Hot water and great pies: Takotna has what mushers need

Checkpoint Takotna on the Iditarod trail is a favorite rest spot for many mushers. Good location, tasty food and delicious pies are all there.

Iditarod musher and cancer patient Pat Moon

Iditarod rookie Pat Moon of Chicago shares his story before the Restart in Willow on Sunday, Mar. 7, 2010. Moon has decided to follow his dream of running the 1,000-mile sled dog race and has postponed his treatment for cancer.

Anchorage's Airport Railroad Terminal

The upstairs terminal is empty in the Bill Sheffield Alaska Railroad Depot at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The facility used to be available for hosting events over the winter, but now remains closed from mid-September to mid-May.

Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway

Ketchikan artist Ray Troll has 20 paintings and five murals on display at the "Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway" exhibit in Seattle. Shells, skulls, bones, impressions and other fossils make up the collection, and are part of a book, also titled, "Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway," written by paleontologist Kirk Johnson and illustrated by Troll.

A Different View of our World

Dr. Travis Rector, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at UAA, talks about the school's Planetarium and Visualization Theater located on campus in the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building. The new planetarium allows astronomy students to explore three-dimensional images of planets and stars. Science students also use the cutting-edge 360-degree projection to explore the human body, cells and DNA.

2010 Iron Dog

Jana Pevan and Tammy Barber became the third women's team to compete in the Iron Dog as they began the nearly 2,000 mile race across the Alaska wilderness from Big Lake to Nome to the finish in Fairbanks.

Supreme Court Justices go to High School

The five justices of the Alaska Supreme Court heard oral arguments at the West High auditorium on Friday, February 21, 2010. The justices are Craig Stowers, Dana Fabe, Morgan Christen, Walter Carpeneti and Daniel Winfree. "This is the beginning of a program in which we've decided that it would be a good thing to take live, actual oral arguments into the schools of the state," said Carpeneti, the court's Chief Justice. "We'd like them to have a sense of what it is that we do and how we do it." This was the kickoff of a program the justices hope will come to an Anchorage school once a year. Friday the court heard arguments in two cases, both involving police powers.

Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD

Many pieces of taxidermy from the collection of Louie Brunner were auctioned Saturday, February 13, 2010, at Alaska Auction Co. Brunner, who was the well-known owner of AAA Taxidermy and a charter member of the Safari Club's Anchorage chapter, died in 2001. His son Thomas Brunner is overseeing the sale of many African and Alaska animal mounts. He said the large collection has become too much for his mom and family to take care of. "I just hope it all goes to a good home," he said. Auctioneer Duane Hill calls the bidding.

''Star Wars'' comes to Anchorage

Roughly 80 props and related objects from the six "Star Wars" films are included in the traveling exhibit, "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination," runs at the Anchorage Museum Feb. 10 through April 25. In addition to the props, video footage and a number of related classes, talks and special children's programs, the exhibit comes with a number of ultra-cool hands-on exhibits.