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Alaska / Yukon - THE EPILOGUE:

So that was the end of a great adventure.

It may have been an end, but it did not erase the many memories of a remarkable trip which was full of daily discoveries and incredible sights designed to stimulate the senses and the mind.

My trip was greatly enhanced by my interest in history.

Alaska and Yukon have so much history that was produced with such broad and bold strokes that it is deeply imbedded in popular folklore. Traveling here, I found myself in an environment conducive to better understanding the story of the "Last Frontiers" of the United States and Canada.

Therefore, I was open and receptive to the many historical plaques, references, exhibits and museums which are found in these northern lands. Each was like a part of a jig saw puzzle which gave me a better understanding of the land and the people.

Skeptics may scoff at this elementary approach to learning. Others may be reminded of Alexander Pope's famous words "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing".

Ultimately, I did the obvious. I presented Alaska and Yukon as seen through my own eyes and through my own impressions as faulty or correct as that might be.

I came to a new land not as a critic but a sponge ready to absorb and accentuate the positive which I saw in almost everything.

I left Alaska/Yukon filled with a new sense of satisfaction. My initial modest goal was to catch the fall colours of Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park. Ultimately, the trip evolved into a beautiful thing as it led from one discovery to another, often fueled by the people that I met.

I saw so many wonderful places. I learned of or met so many interesting people, all of whom had a story worth telling.

It all added up to fertile grounds conducive to sharing my experiences in a blog.

I also realize that part of the success of my trip is owed to the fact that I traveled by myself. It allowed me to travel extensively, cheaply and without compromise to the ultimate goal.

This trip was a "tour de force" which meant many late nights of driving which I happen to enjoy but which is not everyone's cup of tea. It also meant that if there was an interesting road to follow, I would likely follow it to the bitter end since that is the only way to find out what is at the end.

As a blogger, the things done and the stories sought may be interesting to the blogger but a bore to anyone else who is along for the ride.

As a blogger/photographer I also have a keen eye for beautiful scenery which means stopping a lot to take photos. The reward is in capturing a beautiful scene. It may be rewarding for the photographer but it could be punishment to a companion who is not into stopping to take photos.

There is a dichotomy in what I write. It sounds like I like traveling without Barbara.

On the contrary, as the next Travelblog from Hawaii will show, Barbara is a great traveler and for the most part we share the same interests as both of us have an almost child-like curiosity for seeing new sights and places which feeds our need to be "ON THE ROAD AGAIN".

Sometimes Barbara even leaves me behind in her desire to see things. She still had this desire on our last day in Waikiki (the final day of our 27 day Hawaiian adventure).

We visited the aquarium and there was Barb reading every sign showing the interest and excitement as if it had been our first day in Hawaii. At this point I was burned out waiting patiently near the exit by the seal display hoping for Barbara to finish up soon so we could leave.

Then there was one more botanical garden that she had to see!

That's when I threw in the towel and headed back to the hotel to relax.

I have been blogging the Alaska trip more or less since September 12, 2007. Now it is officially time to let go and move on.


Coming Soon: HAWAII