At first glance, these antlers seemed like the perfect stocking stuffers to take back to my family in Boulder this Christmas. But then I saw the obvious problem; I have a big family and we were multiple sets of antlers short here.
I figured I’d go ahead and look inside the shop for other Alaskan Gift options. I actually had been curious about this place every since we moved to Soldotna. I drive past it multiple times each day.
In the past we had always insisted on living within walking distance to restaurants or at least good coffee, but this place was the only commercial enterprise within a 30 minute walking distance of our new neighborhood.
I guess some people want their morning cup of coffee, while other people want their morning box of bighorn sheep head.
Lots of taxidermy in the place. I decided to look elsewhere for Alaskan inspired presents, as for sure my family was expecting them. Here is where I’m netting out. I’m not worried about my family finding out what they’re getting as they don’t read my blog. Only my husband does, at knife point.
3 Alaskan Gift Ideas:
1. Russian Nesting Dolls
There is a lot of Russian influence in Alaska and of course we can all see Russia from our house.
Our town, “Soldotna,” means soldier in Russian.
So, I say that the Russian nesting doll counts as an Alaskan themed gift, and I was quickly drawn to this one of Russian politicians.
Can you name each president? Answer at the end of post.
As is often the case, I think I might have to keep this gift for myself. I could start a collection as I already have one other Russian President nesting doll that I bought traveling in St. Petersburg in 1990. The Soviet Union had just collapsed and Gorbachev was about week out from “firing himself” (his words) as its last leader. The country was struggling with change, the only ones making the best of it were the street vendors who were prepared for the influx of Western tourists with all kinds of USSR merchandise. I bought the Gorbachev doll from one of them.
Here’s what might be my only pic from that trip to St Petersburg. It is a photo my friend sent me because I had lost my camera when I was mugged, but that’s another story. At least I have this photo and the Gorbachev doll.
2. Qivuit – luxury wool from the Musk Ox
Over Thanksgiving weekend we went to a Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. You have to admire any animal who has survived this long and musk ox have been around since the time of the wooly mammoth and saber-tooth tiger.
I had heard about Qivuit, material made from the animal’s under-wool. Softer than cashmere, and even warmer than sheep wool as musk ox don’t migrate in the winter. I planned to scoop up armfuls of qiviut mittens and scarfs for everyone at the gift shop. But when I learned that qiviut mittens are $200, my plan was quickly revised.
3. The Native Alaskan Ulu Knife
I was hesitant to go with an Ulu knife as a gift because it is sold everywhere tourists go. There is an entire wall of them in the gift shop at the Anchorage airport. Past security. Which is curious.
Anyway, buying up something so touristy for xmas presents just seemed too easy, and if I wanted my life to be easy I wouldn’t have married my husband. Also, it seemed like something that no one would ever use. Was it in any way a useful kitchen tool? I looked at several how-to-use-an-ulu videos before I came across this one from, “Girl in the woods.”
She’s a stud. My favorite part was when she said that she, “skinned out a squirrel and cooked it in a dutch over just to show how practical these knives are.” That right there made me a subscriber and I went on to watch her next video, “Ladies – how to pee and poo in the woods.” My favorite quote from that one was, “pooping logs are awesome.” I actually looked to order a custom made ulu from her husband as she advertised but they were no longer on eBay. But I’ll find some somewhere because a hand forged blade of any kind is never touristy, only admired.
Answers to the Russian Nesting Doll: Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Medvedev, and Putin. People forget about Medvedev as he was a president sandwiched between Putin’s terms.
Apparently Malenkov doesn’t count.
Such a clever post. I am disappointed that moose poop earrings didn’t make the list!
That would mean you were in Russia at the tender age of 19! Wow, I am impressed. Fun to see the picture – at least you got that! BTW, my Russian history is a little rusty. I could name 2 contemporaries, embarrassingly.
Oh moose poop earrings should have been at the top of the list! And, only my brother who teaches history got all the names.
MMMm Qivuit… $$$$. It’s nice to touch – in the store.