My Weblog

Eskimo Ice Cream

'Akutak' is the word you'll need on a hot summers day in arctic Alaska - that's Yupik Eskimo for ice cream. Now you are a fluent speaker and the ice cream is in the bag so to speak - you are half way there! What with global warming this linguistic ability might come in particularly handy from now on! But have you ever thought of making your own Eskimo Ice Cream at home? It's so easy that you could phone your nearest and dearest today and invite them over next Sunday. Here is the recipe. Download audio_test_4.mp3

Parking Problems?

Having trouble with your parallel parking? This venerable Alaskan steam locomotive when not parked perfectly between the lines - helps rekindle the epic story of 1898 and the Klondike Goldrush. Owned by the White Pass & Yukon Route, 'old 73' is seen by thousands of cruise ship passengers each summer as it steams through Skagway. Hear more. Download wpyr_the_epic_railroad_story_of_1898.mp3

How's Your Weather Today?

With our new high tech weather chart it's easy to be dead accurate! Although slightly misleading when we publish a July image in February! But you get the picture! Trust us there will be days like this in summer - lots of them, honest! And if you'd like to hear more about sunshine in Alaska's far north - then just listen here!Download arctic_sunshine.mp3

Faces behind the screens

What's in a face? Absolutely everything we think. In the world of 'online everything' seeing and hearing about the real people who keep the flag flying behind the computer screens can be quite reassuring; almost like meeting the neighbours next door. Our team here are a terrific group of people who enjoy living in Alaska and who bring their own personalities and interests to making other people's holidays the most memorable ever. I know this all reads a bit biased but that's us - and if we don't write it, who will? If you're brave enough you can meet the online version of us all right here and then (if that's not enough) listen to this handy mp3 file for more on your new pals in Alaska. Download the_faces_behind_the_screens_2.mp3   

Alaska's Colourful Characters

What I appreciate about Alaska is the wonderful collection of larger than life characters. Often lovable and extroverted you'll likely find these personalities in the most unlikely places and oddest of times. How do you find them? Bars are a good place to start - particulary those old saloons that look like western movie sets in remote, off the beaten track locations. At least a good dozen places spring to mind immediately. Look for the ones with a sawdust floor, scattered peanut shells - and the all important broken furniture --- it'll be like striking gold - you'll have bonanza on your hands. Imagine an evening with a roomful of Alaskan characters, draught beer flowing and the wildest of - off the wall conversations...and the laughter !!! These are some of the funniest times I've ever had. The saloon in the tiny village of McCarthy comes to mind - deep in the St Elias Mountains where the oddest people seeminly just appeared all evening out of the woodwork...and did they have stories? Or very late at night in a bar in Tok Junction where we met some ex Viet Nam helicopter pilots - now flying fire crews around hot spots. After an unbelievable evening of adventure and wartime stories one of the pilots - having had a skinful decided at 0300 hrs to fly his massive Bell helicopter home - and he only lived a couple of miles down the road!! This guy was a brilliant flyer and after duty in 'Nam' this was a breeze I would imagine. There is an extraordinary sense of freedom about Alaska that has seemingly little changed with the years - which combined with the colourful personalities makes this place something of a quest for visitors. Alaska is very different from much of America - and if you want to discover the heart of it - just step off the beaten track occassionaly. Or alternatively why not climb onto your Harley and ride off into the midnight sun! Download colourful_characters_the_biker_dog.mp3      

"A Bird in the Hand"

                                             

At some point during winter doesn't everyone ask themselves the inevitable question - will summer ever come? Fortunately the unstoppable cycle is underway - longer days and a movement in the natural world confirms it. Nature has got it right again while the rest of us procrastinate! The great trek to Alaska is underway! Birds, animals, fish, humans - seemingly we are all either en route or planning to come this summer. Humpback whales have already started while the Shearwaters are flying comfortably (albeit not in business class) from Tasmania & The Great Barrier Reef to their nesting sites on Alaska's Pacific coastline some 10,000 miles away! By the way shouldn't someone tell these guys about "Air Miles"? 

So what's "a bird in the hand" got to do with this post you might ask?

Quite a lot really... Download vagabond_bunch_of_bush_pilots.mp3

A Whales Tail

At this time in Alaska it's still cold, very cold, the husky dogs are howling under the full moon and your breath freezes on your face! But down Mexico way the great whales are stirring, ancient instincts signaling it's time for the annual journey to Alaska. From their warm water wintering grounds in Mexico and Hawaii these magnificent creatures are already underway; mothers urging their young further and deeper into the chilly waters of the north Pacific. Their objectives are the nutrient rich feeding grounds of Alaska's coastline thousands of miles north. Glacier Bay and Point Adolphus attract hundreds of whales during the summer months making them a haven for both nature lovers and whales alike. Feeding rarely far from land the whales can be easily viewed by boat making this region one of the best in North America for experiencing the sheer magic of the whales. Imagine the possibility of seeing whales, bears and glaciers all in the same day?   

Bear Viewing in Alaska

One of the most exciting moments in Alaska was when I saw the small black bear - my first sighting of a bear in the wild. Bear viewing is very popular and although bears may be seen in big National Parks it's not always successful. By traveling to places like Kodiak and Katmai the chances are better of seeing wildlife - and without lots of other people in noisy busses. We flew there in a small plane like this one. It cost more but the satisfaction made it a hundred times better. We found a great company in Anchorage that offers Bear Viewing to Kodiak Island