Adak Island

My trip out to Adak Island was an amazing experience. Adak is Alaska's southernmost town. 

During World War 2 and the Cold War Adak was used as a military base. At one time the population on the island was 6,000 people. Now, the population is only 100 people, but all of the military buildings remain....Barracks, schools, bunkers, dining halls, rows of empty houses. The island was a ironic mix of beauty and eeriness: tons of old disintegrating remains on a breathtakingly beautiful island in the middle of the Bering Sea.

Flying into the island was gorgeous. 

My first day there the weather was perfect! Sunny and clear- unlike the usual windy rainy weather that Adak often has (2nd rainiest place in the U.S.). On my walk down to the beach I saw this caribou art in someone's front yard. When the Navy was on the island, they introduced caribou. The caribou population rapidly increased, since there were no predators, and now there are supposedly thousands on the island. 

 I saw mountains and inactive volcanoes in the distance and touched the Bering Sea for the first time! I also found tons of sea glass and a sand dollar. On another drive by the water I saw several sea otters and a seal sitting on a rock. The color of the water was unlike anything I'd seen before. It was a very deep rich blue color and at times even looked turquoise. 

Adak is a worldwide destination for "birders". The ravens were bigger than any I had seen before and I saw countless bald eagles. One day I was walking to the school alone and out of nowhere a bald eagle soared right above me. If I reached my arm up I could have touched it. I was amazed. They are so incredible. 

During World War 2 many of the soldiers stationed on the island missed trees--there are NO trees on the island. So they planted about 5 trees and built a sign calling it the "Adak National Forest"- pretty funny :).

I found the military buildings to be fascinating. They were creepy and mysterious, but it was so interesting to think about their purpose years ago.

 I even went into one of the underground bunkers. Everything was still intact, with shelves for masks and suits, chemical showers, instructions for nuclear attacks, and beds.

The community on the island was welcoming and kind. The teachers at the school were absolutely wonderful. I was surprised to find out that unlike most of the villages I visit, Adak is no longer a native village and consists primarily of Hispanic families who have moved to Adak for fishing. I even ate a Mexican restaurant on the island.

I go back to Adak again in January. My first experience was so interesting, so I'm looking forward to going back!

P.S. It is October and still fall in Anchorage! This has been a much longer fall season than last year which has been wonderful! The leaves are even prettier this year. Jason and I have been getting out and soaking up the beautiful weather!