Back in Montana, we joined the Moose Lodge and here in Anchorage, our new membership came quite handy. A pit stop in the middle of the city is what was in order to refill our Airstream and to gather friends around for Dan’s 40th birthday.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Parking lot camping is not glamorous but we appreciate having a place to city camp for a few days with our Elks and Moose lodge memberships.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Before long, we were joined by Jeff & Lisa of UpInTheAirstream, Dave & Ann of AdvoDnA, and Kerri Tim.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The kids were excited to have an empty parking lot to ride their bikes in… until cars started so show up for bingo night and then learned that no bikes are allowed.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

They didn’t mind having to hang out for a bit indoors since they all had each other’s company.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Check out this rule breaker. No bikes! Oh Luka.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The no bike rule didn’t bother the kids too much since they had a decent playground on site.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The bars in all the Moose and Elks Lodges are old school and usually smokey. This one is no different.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The rules of bars/drinking are really strict here in Alaska. Everyone gets carded, no matter their age. If you break any alcohol laws in Alaska, your license will get a red stripe through it, banning you from buying any liquor in the state.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Kids are allowed in bars that serve food but they just have stay out of the main room where the bar sits.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Blog Alaska Anchorage

You might be thinking “What do your kids do while you guys are ignoring them, playing darts?”

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Ummmm, this…. playing games on their iPads. They are not allowed to play iPads until the end of the day so they are loving this time of day. If you are ever hanging out with us and overhear our kids ask “Is it happy hour yet?”, this is why. Haha.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

As Dan’s birthday approached, we had one more friend stop by. The most bada** of us all. Perky Mog!! We actually ran into them on our way out of Liard River Hot Springs back in Canada and quickly at Watson Lake too but this is the first time we are actually camping together.

Blog Alaska anchorage

Blog Alaska anchorage

I asked Luka how we were going to get into the Perky Mog. With his flying shoes, he screamed.

Blog Alaska anchorage

Not only are Brad and Oksana super nice people and fun to hang out with, they also cooked us dinner. Here are the kids setting up our table for dinner outside.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

And then BOOM. Dan turned 40! Airstream birthdays are our favorite and this one was no different. The kids and I were stumped on what to get Dan for his special day. Something small, of course. Hmmmm? Got it! An Ukulele!!! He’s been singing the Lava song from the Disney short all week and now he has the perfect instrument for it.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Let’s get this party started, kids!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

That evening we gathered at the best pizza place in town, Moose’s Tooth.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Yup, iPad and beer time.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The food was delicious, the beers were awesome and the company even better. Who says living on the road is lonely? Not us. Even way up here in Alaska.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Ava was in the charge of holding the birthday cake.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

But we were all in charge of eating it! We were also joined by Eric and Jeannette for an evening in the parking lot.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

It may look like it’s early still with the sun out and kids at the playground but it is waaaay past bedtime. This summer sun that never sets in Alaska is messing with us all. Big time.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The next morning, we said our final good byes to the UpInTheAirstream crew. We’ve spent so much time together since our paths first crossed last fall in Kansas. It was a little hard to say good-bye since none of us know exactly when our paths will cross again as they start their migration to the east coast and we stay west.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Not an hour later, look who pulls up in the empty spot next to us. The Bodeswell crew in their ’71 VW bus. The next day, we all had a choice to make. The Moose Lodge was hosting a carnival in their parking lot, the one we are all camped in. The choice was to move on to next campground or stay for carnival and get blocked in. Kerri, Tim and AdvoDnA chose the take off while we and BodesWell decided to stay.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

As soon as we woke up, we noticed we were stuck in our camp spots, surrounded by bounce houses, bbq pits, carnival games and cotton candy.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Sugar for breakfast? Sure, why not!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The best part of this carnival is that everything was free. Everything! Cotton candy, sno-cones, games, food, drinks, everything!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Worked off that sugar, kids!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The lodge even had a pile of hay filled with hundreds of dollars of coins.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

The kids were let loose to find as many coins as they could and they all walked away with at least $15. Not only is this place free, it is paying us to be here. Score!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Being stuck here with all this excitement ended up being the perfect day.

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Who else has bounced and flipped in front of their (dirty) home?

Blog Alaska Anchorage

Did I mention that they also had a free open bar? Yeah, we will spending one more night here. Haha. But after this week, no more drinking!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

And when the bar is open, the grown ups sometimes do silly things. Like race each other in the bounce house obstacle course. Stretch stretch stretch!

Blog Alaska anchorage

Go go go!

Blog Alaska anchorage

Mali Mish wins!

Blog Alaska anchorage

In your face, Bodeswell!! (Stop kicking him, Luka!!)

Blog Alaska anchorage

When the crowds got too dense for us, we retreated back to our front porches.

Blog Alaska anchorage

Blog Alaska anchorage

Ummm, why is the bartender delivering us an unsolicited pitcher of IPA to our front door?!?!

Blog Alaska anchorage

Oh, Anchorage Moose Lodge!

Blog Alaska Anchorage

And off we go to the Kenai Penninsula next for an entire month!

Thanks for reading,
Marlene

Categories: daily

2 Comments

Karen Farber · November 21, 2015 at 6:20 pm

Looks like fun!

http://www.littleblackshell.com

Meg · November 21, 2015 at 8:19 pm

“Is it happy hour yet?!” I love it. Parenting done right!
I think you all have more fun with your nomadic neighbors than we do with our suburbia neighbors… just one more reason to hit the road, I guess! I love the photos Marlene. You always capture so much personality in your photos.

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