After traveling to over one hundred different countries (only once on a cruise and that was a small ship to Antarctica) people often ask which is our favorite place. A tricky question, due to the uniqueness of each country. However, the answer glares at us – the USA is our favorite. Extreme scenery, wildlife, and diverse cultures blend throughout the entire US spreading across gargantuan distances. In a way, each state could be viewed as a different country. For us, Alaska, the 49^th state, truly stands out as a different “country.” We have spent seven previous summers in Alaska and just returned this summer after a seven-year hiatus. Alaska could be our favorite state. Come on along and revisit with us. One more time.

I drive my Tacoma, (stuffed like a huge suitcase) onto the Alaska State ferry in Bellingham, WA, while Marilynn runs up to the solarium. She looks for a strategic spot to pad two lounge chairs where we will sleep for the next three nights. There are cabins available, but many people just sleep on lounge chairs, in the solarium, indoors, or in tents duck-taped to the deck.

We sit and stare at mountainous scenery interrupted by an occasional pod of orcas, or humpback whales along this “cruise” through the inside passage.

We make friends immediately, who hang out with us in the corner of the solarium, or in the bar. This ferry has a bar, a cafeteria, a formal restaurant, and free showers on the lower decks.

Enjoy a walk on land at our first stop in Ketchikan, 38 hours later.

Once we disembark at our destination in Haines, Alaska, it is off to the “Haines Brewery” for a welcome sip and then to a friend’s house in the woods. She offered her place to us for the entire month of May while she was gone.

Oh me oh my oh, getting used to “outhouse living” again takes a bit of muscle memory, but it is like riding a bike (in the freezing morning rain).

Fire up that wood burner, because chilly rain dominates most of the month of May in Haines this summer of 2025. Even the locals are complaining. On those rainy, cold, dreary days, sitting in a cabin in the woods with no television can grow a tad monotonous for a couple of city folk like us. Hmm, maybe Alaska is not our favorite anymore? On the other hand, we really appreciate and enjoy those views of snow and glacier capped mountains during the elusive breaks in the clouds.

Three rare sunny days provide opportunities to explore old favorites like Chilkat State Park, where we campground hosted for two summers, and to hike Mt. Riley and Battery Point Trails.

In any weather, Haines, Alaska remains one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen.

Time for a road trip. We look forward to camping along the way to our ultimate destination of Anchorage and life in a large city with services. I have a “TrustedHousesitters” gig there. More about that later. First, let’s drive the famous Haines Highway and camp at Snag Junction in Canada’s Yukon territory.

We love Canada and its people and do not understand why any US politician would want to alienate our Canadian friends.

Like the US, Canada has extreme scenery and diverse cultures that spread across gargantuan distances where each province could be like a different country. Plus, campsites in Canada provide free firewood! Marilynn gets out of bed in the morning’s 37 degrees F (2.8C), to make a fire and boil water for coffee. I emerge once the coffee is ready, and the fire starts.

Onward to Homer, Alaska which boasts of being a “Drinking town with a fishing problem.”  We spend a week at a tiny Airbnb, that also hosts bunnies and chickens.

When not chatting it up with the local fishermen at the “Salty Dawg Saloon,” we cook fresh seafood in our cabin, while admiring views across the Bay.

Finally, a day of no rain in Homer, so let’s hop on a boat that drops us off at the trailhead to Grewingk Glacier Lake.

During a hike through boreal forest to  the glacial lake, we notice bear tracks and realize that we forgot our bear spray which can be a more effective defense than my .44 Magnum.

Luckily, we do not run into any predators during our hike. Once at the lake we enjoy lunch and the interesting ice formations, before the boat picks us up six hours later!

Time to head to Anchorage, where I take on the assignment of caring for one cat and one dog for one month. “TrustedHousesitters.com” offers vetted pet/house sitters a choice of assignments throughout the world. You do not get paid, but you get to live for free almost anywhere in the world. Of course, you must care for pets and property before venturing off.

The rain and chilly temperatures continue, and we are stuck in a nice house with no blinds on the windows in this land of the midnight sun. The psycho cat whines and wakes us each night at 0300 hours. He also chewed up Marilynn’s hat and randomly bit her arm, drawing blood. Stuck in the house due to the weather again, we wonder if we still really love Alaska?

Thank goodness for the array of breweries that attract friendly locals and tourists alike. We are grateful for the human interaction with someone besides each other!

Since I am the “trusted house sitter” Marilynn takes a well-deserved break from psycho cat to tramp around Talkeetna and Denali, as the weather looks to finally clear. She enjoys three days of uninterrupted blue skies, raging rivers, lakes, snowcapped mountains, and wildlife.

Meanwhile, the first night that I am left unsupervised, psycho cat turns his attention to me, biting me at 0300 hours drawing blood. That hour seems to be his “psycho” acting out time. After treating my wound and guzzling coffee, I walk “Birdie” the dog. Anything to get away from the cat.

Since it is always light outside it does not matter what time of night it is. But the dog’s harness is too tight, so I just use her collar. Suddenly, out of the woods a giant, loose Mastiff runs at full speed towards us. It rips into this little Wheaton Terrier of “mine” with grand enthusiasm. Little Birdie squirms out of her collar while on her back getting pummeled. She runs faster than a laser into the woods and escapes. Also escapes from me. I want to pummel the owner, but there is no time. Got to find little Birdie. Once the owner of the Mastiff finds his dog, he apologetically cruises the neighborhood looking for mine, while I walk the infinite woods and then down residential streets yelling, “Birdie! Birdie!” looking like a mentally deranged directionless person. I am mortified, as this is the first week of the month-long sit and I have lost Birdie the dog. Hopefully, she is still alive somewhere. Eventually, I flag down a garbage truck driver who leads me to an uninjured, albeit traumatized, Birdie hiding under the deck of a house. A happy ending.

In hindsight, if Birdie were wearing her harness during the attack, she may not have survived. She is a very smart dog, as evidenced by her escape and hide techniques. But now, I use the “tight” harness on her since she can escape so easily without it. I also carry bear spray with me, not so much for bears, but dogs and possibly their owners. Not to mention the moose that seem to be everywhere.

The weather finally makes a major change, and the sun breaks through the clouds just in time for a friend from the “Lower 48” to visit. What a difference a sunny day can make. We share meals, laughter and hikes in Chugach and Denali State Parks.

Three weeks into this housesit, we get along better with the psycho cat from hell, who has not bitten us lately. Birdie is a natural sweet dog, but still, we rethink this whole house-sitting gig concept.

Looking forward to camping on our way back to the town of Haines, where we plan to board the ferry for a four-day float back to the “Lower 48.” Going to miss the cool temperatures and dramatic scenery of Alaska for sure. And despite the sometimes (this time often) dreary weather, it still remains our favorite “country,” as it provides the most extreme scenery, wildlife, and diverse cultures that blend throughout the entire USA, spreading across gargantuan distances.

 

Thank you, Abundant Universe!