Senior Voice -

Part three in a series. The trails of wood smoke far behind us, we arrived in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, for its Riverside Arts Festival that coincided with Discovery Days. Annually, the 160...

It's here; the annual scramble to book the next year's adventures. Alaskans love to plan trips, especially trips to warmer weather, and November marks a milestone for many, whether they purchased a...

We hit the Alaska Highway after escaping British Columbia's own Bermuda Triangle - Fort St. John. Like a scene from the movie "Groundhog Day," where the main character repeats the same day over and...

For Alaskans, history and cultural traditions are intertwined in a complicated and very personal narrative unlike that found anywhere else in the United States. The combination of a vast landscape...

We roared out of Bennington, Vermont, to cover 977 miles the first day and somehow avoided speeding tickets. This after deciding we did not like Bennington and would return to my mother's home town...

Last weekend I awoke to the sound of pounding rain and a sharp breeze whipping birch branches against my window. The day was as raw and wet as they come, and provided a stark reminder that fall is ind...

Nearly 331 million people set foot inside a national park last year, thanks in part to the agency's 100th birthday and a societal push to spend more time in the great outdoors. America's public lands...

Alaska craftspeople who work in gems and silver rush every year in late January to the Tucson Gem Show where 250 dealers hawk the supplies that keep local artisans afloat and viable for the tourism...

Rivers of ice that tell the story of Alaska's geologic past, glaciers rank high on sightseeing bucket lists. Hanging from alpine cirques or plunging directly into deep fjords, 100,000 glaciers in the...

Palm trees and swans in the harbor may not seem possible in England, but in Cornwall it is. Its temperate ocean climate is the mildest and sunniest in all of the United Kingdom due to its position at...

Denver is an outdoor city filled with urban adventures. The Mile High City is known for its world-class cultural attractions, thriving craft breweries and famous music scene, all within easy reach of...

Vermont is all about maple syrup and that's just fine with me. Here in the springtime, smoke fills the air from sugarhouses busily boiling the sap from sugar maple trees in vats over wood-fired...

Just a week in the sun makes Jack much easier to live with. Truly, the lack of sun in wintertime does tax one's sanity in Alaska. I was of the mind that I was a true Alaskan and didn't need any...

Cemeteries might not seem like a likely place to visit as a tourist but they are. Some people visit cemeteries to pay homage to presidents, artists, poets and other influential individuals. Others go...

This column has talked about riding the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), and that it is an experience many Alaskans revel in and more should try. It will be especially so in 2018, when AMHS hopes...

As the centennial year for the National Park Service comes to a close, I want to share some of my favorite parks in Alaska because this state has the most parks, the largest park and the most varied g...

Thanks to the inherent isolationism of Brits, Americans can benefit this winter from the country's vote to leave the European Union. The pound has fallen to levels not seen since the mid-1960s - now...

This year the National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday. Help them celebrate with a visit to one of their parks and/or monuments. There is bound to be one near your home. America owes a big...

I'm not watching the Olympics in Rio this summer. And yes, I know that these athletes have trained and competed since childhood to be able to represent their country and gain lasting glory. I...

In railroad parlay, "foamers" are those who literally foam at the mouth at the sight of a steam engine. If you are one, take the 18-hour road trip to Skagway in Southeast and take a ride on one of...

We've all had them, those that hit the road for long stretches. And naturally in Alaska, where drives can stretch for days, scary road trip experiences are something we all share. Like that night at...

When you travel to Anchorage, yes, you can stay downtown at the Sheraton, Hilton or Captain Cook, but why not try something with more of an Alaskan flavor? This year the Historic Anchorage Hotel...

Go south-way south, to Alaska's little visited Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Chain. The Aleutian Chain, including Unalaska and Amaknak Islands, began about 40 million years ago when the volcanic...

Native corporations, cruise lines and state ferry bargains bring Alaska to you on the cheap this season. First off, get a Puffin Pass through Cook Inlet Region, Inc.'s travel subsidiary CIRI Alaska...

I remember the morning of 9/11 when I woke out of a deep dream that my truck was in the emergency room for repair but it was so full of people I had to abandon it, then there was a long stairway that...