Chicken Loon

I remember going to Chickaloon when I was a kid.  There was a "New Cabin" and an "Old Cabin."  The Old Cabin scared me.  My grandpa told me once that there were mice in it.  Mice freak me out.  My dad had some old reminants of a tree house over by the old cabin too that I never dared to climb.  The boards used said, "Snakes."  And my little 7 year old self didn't know that Alaska doesn't like snakes so they kicked them out long ago...

I remember the New Cabin and my very own loft, that ended up housing lots of equipment and supplies.  I had a little potty in my grandma and grandpa's room downstairs.  (It's still in the loft, I see)  And I always kept my bear on the shelf to protect the cabin when I was gone.

Now, though, there is a "cabin," the "art studio," (otherwise known as the "commie cabin" because uhm, they did some communications in there... ;) ahem) and the "mansion."  The Mansion is my dad's huge cabin that he lives in year round.  It has two rooms upstairs and a bedroom downstairs.  I tried to claim one of the rooms but my mom says (she lives there too) the big room will house the Loom from my grandma, and all my dad's gun stuff.  (He has a lot of gun stuff)

The other room, isn't quite done, nor is it really open, and bright like the other humungous room.  *Quick question:  Howcome I grew up in a tiny little shack and now we have these huge houses/cabins!?  Anyway, my dad is one of those "I'll just make it" types, (yes, I do get that from him...) so he has plenty of homemade gun racks, hangers, pot racks, chairs, tables, carts, stools, shelves, or well, shoot the he made the whole house...

I like my mom and dad's new cabin.  But I'll always always love the "New Cabin" best.  According to my aunt, it needs work, and I can see the flooring (from circa 1972) needs replaced, but otherwise, it's in great shape.  It looks just like it did when I was there. 

The three middle kids (Clara, Kaisa, Coltrane) got to spend some time with my parents there a few weeks ago.  My aunts ("The Aunts" as I was referring to them as) were there as well.  The kids had art lessons in the newly named Art Studio, climbed trees and got stuck, made mud pies, and generally ran around like wild lunatics.

I was able to go for the day.  So I did what was most important.  I took a sauna.  (And coincidentally, I ended up hauling a LOT of water that day!) 

When people ask me about the places I love most, my answers have always been Chickaloon and Sisualik.  And some "other people" have made Sisualik a dysfunctional place to visit, with fights, drinking, and stealing, so I rarely go there anymore, which is sad...but I'll save you the messed up details. 

People always ask about Chicken Loon.  The Johnson Homestead, Chickaloon.