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
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