Earthquake Park

Earthquake park is right next to Airport Park, where I took the Air Force and sunset pictures. The coastal trail, which runs from downtown along the coast toward the airport, goes through the park. It's called Earthquake Park because the area was a victim of a good-sized earthquake which took out a lot of land along the bluff area. there used to be houses there, but when the earthquake decimated the area the state took the land over and made a park. Alaska is such a hotbed of volcanic activity because it's right on the edge of a plate (check it out on a map, it's pretty cool and explains the Aleutians, which is the long chain of islands extending from southwest Alaska) so Earthquake Park isn't the only area with that history. There's a spot near, or possibly on, Turnagain Arm where the same thing happened. When you're driving through you can really tell it used to be inhabited land. When a large earthquake happened, I'll have to check the year, the land just dropped and it ended up below the waterline, rendering the area uninhabitable. There are lots dead trees partially immersed in water and the occasional wooden upturned shack. I think if I'm going to ever experience an earthquake, this would be the place. The Kenai gets a good amount because there are 4 large active volcanoes right across the Cook Inlet.

The coastal trail cracks me up because I'm constantly seeing people strolling along it in shorts and tshirts when it's 40 degrees out. You know how if you go down to Florida or something from Boston in the winter and it's 60 degrees you're psyched and taking off your jacket because you're hot and meanwhile the residents are all putting on their jackets because they're cold? It's the same idea, except backwards. On the water right now it's 47 degrees so I'm wearing jeans, a long sleeve shirt and a down vest and other people are all wearing tshirts. I actually saw a guy walking around without a shirt on in downtown Anchorage, where it's only slightly warmer.