LONE STAR RESTAURANT ANCHORAGE


After Auntie Dot's 100th birthday celebration all the guests went out to dinner at Lone Star
Restaurant in downtown Anchorage.  It is so typical of Alaskan architecture outside the big cities.
I loved all the bits and pieces in the restaurant which reminded me of the cowboy and Indian movies we watched every Saturday afternoon at the Como Picture Theatre.  We learnt so much about Indian culture back then.

 Mike, Jeff and John.
You can see how tall Mike and John are compared to Jeff.
Mike is 6'8" and never stands straight up tall.A flight attendant told him he couldn't put his coat in the overhead locker and had to have it under the seat in front.  He drew himself up to his full height and in his slow Alaskan quite droll he said "Look lady, I can't even fit in your seats, let alone put my coat where my feet are supposed to go!"  She let him put his coat on the overhead locker.

 The view from Lone Star carpark looking over at the mountains surrounding Anchorage on three sides.  The fourth side is open to the Cook Inlet.

 John, Julie and me, colour co-ordinated!!

 L to R: Natosha Norris, me, Doug Norris, Dianne Norris, Julie Chipperfield, Daryl Chipperfield, John Norris, Linda Norris, Tanya Norris, David Norris, Jeff Kingman, Shavaun Norris (Bobby's wife).

Can't remember what we ate?

Broccoli was certainly popular.  Often served raw in salad.

 This is Sheila, Uncle Bob's niece.  She was about 4 years old when Auntie Dot first came to Alaska.  Bob and his brother, Sheila's dad, went to work at the Jonesville coal mine and lived side by side with their families.  Sheila has many memories of Auntie Dot from when she first arrived in Alaska.  Sheila said Auntie Dot walked everywhere, put up with more than wives would endure these days and spent a lot of time alone with her four sons when Uncle Bob was working away from their home.

 Daryl standing under a bison head.
Bison were always in the cowboy movies.  The Indians hunted them and used every part of them from their skins to their entrails.
They were hunted into almost extinction, down to a herd of only about l50.  Alaska has had a breeding programme, part of which we saw at Portage Wildlife Centre on the Kenai Peninsula, and have now bred them up and are re-releasing them into the wilds again.  No doubt to be hunted by today's hunters who are licensed and patrolled as to the number of kills they can make in a season.

 I loved this mural on the wall of the Restaurant.
All restaurants in Alaska were beautifully decorated and themed.  None seemed to be just cafe's and no Chrome/black/glass that we seem to be getting.
One hamburger restaurant we went in seemed to be a picture gallery of any family who wanted to have their photograph hung there.  Lots of sporting awards and family celebration photos.  Very 'community'.

Linda Norris with Julie and me.