First Trip To Nome---The Beginning

1st of Series

It was cold my first trip to Nome. Okay, it's always cold in Nome. It was February, still going down to -55 degrees some days. This was generally a one or two-night stay. You really only needed a day, but the weather is unforgiving and so sometimes you wait for most of the day. It is still dark up above the Arctic Circle, which Nome is only about 150 miles south of. The ocean ice will not start breaking for a month or two.

The morning started with an early flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage. It makes for a long day with approximately a 500-mile flight south so I can grab a 1,000-mile flight north to Nome. The first flight in had no delays so there was hope for the day. The hotel I booked which sounded quite grand was “The Nugget Inn”. It felt good knowing I would be in a nice hotel in this barren land.

It was a clear morning as we came in over the Bering Strait. I waited about 30 minutes to get my bags, then headed outside to see if I could flag down a ride. Taxis here in a village are a car passing by. You just waved before they go on by and hope they see you. It does not matter where you're going, Nome is not that big. Paid my three bucks and took a seat and said good morning to the driver and one other. The process is a passenger in and passenger out until your destination comes up, but no hurry as you enjoy the warmth of the car.

Checked in and got a key, so I could begin my adventure at “The Nugget Inn” and Nome. I got to my room and checked it out and yes I was in for a surprise. The room was configured like a bunkhouse shack, two beds on old rusted iron frames. A small table and chair between the beds with a very small lamp. Well, this was work and not a vacation and I was at the edge of the world.

The room had the feel that it was the same as in the gold rush days. And when I pulled up the blanket to check on the sheets. I am sure they were there when Jack London was here. Since the sheets were worn down to no more than gauze. So I take my first night in the city of Nome. And sleep tight under northern lights.

Author's Note

Appreciate review.

Reviews

[David Scott]

The introduction reads well. I am interested to see what comes of your trip...

[Willard Wells]

Thank you David for stopping by. Try my "Cold Island Girl". It was written before this one but then I rewrote this one. In addition I have another one I have to rewrite still on Nome. I appreciate your time in reading and commenting.. Hopefully I will at some point feel comfortable and will write more stories. That idea is a work in progress.

[patricia]

okay I'm in. I am a sucker for travel stories, and the way you took this event by event was pleasing.
Loved the critical slant your description fell into and the Jack London mention. Could have kept on reading, but in a bigger font. Tops.

[Willard Wells]

Font is always a challenge on this site. I read many that I have to enlarge and computers screens vary, but I know what you mean.

I would have gone on with the story but stories are a venue I am not comfortable in at this time. There is a second Nome story, "Cold Island Girl"

I appreciate your kind words and taking time to veiw my work.

[Nigel Newman]

Willard Hi. I read this then I looked at the reviews, then had another read. I see exactly why folk see this as almost poem in paragraphs. 'And sleep tight under northern lights' reminds me somewhat of one of my favourite Paul Simon lines 'And the moon rose over an open field'.

A couple of folk gently hinted at the writing being a little loose in places; and if you've read any of my reviews for other folk you'll possibly have spotted my attention to inappropriate commas where it ought to be a full stop and new sentence, or indeed nothing when there should be a comma, etc etc. Spelling - for gaze I think, at least in UK, you mean gauze? There are a few instances, therefore, where I drew in my breath a little. But then I sort of read it with my eyes closed, semi aloud, once I'd decided where and when I wanted to pause. And then the travelog imagery just flows!

Tiny travel question - 30m wait for bags it what seems like a 2-bit town??? Someone's playing games with their passengers, surely! If I go, is there an alternative carrier?

I look forward to more chapters of the Nome diaries!

[Willard Wells]

Let me take this in reverse. The baggage is in a so to say two bit town, but this plane, a 737 is in a village and the handling of baggage and the staff provided does not speed the process. I have gotten my bag faster, but I was in a new place and out of place.

As for punctuation, I have to say I consider myself to be a bit of an illiterate writer. While words I can pen on paper, read over and over working on punctuation. My weaknesses go much deeper than that, but it works. I would like to improve as I am hoping to publish something. I feel I have the words for the most part, even if ruff around the edges, but the punctuation is a work in progress so have no fear I take no offense. No fault, No fault.

And finally and most importantly, "Gauze", OMG. Thank you. My brain works in sections sometimes and an obvious error like this tells me the wrong side kicked in, thank you.

Now I said the last was the most important, but in reality your time and kind words spent with my work was number one.

One more note. The function and structure issues that I am weak in, is the reason I am just now venturing to stories I publish.

Thank you again for your assistance.

[Willard Wells]

One more note, no I cannot shut up, but the review that I think you referred to first was when this was done as a poem. It was not anything like this. It was just verse which I knew did not work, but I was afraid to make a story for the reasons discussed.

[Nigel Newman]

Actually I like the poetry/prose 'crossover' style that, I'd say, emerges most in the final 2 paras. Clearly it needs to be done with care and experimentation, but the similes and metaphors really colour the piece, as do the 'written photographs'. 'Two beds on old rusted iron frames' ... again a reminder of 'two beds and a coffee machine' (Savage Garden). You mention photography in your profile, and it's also an interest of mine. So I might be putting my interpretation on what you're doing, but at times it's like stills you've visualised or possibly actually shot, a possible AV maybe. Some very 'take the reader there' descriptions.

[Tina Kline]

I found this to be well written and very entertaining being of your adventure in Nome. Even if you weren't there for fun it can still be an adventure worth telling and reading. I enjoyed this first tale.

[Willard Wells]

Thank you so much for reading and your kind words. Appreciate the time taken.

[Tina Kline]

You are very welcome.

[emmajoy]

' Well this was work and not a vacation and I was at the edge of the world. ' And, yes, there's always a difference!

'This is quite an adventure for me, never been to Nome, nor am likely to,. Shivered the thoughts of such a low temperature, the off the edge of the world feel of the place, near lack of welcome, the haphazard taxi-ing and the * standard of the Nugget Hotel's 'cell'! iIn spite of that, i want to read what comes next... and next..

Tis a little loose here and there, but, has a beckoning to it i rather like.

[Willard Wells]

Thank you for reading my work. I am more suited to poems, but time for an adventure. There is one more of Nome written before this one. Out of order. "Cold Island Girl". I am going to try to write more using my time in Alaska. Maybe it eventually will come together.

[emmajoy]

Don't doubt it will.

[E G TEN]

Hey Will, congrats on this re- write of your first
story. It is quite an adventure you had on this one,
Made me smile :-) keep the stories coming"
Thanks E G

[Willard Wells]

Thank you so much. I had tried writing as a poem to start and it has been waiting for me to try again. appreciate the positive comments.

[Samuel Dickens]

Heh-heh, that sounds like some of the Navy barracks I had to stay in. Hopefully, you didn't have a broken window nearby like I did once. Was there room service? (I'm just kidding) Anyhow, you survived it and now to get to write entertaining tales about it.

[Willard Wells]

If there had been a broken window i would not have been in the room. -50 degrees at night and a small amount of air from outside will freeze everything.

Thanks for visiting my new endeavor. I appreciate the kind words and your time.

[JayceeC]

Willard, I agree that this seems to need a bit of a focus and the part about the sheets seems to be a bit unfinished. Note to self: Make sure that hotels bookings in rustic areas have pictures of the rooms..lol.

[Willard Wells]

My problem is I had an idea and ran with it before knowing where I was going. I am going to rework it. And JC this was beyond rustic. Frontier would have been a step up. Oh and this was the best in town. I stayed there often.

[JayceeC]

Well I guess after the first time it wasn't a surprise. .lol

[Willard Wells]

It may not have been a surprise, but every time I got in bed and looked at those sheets I laughed. I don't know how they held up in the wash.

[Willard Wells]

Well I took this out of the poem form and reworked it. I am venturing into more stories. Testing the waters. I know with Otto's surgery and the holidays you are busy. Miss you and look forward to talks next year. Happy New Years to you and yours at this end of year.

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree. Dress warm. I did cold weather training at Fort Drum, New York. Cold is nasty. I liked the story and the adventure described. Thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[Willard Wells]

Cold weather training in Alaska other than the whole state is at Fort Greely just out of Glenallen. Saw many strange things in the cold climates. Thanks for the review.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome.

[Marie]

Both my sisters and my daughter have been to Alaska. I don't plan to go.

[Willard Wells]

There's a time and a place where everyone will be and Alaska is not one of your places. It would not have been my selection, except someone said a magic word. At least at that point in my life it was "Magic". Let me introduce you to greek and other useless things. "MONEY". Thanks for visiting and your review and listening to my ramblings.