Alastair and I enjoyed a 2 week holiday in Alaska, visiting places where I lived as a kid and exploring new areas for hiking. Weather was perfect, and due to lack of rain and some recent fires there were practically no mosquitoes!
The main reason for our trip was to visit a family friend, Ellen Whitcher, who turned 100 yrs old on August 21. Ellen and my mother served in the American Red Cross during WWII and they met while stationed at Fort Richardson in Anchorage. Our family lived in Anchorage from 1956 to 1960 while my father was stationed at Elmendorf AFB, and we returned to Alaska after he retired from the Air Force, living in Fairbanks from 1964 to 1967. Ellen and her husband were also living in Fairbanks at that time, so I got to know them during the years we were there. Ellen is still every bit as bright, funny and lively as she was then. May we all age so well!
In addition to visiting Ellen, Alastair and I enjoyed quite a few wonderful hikes, some of them with my brother, John, who joined us for a week. Here are a few of my favorites!
