Day 23: Trains, Planes, Automobiles, Tractors, and Dogs

August 20, 2017

The Museums of Wasilla, AK

1954 Cadillac Hearse (Bob was thrilled to hear that it runs-- see below for the Bob & Hearse story)

Today we learned that little Wasilla, Alaska is home to a Walmart Super Center, a Target, a Home Depot AND a Lowes, and a local brewery. (Guess which one we visited.)

It is also home to another great quirky museum: The Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry. When we arrived, I was very proud of myself for finding a buy-one-get-one-free admission coupon. Then Bob promptly blew my savings +$2 on raffle tickets for this quilt.

Quilt for Which Bob Blew (donated) $10 on Raffle Tickets

The museum itself was delightfully quirky-- containing not only acres of trains, planes, automobiles, boats, and tractors outside, but an inside collection of both transportation related and other miscellaneous items such as an antique phone exhibit (we each had several of the "antiques" when we were kids), taxidermy (I think every museum in Alaska has taxidermy exhibits), and even a very out of place Victrola.

Bob's favorite item in the museum is shown in the main photo-- a 1954 Cadillac Hearse. Now, anyone who knows him knows about Bob's fascination with Cadillac hearses-- from the one he almost bought 20 years ago (which ~~to my great relief~~ unfortunately was already SOLD when he went back to buy it), to his love of hearse events like the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days hearse parade. So, he was deeply moved by the story behind this hearse-- the guy who owned it wanted to take his final ride to the cemetery in it, and swore to everyone that it was running. When the guy died, they found that his supposedly running hearse was dead too-- so his family banded together and in just 36 hours got it going in time to give him that last ride in style. Then, they promptly handed the thing over to the museum.

Here are some other highlights from the museum-- in the trains, planes, automobiles, tractors, and miscellany categories:

Trains

Coal Car for Healy Power Plant (Bob Still Can't Escape Coal)

Lisa with the Snowplow Train

Planes

Fairly Modern Air Force Jet (On loan, but they don't want it back)

Older Air Force Plane (They don't want this one back either.)

Automobiles (well ok one Truck)

Early 1960s Ford Econoline Pickup (Bob found one for sale on a trailer-- Lisa said NO)

Tractors (The Uncle Denny Section)

Custom (nut job?) built Combo Tractor

Crawler Tractor-- with Tank Tracks

Oliver Tractor-- This One is New to Bob (& to Lisa-- that goes without saying)

Speedex Tractors, built in Ravenna, OH

Miscellany

Bob Just Can't Stay Away from a Phone Booth (or, Antique in Antique)

Victrola in the Transportation Museum (Just like the one Bob's Family had)

Lisa Gets a Bear Hug

While we were there a museum manager noticed Bob's VT apparel, and stopped us. (Apparently, Hokies attract attention.) Seemed he had lived near Blacksburg at some point-- as well as near many other places we knew. He was originally from Alaska, and appeared to have returned for his retirement years to have fun working in the transportation museum. The guy was a talker! We learned that many of the planes were on loan from the Wright Patterson Air-force base (in Ohio), as well as other military bases, and that "it was highly unlikely they would want any of them back." We also learned that the Hearse still ran, and was in great condition, except for a small fuel pump problem that sprayed gas during driving--oh well.

We got points for making the drive ourselves, which he had done several times. He gave us some suggestions for our drive back, and also said great things about the quirky museum we liked in Fort Nelson.

We decided not to take the sled-dog ride that was offered-- but it was a total riot. They had stripped down an old Ford Festiva to make it sled-weight, and the dogs were giving rides in it. (Sorry no pictures-- but it was quirky cool.)

Instead, we headed over to the Iditarod Trail Race Museum.

Iditarod Trail Race Headquarters Museum (Sign sponsored by ExxonMobil)

We took a look around and watched part of their video-- but unfortunately the previous day had left the track too soggy for the dogs, so they weren't there today. Typically you would see race teams, as well as puppies in training. Oh well-- at least Bob got to visit with the stuffed Huskies.

Bob at the Iditarod Museum Gift Shop

After that, we drove around downtown Wasilla (which took all of about 5 minutes), and landed at The Last Frontier Brewing Company for lunch and a to-go bottle for Bob.

Here's the view from the road as we headed back to our house in Palmer.