surprised. It's the best thing going for this, the largest city in Alaska. Reason enough to feature the claim on a web page about the city.

More photos after the jump.

OTBR: A Drainage Ditch in Las Vegas

Latitude: N 36° 13.638
Longitude: W 115° 19.560

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

Lesser of Two Evils, Drive-Thru Edition

My mom wanted to buy a pack of cigarettes but I didn't want her to. It was either:
1.) I let her drive drunk to get them herself.
2.) I get her the pack of cigarettes.
I chose to get her a pack of cigarettes because it was the lesser of two evils.

Source: Urban Dictionary.

Cigarettes or drunk driving? Gas station or drive-through Starbucks? Are there no better options?

The Richardson City Council will consider a request for a permit to build a drive-through Starbucks (no inside seating) at the corner of Belt Line and Central Expressway, replacing a gas station that's there now.

After the jump, how to choose between two evils.

Repeat Tweets: Being 27 and Not a Real Person Yet

Repeat tweets from July, 2014:

• Jul 6 2014: Frances Ha (2012): Young dancer in NY struggles with career, rent, friends. Compelling look at being 27 and "not a real person yet." B+
  
• Jul 8 2014: The Time That Remains (2009): Palestinian family's life from 1948-present. Visually lush. Story is absurd, surreal, numbing all at once. C+
  
• Jul 10 2014: Nebraska (2013): Aging, confused father travels with hapless son to Nebraska to claim $1 million prize. Poignant. Small town black humor. A-
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

City of God (2002)

IMDB

City of God (2002): Stories from the slums of Rio. Poverty. Drugs. Crime. One boy wants out. Unfamiliar setting for a timeless story. A-

Kenai Fjords Fjor the Win!

From 2014 07 06 Kenai Fjords

There's a tradition in our family where every family member picks their favorite thing about each vacation - a place, an activity, whatever. For our recent vacation in Alaska, Kenai Fjords National Park gets the nod. I knew nothing about the park before the trip, now it's my favorite place in Alaska. It has mountains, glaciers, the sea, and wildlife. We saw harbor seals, Steller sea lions, sea otters, Dall's porpoises, humpback whales, tufted puffins, horned puffins, black oystercatchers, mew gulls, common murres, bald eagles, starfish, even a smack of jellyfish.

More photos after the jump.

Philomena (2013)

IMDB

Philomena (2013): Woman seeks child she gave up for adoption 50 years ago. No one changes. I didn't see that coming in a million years. C+

A Moody Day in Glacier Bay

From 2014 07 04 Glacier Bay

We had the worst weather of our vacation on the day we cruised Alaska's Glacier Bay. Cold, rain, clouds and fog. Big disappointment, right? I'd be lying if I didn't say yes, but it turned out OK. Being on a cruise ship all day, we were largely protected from the rain. We took a lot of moody photos. And our views of the glaciers weren't spoiled at all. In fact, our National Park tour guide said that rain actually increases calving activity of glaciers. The rain water seeps into cracks in the glaciers, then freezes, expanding and cracking the glacier. We floated in front of Margerie Glacier for over a half hour. It must have calved six or eight times. All in all, a very satisfying day.

More photos after the jump.