Lessons Learned on My Alaska Travels-Sheila

You can go home again.

It was eye-opening to return to Alaska and visit tourist sites I first saw in the 1980s. Gravel roads are now paved, homes newly built in dense forests, rudimentary visitor cabins upgraded, luxury boats added to boat tours and the now ubiquitous souvenir gift shops. Old haunts made new. There was a comforting feeling of familiarity but with a new polish and I loved it! It was especially thrilling to share travel experiences with old (Gracie) and new (Sue) friends.

It wasn’t a ho-hum trip. And we, women in the very prime of life (our 70s), wondered briefly if we’d been too ambitious in the planning. There was night blindness to consider, the availability of handicapped accessibility, dietary concerns, aching joints from walking, sitting, standing and our stamina or the lack thereof. And, oh my goodness, did we build enough rest time into the itinerary?!

Gracie suggested we tour the state instead of staying in big city Anchorage. Sue said she was on-board with whatever was planned. And with that ringing endorsement from my friends, I proposed the itinerary you've watched (or read) unfold. Yes the itinerary left us breathless, but we forged ahead! And this is what I learned.

Having a detailed travel plan from the start kept us focused. We agreed to be flexible, change plans when needed and accept the unknown. Who knew we would have to make a Plan B when there was no room for us at any hotel in Fairbanks? We did figure it out thanks to Sue and Gracie's friends who came to our rescue - and an overnite in a RV park. How would we manage hundreds of miles of driving with one less driver than planned? We made it work, taking shifts and adapting.

Why did it work? How did three women in their prime; Baptist minister, atheist, experienced and opinionated travel-weary friends make it work. Respect for each others opinions and knowledge gained from life experience that sometimes just giving each other space will solve problems.

And, thank you Gracie, for having a large home with two floors. Sometimes it made all the difference. I’d travel with my two friends again, in a heartbeat.

Sheila, Grace, Sue at Alyeska Resort Tram