| Alaska is renowned the world over as the "Last | | | | Then, in the fall of 1996, the one hundred year old |
| Frontier," the Land Of the Midnight Sun. It is a great | | | | converted farmhouse where Irented space for my |
| place to visit in the summer. Just be sure to take a | | | | direct mail advertising and printing business caught fire. |
| sleep mask with you. Let me explain why I say that. | | | | Thefire (an accident caused by the torch of a |
| On the first of May 1997, after many years of | | | | careless roofer) caused so much damage; Iwas put |
| dreaming of going to Alaska, my wifeand I left New | | | | out of business. Fortunately, we had enough insurance |
| Jersey in our self-contained 30' motor home | | | | to cover our losses. |
| determined to drive allthe way from Freehold, New | | | | Then, instead of going back in business, we decided to |
| Jersey to Alaska. | | | | use the insurance money tobuy the motor home and - |
| As a young man, (back in 1948) I was recently | | | | drive to Alaska! |
| discharged from the U.S. Navy. Thatis when I made | | | | "Someday" had arrived! Alaska was no longer a |
| plans to go to Alaska as soon as possible and spend | | | | dream, we were on our way. |
| the rest of mylife there. But first, since I wanted to be | | | | We left New Jersey in May and drove about two |
| an Alaskan bush pilot, I decided to use partof my GI Bill | | | | hundred miles each day; found acampsite each night, |
| benefits to learn how to fly a Piper Cub airplane. So, I | | | | then followed the same routine for the next thirty days. |
| signed up forflying lessons at the flight school operated | | | | It was the first of June when we drove into Tok, |
| at our local Red Bank, NJ airport. | | | | Alaska. We were so excited! Wewere in Alaska at |
| Learning to fly was a great experience and I enjoyed | | | | last! We stayed in Tok (wonderful people there) a |
| every lesson to the utmost. | | | | couple of daysand then headed for Fairbanks, |
| Then, soon after my first very exciting solo flight, when | | | | Anchorage, Denali, and later, Homer. Our generalplan |
| I got my "wings." I met thegirl of my dreams. We met | | | | was to spend the whole summer in Alaska and see |
| at the Baptist church in Freehold, NJ where we both | | | | as much as we could of thatspectacular Great Land. |
| lived. | | | | During those wonderful months of leisurely traveling |
| Naturally, I told my new girl friend all about my plans to | | | | and camping all over Alaska,from June to September, |
| first learn to fly, then moveto Alaska and become a | | | | we met lots of friendly Alaskans wherever we went. |
| bush pilot. | | | | Thesnowcapped mountains, the moose, the bears, Mt. |
| Of course, because of my enthusiasm, this beautiful | | | | Denali, panning for gold, all wereabsolutely spectacular |
| young lady soon became asexcited as I was about | | | | to see and experience first hand. We had a great time |
| moving to Alaska and we talked for many hours | | | | everyday. |
| about thegreat adventures I expected to have while | | | | The only real problem I had, and it was a problem that |
| living in Alaska, the Last Frontier. | | | | bothered me the whole timewe were in Alaska, was |
| Well, as you might have suspected from what I've just | | | | this: I discovered that in Alaska, in the summertime, |
| told you, we fell in love. | | | | there isconstant daylight. It never got dark! Even at |
| Several months later we were married and about a | | | | midnight there was daylight and brightsunshine. One |
| year after that we were pregnantand soon our first | | | | "night" at one AM in the morning, I remember looking |
| son was born. I went to college at night and worked in | | | | out of the |
| myfather's business during the day. | | | | RV's windshield and I saw a double rainbow in the sky |
| The move to Alaska was not to be - yet. | | | | right there in front of us! |
| The years passed, I started my own business; we had | | | | Constant daylight in the summer in Alaska was |
| more children, a housemortgage, payments on two | | | | something I had not expected. Isuffered because I just |
| cars and later, our elderly parents to take care of. | | | | could not get to sleep with all of that light around me. |
| Thechildren's needs kept both of us working hard to | | | | Therewas constant (23 or 24 hours) bright daylight, all |
| make ends meet. Of course, wehad lots of fun. Life | | | | day every day for each of thosethree months. |
| was good. Even so, our dream of going to Alaska | | | | Eventually, here is how I solved the problem. I made |
| was alwaysthere, buried in the back of our minds. | | | | myself a sleepmask to put over my eyes and then, |
| We vowed to do our best to get to Alaska - | | | | and only then, could I go to sleep and get |
| someday. | | | | somemuch-needed rest. |
| The children grew, went to collage, got married and | | | | In short, our long awaited visit to Alaska has left us |
| made us grandparents manytimes over. During all of | | | | with many wonderful memoriesand we have the |
| those years we still talked about somehow, someday, | | | | satisfaction of knowing that dreams really do come |
| goingto Alaska. | | | | true. |