We're in Barrow

We started out today in Bethel, trying to get some school work done, packing up, and finishing up last minute work. A little after lunch we started our 1160 mile, 3 plane ride journey to Barrow. We first flew to Anchorage, switched planes, then had a layover in Fairbanks en route to Barrow.

After walking the two blocks from the airport to the hotel, we took a stroll to the Arctic Ocean. Rachel wanted to dip her toes in the water, but she may need to settle for sticking her fingers in the frigid water. It's quite cool here (36 degrees) but no snow! Rachel is disappointed, and I don't blame her because snow would be preferable to the mud.
We had supper at Pepe's North of the Border, a Mexican restaurant. Yes, our first food in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the U.S., was chili con queso, frijoles, arroz and flautas. And boy, it tasted good (but not necessarily better than the moose, caribou and salmon we had in Bethel).

Rachel and I took quite a few pictures today of the changing landscape. Bethel was fairly flat tundra with some shorter trees and bushes. Anchorage had a mountain range on one side and a peninsula on the other. Fairbanks had gorgeous tall pine trees all around it that were in varying shades of green, orange and yellow. And Barrow is as flat as imaginable with not a tree or shrub to be found.
Tomorrow Brian will meet with the 5 or 6 Inupiaq translators and see what assistance he can provide. Rachel and I will try to have a normal school day and then do some exploring later in the day. We'll let you know what sights we see in Barrow this week, as well as explain a little more about our last Sunday in Bethel and the events we were able to participate in. Thanks for joining us on our journeys! Donna