Alaska State Fair

That's a pumpkin! 

      We stayed in Anchorage for 13 days to get a few things done truck & RV maintenance, shopping, prescriptions, photo equipment, laundry, and human/canine haircut-wise.  It's over 2200 miles to Salem, OR.  We arrived in Palmer, AK on August 22nd, staying at the Mountain View Campground just east of town and the fair.  www.mtviewrvpark.com/  $40/night (with Good Sam discount) for full hookups with all the bells and whistles.

     What trip would be complete without a change to see some of the world's largest home grown vegetables?  This would be our base of operations for the next 3 days.  The fair is much longer, but this is the time we allocated.  Our last 'HOORAH' during this trip to the Great White North, Barb was itching to see as much as possible.  This was a bucket list 'check off' for my wife.   www.alaskastatefair.org   We had no plans to attend concerts or shows, but just to meander about and sample the various 'fair food' and check out the exhibits.  State Fairs are all about that, excess.  Due to the incredible amount of sunlight and temperate climates during the growing season the area is famous for some incredibly large vegetables.  I know from buying green onions in stores the past 2 months nearly the size of bananas.

      Our first night the campground recommended a very good burger from a place 'off the beaten path'.  Jim Creek Fattburger is on the Old Glenn Highway just north of the Knik River Bridge.  What a burger!

Jim's Double Butte Fattburger

No, I didn't finish it in one sitting

      Although we saw the various vegetables and fruits on display or being loaded in, we were not present for the Giant Weigh Ins.  These are the 2018 Giant Grand Prize winners:

1471.5 pound giant pumpkin

138 pound giant green cabbage

      We spent 2 days sauntering around the fair, exploring the treats, exhibits, and cultural displays.  We had to  suspend our last day due to Barb having a pretty severe bout of stomach flu.  You had to leave early each day as the traffic and construction was terrible.  The lines ran 1-2 miles north and south just to get parking.  Like any fair you do a LOT of walking.  We also did a bit of geocaching while here.  Although we are not at the same 'Magellan Level' our some of our friends, we pick them up when we can.

Home Division large squash    

The guest of honor

Wishing and hoping

You'd think that with a King Crab Leg I could manage a smile

Best of the fair; the tractor pull arena

An abundance of quilts

Open Division Blue Ribbon in Woodworking

More woodworking

Winners in the 'Spiritual' Division

Weather was GREAT, crowds were out

       Other than breakfast I did no cooking here.  We simply ate on the go whenever we wanted, mostly at the fair.  We really did enjoy the fair and the time to explore one more venue of Alaska previously unseen.  From here it's the trek NE to Tok.  Our last stop before crossing border back into the Wild Yukon Territory.

"I'm a big state fair person.  My main goal is to eat as much food as possible, but I tend not to do the foods on a stick.  But, I like big, fat bacon" 

Alison McGhee

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Grilled Ribs w/Fig BBQ Sauce

      Most BBQ aficionados will tell you it has to be hickory, oak, or mesquite...…..it has to be dry rub or wet...…..injected or brushed......sauce on top at the end or on the side.  Sometimes different is better.  Sometimes it's just different, but delicious.   I discovered this recipe a few years back and when I finally tried it I was amazed.  I like figs, but had no idea what it could do for grilling, let alone BBQ Sauce.  I discovered it looking for a recipe for Wild Boar Ribs, but have since tried it on both pork and beef ribs as well......MAGNIFIQUE!   Like many good grilled rib recipes you first start with good seasonings and then bake the ribs to about 80% completion. Finishing on a grill with a good sauce/glaze then becomes easier, tastier, and less likely to burn.  We made these over a simple campfire grill in JBER before our departure.  For this I used beef short ribs.  The sauce can be a little thin, just add more fig preserves and less chicken stock if you prefer thicker.  

Rib Seasoning
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 Tblspn chopped fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds of ribs (your choice)

Sauce
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup fig jam or preserves
3 Tblspn canned tomato sauce
2 Tblspn apple cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper

These are Wild Boar ribs, but pork or beef work well too

Fig Jam or Preserves

      Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Mix the first 4 ingredients.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Now, it's your choice; either grill them or bake them to start.  I prefer baking.  Place ribs in oven for 2 hours and keep an eye on them.

Finished baking

      Take out and place them on hot grill or firepit, liberally brushing them with Fig BBQ Sauce.  Turn often and re-brush when necessary.   It won't take long on the grill, about 10 minutes.

Sauced & Grilling

       Serve hot with beans or corn o' cob on the side.  No other BBQ sauce is needed.

Ready to go w/Bush's Southern Pit BBQ Beans

       We find these to be tender and so very delicious due to the sweetness of the figs; it really adds something to the sauce.  Short ribs can cook more quickly than large beef ribs or pork ribs.  Watch them.  

"If summer had one defining scent, it'd definitely be the smell of BBQ"

Katie Lee

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The Lucky Wishbone Anchorage, AK

      I was clued into this restaurant by a good friend that makes it a point to eat there.  Word of Mouth most often translates into 'Golden Vittles'.  The Lucky Wishbone is a diner specializing in chicken, located downtown Anchorage on East 5th Street.  They are a landmark restaurant in the heart of Anchorage.  Opened in 1955.  64 years in the business and still going strong.  They are Alaska's oldest family owned restaurant.  It has always been a local favorite.  After 6 weeks of fresh seafood, we yearned for something different, comfort food.

Lucky Wishbone 1955

      They offer a complete menu of chicken anyway you want it, including livers, hearts, gizzards, and giblets.  They also have a full line of burgers, grilled deli sandwiches, and soup/salads.  I'm told their Grilled Pastrami is to die for.  They also have a full line of deserts (including 40 different flavors of milkshakes and malts), children's menu, 8 'soups of the day', and of course everything and anything can be 'to go'.  The Fresh Frozen Strawberry or Oreo Cookie Shakes are a popular favorite.  www.yelp.com/menu/lucky-wishbone-anchorage/main-menu   They also have an online presence on Facebook.  

      Their secret is simply that it is pan fried, just like my mama, grandma, and nearly other woman prepared for their families for years.  They start with the freshest chicken, never frozen, dipped in buttermilk, lightly batter and pan fried crisp and golden.  Everything is served with a fresh warm homemade roll, butter, and your choice of coleslaw with fries, onion rings, or both.  Buttermilk makes everything better.  

      Barb and I were in town for about 12 days for some last minute stuff before making our way toward the State Fair in Palmer and after...….the border.  We chose a Saturday evening to dine here. Although there were lots of people, there was still plenty of seating.  The walls are adorned with dozens of family and era style photographs.  I came with my Gizzard Low Level Light in OVERDRIVE  and Barb had a hankering for some fried chicken.

Gizzards

"The Mom" 3 piece fried chicken

      We found our food to be DELICIOUS.  Only the cornbread was made w/o sugar and a bit dry.  Barb loved her chicken; the skin was thin and crispy, but not greasy.  The gizzards were the best I've ever eaten.  They were lightly breaded and when I took my first bite and it was so tender I thought they'd served me the livers by mistake.  After a few more I still couldn't believe it.  I asked the waitress what the secret was, she just smiled.  They marinate them in buttermilk, then boil, and then fry w/breading.  I washed this down with a wonderful peaches n cream milkshake.  The service was excellent.  Our server, Miranda, checked on us often; we never went without anything.  Total cost for our dinner was $34 (Alaska prices).  The Lucky Wishbone is open 7 days a week 10 a/m. till 10 p.m. except on weekends when it closes earlier.  Sadly their founder, George Brown passed away last year, but the legend lives on.  This place is easily the best food I've eaten in awhile.  

"My fried chicken is simple, I pan fry it in a skillet" 

John Legend

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The Kenai....Filling That Freezer With Fish

Very nearly tuckered out

      Sadly, we leave Homer.  We don't want to go, but further adventure awaits.  We backtrack our route through Ninilchik, Soldotna, then east to Sterling, the Kenai/Russian River Fishing Zoo, finally turning south on the Seward Highway. We had 15 days before scheduled to arrive in Seward so we loitered again at Morgan's Landing for 7 days.  We averaged 14 mpg on this leg and were able once again to take advantage of the free water and dump at Fred Meyer's in Soldotna.  While here we also got to visit our friend Molly Tatarka.  She is an awfully busy girl with the kids and her Air B n B, but we managed to fit in a lunch on our last day in town.  Still great to see her.  If you're ever in Soldotna looking for a great lunch I suggest Fine Thyme Café...….the International Beef Sandwich is the REAL DEAL.  Also while here, another old friend, Randy Cler brought his wife and grandson to Morgan's Landing for some fishing.  The 2nd big Sockeye Salmon surge was in the river and everyone was catching limits daily.  They camped near us for one night and we got to catch up a bit as well.  Fun times, making it count.

Molly Tatarka, AWACS Alumni

Them Reds were runnin'

      Leaving here we continued on, watering up for free at Quartz Creek National Forest Campground. We had planned to continue on, but the availability of several nice campsites with some facilities and the fact that we would only pay $9 due to our Golden Access Pass. The fire ban from the Swan Lake Fire has also been lifted so we picked up some firewood in preparing for chillaxin' here for another 9 days.  That was our goal this trip, settle into an area and enjoy it, explore it, while never in a hurry.  We did it for 15 days this stretch.  We boondocked off solar and generator for 15 days and 96 generator hours to compensate for overcast days or just wanted to use the microwave or watch TV.  Total cost for 15 days:  CG $177, generator gas $56, equating to $233 or $15.53 a day.

Quartz Creek Camp

      We did also go and check out our initial boondocking spot for possible future use.  Upper Trail Lake pull off is located 7 miles south of the Seward/Sterling Highways Intersection.  It is on the east side of the road and can be quite easy to miss as it is just a small access road leading about 100 yards down to a huge gravel lot.  

Upper Trail Lake Boondock

      The area is able to hold many RVs and easily a dozen or more big rigs.  You can camp anywhere around the circumference and even on the lake is a couple of spots.  There are also two boat ramps and it is advisable not to park in front of these.  There are small homemade stone firepits, but you have to bring in your own wood.  You are also only about a mile from the small village of Moose Pass so a few supplies are available.  Perhaps the best part of this location is the close proximity to a cell tower.  We had 5 bars of Verizon LTE and I even posted some of this blog from the location. 

Upper Trail Lake Boondock

      When we arrived in Seward we stayed at the Stoney Creek RV Park, about 6 miles north of town.  Very nice park, full hookups, laundry, and showers at $43/night, but 20%  less with military discount and Good Sam.  This is available sometimes, but you do have to ask for it.  www.stoneycreekrvpark.com/  There are municipal waterfront camping sites in town near the harbor, but on our visit they were all full.  They are also $40 and first come first serve. www.alaska.org/detail/seward-waterfront-park    

      Besides a stop for mail forwarding, the main purpose of our visit to Seward was fishing.  5 years ago we did the 'Halibut Fishing Thing' at Homer,   This time we wanted something a bit different.  We love the taste of all bottom fish, but especially rockfish and cod.  We booked a charter with Fish Seward on a day where halibut was off limits due to limit restructuring.  It also allowed us to fish for salmon as well.  Fishing for Black and Yellow Eyed Rockfish, BIG Lingcod, and Salmon;  an all day charter.  www.fishsewardalaska.com/alaska-fishing-rates.html  We knew it would be a 12 hour day so we arranged for a pet walker halfway through the day so the furbabies didn't waste away in the RV.  It was a tri-hull 6 pack boat and the 10-15 knot winds made the ride BUMPY most of the day.  After fishing we had the 18 pounds of salmon fillets processed and shipped overnight to friends and family.  We cut up, vacuum sealed, and froze 20 pounds of rockfish, 25 pounds of ling cod fillets, and 2 pounds of salmon fillets ourselves here in the RV.  Thank goodness for our extra 43 quart Engel Freezer.  For 10 years I fought off Barb's yearnings for a Food Saver, but now we're on our 2nd one and I'm a believer.  Venison, pheasant, quail, wild hogs, fish, etc...…..what was I thinking?   Needless to say our freezer is FULL.  

Filling the box with Black Rockfish

Limits of Silver Salmon & Black Rockfish

The Crew

Yellow eye Rockfish & Ling Cod

      A veritable plethora of meals came courtesy of my imagination the past two weeks as I worked on paring down the freezers for restocking with fresh fish.  I served Reindeer Sausage with Taters n Cabbage, Creole Catfish with Meuniere Sauce,  Boudin Stuffed Cabbage, Crab Spinach Soup, Caribou Steaks with Whiskey Sauce, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and FRESH Alaskan Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch to name just a few.

  

Creole Catfish w/Menuere Sauce

Caribou Steak w/Whiskey Sauce, baked tater, and salad

Alaskan Salmon Bake w/Pecan Crunch

ROTEL Spicy Meatloaf

      We stayed in Seward for 7 days, but the length of our journey since Homer has been 22 days.  We spent 6 weeks on the Kenai Peninsula, an incredible saga from beginning to end.  Diesel here is back up to an eye catching $3.35 @ gallon.  From here we trek NW 127 miles to Anchorage and the JBER Fam Camp for 13 days and some last minute shopping and vehicle maintenance.  So far, the new tires are holding up just fine. 

"Adventure is worthwhile"

Aesop

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi & Stoney Creek RV Park