How do you know that?

The ice rink down town is surrounded by ice sculptures. That cement wall is surrounded by a sculpted ice wall.

This one is in front of a giant mural of whales on the side of a building on 6th Ave.

We are peeking our head through Eskimo sculptures.

At an overlook in Kincaid Park overlooking the Cook Inlet. The tide is out and the ice chunks are marooned on the mudflats of the beach behind us.

We spent the Sabbath afternoon looking at the ice sculptures in Anchorage's Town Square. They are amazing. The outing was not met with out some trepidation. We all remembered last years experience to do the same thing. After being in town for about 2 weeks we set out on our first day at 0 degrees. It left us in tears. And prompted a shopping spree at REI that was 1/3 necessity; 1/3 revenge at JaDee for dragging us to a frozen wasteland and 1/3 retail therapy.
(this really long post documenting that and my mental breakdown can be found here)

We were much warmer this year.

After that successful trip which had the boys playing tag on the ice rink and Olivia showing us she would not fall on the ice if she held her arms out like airplane wings, I wanted to show JaDee where Kincaid Park was.

This park is HUGE!!! It is right on the edge of the water and on a clearer day you can see Mts. Redoubt and Iliamna, our closest volcanoes. I have this draw towards the water which is weird since I hardly swim and don't even like to get my face wet in the shower, hardly. The park is mostly a vast system of cross country ski trails that are maintained all year and mostly lit. There is also a large building to warm up in, hold banquets etc.

Olivia and I checked it out on one of our last summer days in September after the kids were back in school. I was trying to remember how to get there and trying to tell JaDee about it at the same time. He claims to have never heard of it. Or been there or know anything about what I am talking about.

Until we get closer to the warming building. Then he sees this trail area marked off with blue plastic fencing and announces, "Hey, this is where they had they US championship cross country meet and time trials for the Olympics."

"How do you know that?"

"I saw it on the news and I recognize the blue fence."

Sure enough, when we later used the restroom, we found a brochure announcing all scheduled events and indeed, the cross country championships were held here.

And the blue fence marked the course.