Browsing: Alaska

I cruised a lot with my parents from an early age. They always said it was the easiest way to travel in a wheelchair. I found out for myself when I began using a wheelchair. Aside from the obvious ability to go to different places and unpack once, a cruise ship can allow you to see things that would be difficult, if not impossible, to do on land.

This was at the front of my …

The September Alaskan air was cool but not cold. Nevertheless, I didn’t begrudge the coat I brought with me. I was too excited by what lay ahead to feel anything but anticipation in any event. It was my first trip to Alaska, and the second for my wife Judi. Today, we were going to have the opportunity for a special adventure. Our destination: the glaciers of the Knik River Valley, a mere 45-minute drive north …

With a population of 35,000 in town and about 100,000 in the region, Fairbanks isn’t a very big city. In terms of truly-unique experiences, however, it ranks up there with much larger cities. Only 140 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks makes an indelible impression on visitors.    

It all started on August 26, 1901, when a man named E.T. Barnette founded a trading post on the south bank of the Chena River. Mr. Barnette …