Nana and Grandpa Buck's Big Unalaskan Adventure

My parents just returned to Montana after a week long spa vacation here on the island. They managed some 9ish hours of flying and 5 take-offs and landings to arrive here last Thursday. I believe it's the farthest my dad has ever been away from home and their first trip to the great state of AK. Lucky for them, they got the Aleutian flight tour on the trip from Anchorage, stopping in King Salmon and Cold Bay for extra fuel. But they arrived to some sunny, beautiful island weather and a host of cute grandson activities. And they brought with them some tasty and handy goodies.....fresh raspberries, basil and lettuce from the Cook farm, Flathead cherries, and a host of necessary supplies like dishcloths and toilet brushes! Woo-hoo!

We had a beautiful sunrise the first morning....one of the first we've seen since it's usually foggy in the morning. Yes, lucky indeed.


After introducing them to the schedule on Friday, we took off Saturday for a big hike. We hiked over to the Peace of Mind cabin with Dawson's co-workers. You take off from near the summit of the Overland pass road and hike over a few mountains and valleys until you reach the beach where there is a small cabin, an impressive sauna and some beautiful scenery. This sauna is pretty fancy. It's got a network of coils that hook up to the neighboring stream and could make for a fantastic winter ski vacation!
Senor enjoyed being carried, but it became quite clear that he's really much more of an adventurer. Beaches are fun! Sand, water, rocks.....
Which leads to some interesting fashion statements....



Of course, we couldn't let them leave without seeing their fair share of WWII bunkers...


They enjoyed the many views of mountains, water and boats from the top of Bunker Hill.

And we had a few photo ops for Team Wilco family photos (which are usually a rarity!)


As we were driving one day, we ran across the remains of our favorite Goose....being shipped back to the island on a barge. Hmmm...it looks a little the worse for wear.


Lest you think the vacation was all fun and scenic vistas....Grandpa Buck did prove his skills on one smelly occasion....He was trying to redeem himself after receiving a failing grade on his feeding skills with sandy yogurt on the beach. We're not sure he gets an A, but how about an E for effort?


Thanks for the visit, Grandpa Buck and Nana! We're already excited about the next one!