Winter has returned to Kansas this week. It makes me long for Alaska.
Ah, Alaska - with the snow-capped mountains year-round, the moose traipsing through town, the wind whistling through the valleys, and the blushing flora and fauna bursting forth at a moments notice.
Okay, before I wax poetic let me come down from the mountaintop.
Both times that I've had the luxury of visiting Alaska were near the end of April and the first of May. Almost overnight the ground goes from moist gray to vibrant green with splashes of color tossed here and there like a mosaic. The ice covering most lakes and rivers cracks and begins its journey, and previously unseen waterfalls thunder down the mountainside.
My first trip to the Last Frontier was alone, but I never let aloneness stop me from exploring. That's when I discovered an oasis I had to visit again. My second trip allowed me to take my mother and son with me, and we spent the last few days nestled in my favorite hideaway in the world: Seward.
After my mother came back to reality and realized those enormous beasts roaming downtown Anchorage were not mechanical (hey look, Mom - MOOSE!), we headed down the Seward Highway to that quaint little town at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. We took a wildlife boat tour, visited the incredible Alaska SeaLife Center (that wasn't there the first trip), and ended our journey with a stop at Ray's, the best fresh seafood joint west of the Mississippi. Melts in the mouth like butter.
Two days was not nearly enough time to enjoy all that Seward offers, but business and schedules called us home. Someday I plan to go back when I don't have to mix business with pleasure. I'm thinking perhaps a graduation present for my son in a few more years. Then we'll be sure and include a dog-sled ride pulled by huskies.
Somewhere along the line I'm certain my son is part Eskimo. After college, he plans to get a job and live in Alaska. That's great! Then I can visit Alaska as often as I like - I mean visit him as often as I like.
That is until I sell my first book and buy a home in Seward. Until then, I must dream of the day I can return. Sweet dreams indeed!
Ah, Alaska - with the snow-capped mountains year-round, the moose traipsing through town, the wind whistling through the valleys, and the blushing flora and fauna bursting forth at a moments notice.
Okay, before I wax poetic let me come down from the mountaintop.
Both times that I've had the luxury of visiting Alaska were near the end of April and the first of May. Almost overnight the ground goes from moist gray to vibrant green with splashes of color tossed here and there like a mosaic. The ice covering most lakes and rivers cracks and begins its journey, and previously unseen waterfalls thunder down the mountainside.
My first trip to the Last Frontier was alone, but I never let aloneness stop me from exploring. That's when I discovered an oasis I had to visit again. My second trip allowed me to take my mother and son with me, and we spent the last few days nestled in my favorite hideaway in the world: Seward.
After my mother came back to reality and realized those enormous beasts roaming downtown Anchorage were not mechanical (hey look, Mom - MOOSE!), we headed down the Seward Highway to that quaint little town at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. We took a wildlife boat tour, visited the incredible Alaska SeaLife Center (that wasn't there the first trip), and ended our journey with a stop at Ray's, the best fresh seafood joint west of the Mississippi. Melts in the mouth like butter.
Two days was not nearly enough time to enjoy all that Seward offers, but business and schedules called us home. Someday I plan to go back when I don't have to mix business with pleasure. I'm thinking perhaps a graduation present for my son in a few more years. Then we'll be sure and include a dog-sled ride pulled by huskies.
Somewhere along the line I'm certain my son is part Eskimo. After college, he plans to get a job and live in Alaska. That's great! Then I can visit Alaska as often as I like - I mean visit him as often as I like.
That is until I sell my first book and buy a home in Seward. Until then, I must dream of the day I can return. Sweet dreams indeed!
3 comments:
You better find a summer home someplace warm. Like Saskatchewan.
Denise, I was so busy looking at the scenery that I didn't even notice Tyler and Mama in the pic. Ha Ha! How did you get that wallpaper design on the sides of your blog page? I've been trying to figure that out all week.
The wind was blowing so hard that day and Momma was telling me to hurry and take the pic because it was soooo cold. The wallpaper must have just come with the page design I chose. Parchment seemed appropriate for a writer, eh?
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