2:30...............well the Dentist for Steve it is.........Wasilla bound

24/6
Up and at em early this morning, at Mr. Hertz (Robin Barsteward), for 08:00, car collected and i'm designated driver for the day (i know.....mad fools).
Steve is concerned he maybe a bit worse for wear after 2 root canal fillings.

A "Mitsubishi Gallant" is our Limo for the day, a very superior automobile i might add. It's a beautiful morning and looks set to be a hot one.
Wasilla or bust !!

A stunning run down Highway 9 to Anchorage and then on Highway 1 for the trip north from Anchorage to Wasilla.
I might add here, the Alaskan road works are as bad as in Britain !!!! .......SLOWWWWWW !!!
Steve is nearly beside himself, his appointment is 13:25.

We, of course take a wrong turn in Anchorage and end up in the Port, then, waste disposal facility, then downtown (what does that mean??). It's no good, we'll have to ask, into the nearest Petrol station we go. By this time i'm bursting for a toilet stop !!!! I go to the RESTROOMS ??? it's locked, get the key from the cashier..................too late Steve has directions............hurry we're going to be late no time for a toilet stop..............Gordon Bennett !!!
Off we go again doen Glenn Highway (why do they do this ?? No mention of places you want to go to, just Street names............crazy !!! Great if you know it, not helpful at all if you're a visitor)
We arrive in Wasilla.

"Right, we're looking for Westpoint Avenue" says Steve.
"Lets try a right here"
.......ahah a McDonalds, how bizarre...........lets turn in their and get a coffee and ask the way........hang on a mo there it is on the right, in we go and at the end of the street is the dental surgery.

Spot on.....good stuff !! Steve goes in, i'm nearly bursting...............down the road i go...............thank goodness a dirt track to the left....................phew thats better.
Steve comes back out and says alls good we are 20 minutes early, lets go for a coffee. About 300 m away there's a Starbucks apparently. A tad against my religion, but, yes i'm ready for a coffee (never frequent Starbucks normally).

We get some wifi in the coffee shop and do the usual.
Soon time to go back to the dentist. We drop Steve off. Terje and i have a meander into downtown Wasilla......................well.......phew, what can i say............it has lots of modern shops, Malls......... an old (1920's) railway station and an old bar - "Mug Shots"..........that's it !!!
Wasilla has no centre.......nothing !!!!

Well that's the answer then, into the bar.............."Mug Shots" here we come.
At the entrance there's a sign :
"Enter if you Dare"

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, thirst gets the better of us !!!

I have a Sprite and Tel has a Guinness.............guess who gets the sideways look from the barmaid !!!!
"Hey, i'm driving .....OK" ???

Anyway, they all, turn out to be really friendly, one lady from Birmingham (would you believe it), has been in Wasilla for 50 years. It was her husbands birthday.......79 today...and very spritly he looked too. A very nice couple.

The barmaid eventually took to us and had a long chat, was enthralled with our NW Passage escapad and she insisted we had our photos taken with her...................all good craiche.

Ooooooooooooooo...before i forget, as we were drinking there was an earthquake, apparently they happen nearly every day in the summer and now & then in the winter, What a gas, my first experience of an earthquake
Back to pick up the boy..................he looked very sorry for himself when he emerged from the dentist..................3 No. !!! root fillings later........a mere $3600.............and ....and he was'nt charged for the third !!!!
Off we go back to Seward.
Steve was getting peckish so we stopped at the Summit Lake Lodge..........................
We arrived back in Seward about 20:00.

Mug Shots bar