Never let it be said that I'm not adventurous. Before I return to a more blog-suitable discussion about Dukes, ballrooms, and the like, I wanted to share this these pictures of yours truly in a float plane. And, if it seems like the plane was small, let me assure you that it was! Seven of us pried ourselves in--and, yes, we all had to write down our purported weight for "equal distribution" before we could board.

I can see Canada from my plane!
We were lucky enough to get the "pilot's choice" tour, which included flying over some ice fields and a sail through a mountain pass. For once words really elude me, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Down below we saw wilderness--the houses end, the glaciers begin and there's nothing out there there except some mountain goats, a few crazy scientists, and an outfitter that takes tourists around on dog sleds.(They're helicoptered in.)


Just to give you a sense of Alaska's size, if you transposed it on a map of the lower 48, it takes up something like nearly half the nation. Oh, and when someone here asked me how many millions of people lived in the state, I replied, "About 600,000." Half of those live in Anchorage.

Thank you, William Seward, who wrangled Alaska away from Russia, and who was somewhat ironically born in Florida, NY.

PS--next time you're in Juneau, give Ward Air a call and go on an Ice Cap Tour. You will be glad you did!