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As a veteran mental health and addictions counselor in Alaska, you would think Alaskan writer Michael Horton would focus his writing on his work experiences all across the state. Yet the prolific writer has veered far afield to the realms of a series inspired by Biblical characters, a Star Wars themed science fiction series and yes, one novel of Bush teens dealing with life challenges. What comes across in his writings is his close connection to the many people he counseled and his understanding...
Fairbanks has a lot to offer the visitor. In March, brave the town's arctic weather to view the Ice Art Championship and its entries of intricately carved, sometimes gravity-defying wonders. An ice challenge The World Ice Art Championships are held from mid-February to March 1. Divisions include the Multi Block Classic is six days of four artists using nine blocks to create a massive piece. The Double Block Classic lasts three days and two carvers use but two blocks for their creation. And, for...
In a winter surprise, Juneau was chosen by two travel outlets to be included in their list of best places to visit. Travel Lemming, a U.S.-based online travel publication with more than 10 million yearly readers, announced in December its list of the 50 best destinations in the world for 2025. Juneau was named the No. 18 best place to travel globally. Yes, that's "globally"! The article calls Juneau "a must-see if an Alaskan adventure is on your horizon." It invites travelers to take a glacier...
I once heard a man of Irish descent exclaim after his visit to Ireland, "The beer was warm!" To travel and expect everywhere else to be like America makes no sense. Why not stay home? And for those working in the tourism industry all over the world, the masses of the traveling public have become a nightmare. 'Please stay home' Last year, Santorini, Greece, became the most over-touristed destination in Europe with 3.5 million visitors jammed into an island of 15,500. Venice, Italy, instituted a 5...
In December after an active spring, summer and autumn of physical activity, you wonder how to keep it together as another Alaska winter sets in. You could winter over in Hawaii (see deals in the travel column), but you don't have to go that far; exercise is as close as your nearest shopping mall or recreation center. Anchorage Dimond Center Mall is open for free mall walking on the first and second levels of the building, Hours are Monday through Saturday, a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to...
For the first time ever, the Light the World Giving Machine is coming to Alaska. Disguised as a vending machine, it dispenses cheer by simply choosing one of the local non-profit organizations in the machine and depositing money. Actually, there will be two machines. "In case one goes down, you know electronics, and it can allow two people to donate at the same time. The lines can get long," said Fairbanks Senior Center Co-Director Angela Jones. This year for the 2024 holiday season, there will...
Imagine breakup and the feeling you usually have about escaping it to somewhere the sun shines and its warmth actually touches your body. Consider a trip to Sata Fe, New Mexico with Road Scholar. The best part of Road Scholar aside from its all-inclusive scheduling with meals and accommodations, is the price - seven days for $2,749. Flights are not included. The seven day, six-night trip includes 13 meals, six expert-led lectures plus a group leader, 11 expert-led field trips, six nights of...
Sweepstakes to paradise Win a four-day, three-night luxury all-inclusive vacation at the Sandals resort of your choice. Airfare is not included. Sandals operates resorts in the Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent. Go to https://www.sandals.com/sweepstakes/ to enter. Alaska-Hawaiian airlines merger goes through There are so many questions about how this merger will affect the Alaskan traveler and their Alaska Airlines benefits. The good news is...
Road Scholar, the senior travel organization that takes you on all-included trips worldwide and in the U.S., is offering solo women travelers' trips in 2025. And, because the 2025 Monarch butterfly tours to Mexico have sold out, another is planned for 2026. But for both, you'll have to be alert as to when they open up and be skippy in signing up. If you're a woman traveling alone and are tired of couples who do not interact with you, clutching each other as if you will ruin their marriage, Road...
So, you're walking down the aisle again or for the first time and wondering how to pull it off simply in a simply beautiful setting. Myself, I chose a civil ceremony in a judge's chamber with close family. It was certainly cheap, but it did lack that Disney Happy Ever After touch. But rejoice Alaskan lovers, a wedding in paradise is just a flight away. Hawaii, just because Like kissing cousins on the map, Hawaii is the right fit for 49ers. There's nothing so refreshing in winter as a week in...
The dictionary defines a prospector as one who searches or explores. Members of the Alaskan Prospector's Society (APS) are continually prospecting for fun and knowledge about the great state of Alaska. The celebrates its 80th birthday this August. According to the organization's website, APS organized in June of 1944 at Elmendorf Air Force Base, now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. APS was a spinoff from a popular course titled "Short Course in Mining," at the University of Alaska's extension...
If you're like me, you get bupkis in Social Security income. Bupkis is an appropriate term because it's a Yiddish word, which is literally translated as "beans" and is derived from a Slavic word for "goat droppings". The second Wednesday of every month, I receive $1,150.50 minus United Health premium and the tax I pay ahead to cover the extra money I make from freelance writing. Passive income But I have also started an online store through Bonfire, selling T-shirts I've designed, as I started...
July is peak season for festivals around Alaska. Here are some highlights: Chugiak/Eagle River Bear Paw Festival, July 10-14. Free. Grand parade, Slippery Salmon Olympics, Human Foosball Tournament, community service awards, classic car show, music, vendors, much more. www.bearpawfestival.com Girdwood Forest Fair, July 5-7. Free. A family fair that features Alaskan artists, hand-crafted items, exotic foods, and entertainers from all over Alaska. https://girdwoodforestfair.com/ Homer Peony...
Two white guys have written a book, "Black Lives in Alaska." We are glad they stepped up. Ian Hartman, associate professor and department chair at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of History, and David Reamer, well-known historian, especially to readers of his column the Anchorage Daily News column "Histories of Alaska," both say they published the stories because of "the absence of material on this subject." "This book has its roots in the Anchorage centennial publication,...
In 2022, there were 53,692 veterans living in Alaska, making it the number one state with retired American military. While that's a 25.25 percent decrease since 2012, the statewide population total of 733,583 state population of that same year, means 10.10 percent of the adult civilian population in Alaska were considered veterans. Looking after soldiers Joint Base Elmendorf/Richardson Retired Soldiers Council has a free newsletter, “Soldier for Life,” which can be viewed on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Alaska.Milit...
When Road Scholar put out its recent call for retired teachers and their guests to take a tour of the Italian Riviera or Nova Scotia, the response lagged and both tours were thrown open to everyone. Road Scholar estimates that more than a quarter of its participants are retired educators, which is more than any other career represented. This is likely because of Road Scholar's educational mission and focus on learning through its travel programs. For teachers who sign onto the tours, Road...
Whew! That was a close one—for now. Alaska Airlines’ new program, “Alaska Access,” will not replace Alaskans’ cherished Club 49 Alaskans-only free program for now. Club 49 includes two free checked bags, as well as for anyone else on the same ticket when traveling to and from Alaska; Travel Now 30 percent travel discount; and “Freight for Less” discounted cargo shipping within the state. Alaska Access is touted to offer the benefit of less time finding member-only fares, early access to sales and a monthly Wi-Fi voucher to stay connected whe...
Perhaps you remember those nights in the Fly By Night Club watching Mr. Whitekeys' "Whale Fat Follies" or "Christmas in Spenard," and laughing so hard you snorted your drink through your nose. He skewered politicians so deftly it was as if he stuck needles in a voodoo doll and they felt them. That cast parading around with a salmon around their waist or an Alaska Marine Highway ferry were portends of their problems still unsolved. How the Anchorage comedy scene must miss him. The show closed aft...
Our eyes turn to the skies in early spring with the return of the birds that signal warm weather and another generation of their species. In Utqiagvik, it's the welcome sight of the snowbird and, in Fairbanks, the sandhill cranes, with their cries that penetrate and bring us outside to wonder at them. And with the birds, there are the annual festivals, with opportunities to celebrate and learn. Here's a preview. Ketchikan Hummingbird Festival, April, dates to be announced. Celebrate the return...
Hawaii is the perfect place to go in February- only six hours out of Anchorage, to a nearby time zone just one hour behind, where you land with nary a hint of jet lag and ready to again experience the warmth of the sun. Islands with distinctive differences While Mokoka'i is quiet and not very touristy, Kaua'i bustles with tourist shops and excursions, O'ahu is home to the state's capital Honolulu with its royal palace and of course the famous Diamond Head commanding the harbor, Lāna'i has a...
Somewhere in the wilds of Homer is Brian George Smith, a self-proclaimed "male action figure of the opposite of a crazy cat lady." He has 13 older, special needs cats who keep him company while he writes. With a video, screenplay and film background, this man who hasn't watched TV in 20 years turned to writing books after his business died during the pandemic. "The books aren't making much money, and they pay you squat," he says of the self-publishing approach, "but I'm happy as a clam selling a...
After some time off, solar maximum has returned to the skies. It's a regular period of greatest solar activity during the sun's 11-year solar cycle. On Dec. 15, www.spaceweather.com reported Sunspot 3514 flared with a strong M7-class event following close on the heels of Dec. 14th's X2.8-class boomer. The X-flare on Dec. 14 was the strongest flare so far of Solar Cycle 25 and the most powerful eruption the sun has produced since the great storms of September 2017. The smallest flares are...
Travel agents are coming back Many of you in your senior years still avoid the use of computers. This is both good and bad. Good because it makes you comfortable not having to wrestle with the never-ending new applications and websites, but bad because you could shop for vacation bargains online. Travel disruptions in recent years due to the pandemic, lack of trained pilots and extreme weather, look to be a permanent consideration in your vacation plans. That's where travel agents come in and...
John McCool just returned home to Anchorage from an 11-day whirlwind trip with Road Scholar. He believes he's done over 40 with them, and says travel is made easy because the itinerary is so well planned. "You can't beat the prices, and it saves lots of time," McCool said. "No way could I have planned that-hotels, river trips, transportation." Road Scholar, the name a play on the Rhodes Scholarship for college students from around the world to study at Oxford University in England, offers...
If you face heating bills that are burdensome, the State of Alaska’s Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program could be your solution. LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills. It can help you stay warm in the winter and reduce the risk of health and safety problems such as illness, fire or eviction. The program may be able to offer you one or more of the following types of assistance: bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, and weatherization and energy-related home r...
