This afternoon we dropped by the Alaska Dog Mushers Association’s Limited North American Championships over at the Jeff Studdert Racegrounds. Cedar is standing firm in her decision to be a dog musher when she grows up, and Coral, a fan of dogs in general, just likes yelling “Dog! Woof woof!” We figured it would be just what they’d want to do on a Saturday afternoon. It was. Watching the start of a dog race is a great way to get the little one outdoors for a while, especially on a perfect March afternoon.
Alaska girls do love the dogs:
There’s a fence to lean on and watch the dogs go past, so there’s no need to fear toddlers running out in front of a sled. The dogs start off and return every few minutes, so there’s plenty of action to keep short attention spans engaged. Inside, Dog Mushers Hall is warm and features bathrooms, tables, and a food vendor. Sorry, I forgot to check the bathrooms for changing tables and toddler-friendliness.
I have to admit, we made the decision to watch the race based on more than our interest in dog mushing. Food was our ulterior motive. After a winter’s hibernation, Pita Place made its first appearance of the season. They’re the vendors at Dog Mushers Hall all weekend. We even had the chance to pre-order our usual Farmer’s Market carry out of hummus, labane, and pita. If you’ve been missing their falafel pitas, drop by Sunday (March 9, 2008) from 11-3 p.m. and pick one up.
For my readers Outside, if you’ve only seen pictures of sled dogs in action, you should really take a moment to hear what they sound like just before they start a race.
It is a beautiful day, and a good place to go with little people. Last year at the Open North American, I got a pretty good shot of one of the teams going by out in Creamer’s Field. No fence, there.
I LOVE your children’s names! CORAL AND CEDAR! Very UNIQUE!
Hey, we were there, too! I wondering if the pita would be calling you. Of course the three young children in our group were no match for that quiet environment inside the Musher’s Hall. Good thing it was nice and sunny and we could all run around outside.