In August, we traveled to Alaska. It is untamed, vast and beautiful beyond description. We sailed on a Regent small ship to the Inside Passage. Our excursions included a visiting a bear observation platform outside of Ketchikan shown in the video below ; exploring the Mendenhall Glacier and parts of the Tongass National Forest near Juneau; walking the streets and visiting galleries in Skagway; hiking the forest trails around Icy Strait Point.; riding a dog sled; and flying into the Brooks Range above the Arctic Circle to the northernmost gold mining camp in North America, Wiseman Alaska (established in 1911), where residents are off the grid and use traditional self-sufficiency skills to hunt and grow their basic needs off the land. We saw the wildlife while hiking in the dense forests of Denali National Park. 
We did get to see a 2,000 lb. pumpkin up close thanks to Sam and Mark. Terry’s cousin, Mike and his wife showed us the highlights of Fairbanks, including the University and the “Aurora Ice Museum”. Dennis and Pat who were vacationing in Vancouver, BC dined with us prior to sailing on the cruise.
The two best highlights were flying to the base of Mr. McKinley, previously known as Denali and sailing on a small craft to the face of the Hubbard Glacier.
The Otter aircraft equipped with wheels that retracted to skis flew to the base of the snow capped peak of Mr. McKinley., This block of granite is the highest peak in North America rising over 20,000 feet above the earth’s surface. On this rare clear blue sky day we also saw the peaks of Mt. Foraker and Mt. Hunter, the two other jewels in the Alaskan Mountain range.
The plane dropped from 10,000 feet to race uphill and land on the newly fallen, knee-deep snow. The skis made contact and glided to a stop.
About 35 of us left our Regent ship to board an exhibition-style boat in Disenchantment Bay to get up close and personal with a river of ice named the Hubbard Glacier. The shallow draft allowed us to easily cruise among floating icebergs near the face of the four-story high glacier painted in horizontal stripes of shades of white, gray and muted aqua blue. The glacier advances into the sea at a rate of several feet per day.
Once the boat’s motor is cut we passengers stream out into the cold to stare in silence at this surreal sight. A sharp “crack” echoed over the bay. The ice face shifts and shudders. An expansive sheet of ice “calves”. We have just witnessed the birth of a giant iceberg. Most of it disappears below the surface of the sea sending a series of waves to rock our boat.
Our summer and fall months were jam packed with changes. We sold our little home in Colorado, packed up in 21 days to return to Sun Lakes in time to pack for the cruise. When we returned we began a small remodel to our golf course home. The dust has settled and we are getting ready for our 2025 adventures. We have planned for a 22-day cruise up the coast of Norway and a 3 week land tour of the interior ending with a week in Berlin before returning to Arizona.
Until next time.