Unalakleet Layover

We left for the airport 9am after securely taping all out plastic bins for shipping (all 13).  Then we loaded the back of the Suburban with three suitcases, two backpacks, two cats complete with carriers, three ActionPackers (with our chill food), and thirteen plastic bins.  Then Sharon drove Ellen and I to the Anchorage Airport Post Office.  We were directed to back up to a loading dock (a perk of having 10 or more packages) and unload there.  We labeled the bins as we unloaded them, then weighed them and placed them on a pallet.  We got to watch the USPS staff wrap the pallet and then we went to the terminal.  We arrived there around 10 and checked in with our six checked bags. 

We met a friend of mine, Sarah (from George Fox Masters of Education Program) at Yogurt Land.  At 11:15am we headed to the gate.  We tried to go through security with our carry-on bags (two cats and two backpacks) but they wouldn’t let us pass through!

Instead we were told to follow the signs to our PenAir gate which is not behind security!  We were so glad the line we got in originally at security was not long.  We sat at the PenAir gate and waited for our flight to begin boarding.  We were directed to board at 12:00pm.  We walked out the doors and across the tarmac to the plane where we surrendered our backpacks to the loading staff and climbed the stairs to the plane.  The plane has its own set of stairs that fold up into the door way when the door closes.  The PenAir plane had thirty seats in the cabin and a propeller on each wing.  When we boarded we were given a pair of earplugs to use on the 90-minute flight.

We landed in Unalakleet for our three-hour layover and plane change and entered the small airport.  It was about the size of the gate we had been waiting at in Anchorage.  We waited for the next flight to board so the airport would clear out before we brought our checked bags in to the Bering Air desk.  We were the only people traveling to St. Michael on the plane that afternoon.  We brought our bags inside and took them to the counter to be weighed and paid for.  Then we were told what time to be back and we went for a walk around Unalakleet. 

The first thing I noticed that surprised me was the smell of salt water.  Unalakleet is right on the water and I knew that water was the ocean it just didn’t register in my mind that it would smell like the beach.  On our walk we encountered more animals:  Seagulls.  We also watched a seal steal fish from a drift net in the waves right off the beach.  We continued our walk until we saw rain headed our way.  We arrived back at the airport after enjoying some Alaskan rain.  The first thing Donna (Bering Air Coordinator) told us was, “We have some bad news.”