Bearfoot Guides
BEARFOOT GUIDES
When Steve and I travel, I always pick up free copies of the Bearfoot Travel Magazine. Bearfoot publishes three very informative and interesting guides (Information below was taken from their website):
The Parks Highway Bearfoot - The Parks Highway Bearfoot Guide covers the Parks Highway from Anchorage to Fairbanks. It also heads north of Fairbanks, up the Dalton Highway. Inside, you’ll find the communities of Palmer, Hatcher Pass, Wasilla, Big Lake, Willow, Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Denali State Park, Cantwell, Denali National Park, Healy, Anderson, Clear, Nenana, Ester, Fairbanks, Fox, North Pole, Circle, Manley Hot Springs, and Deadhorse. Special sections include Wildlife of Denali and a section on Alaskan Native Art.
The East Alaska Bearfoot -The East Alaska Bearfoot covers the Glenn and Richardson Highways, which traverse the eastern side of Alaska to its border with Canada. Communities in this guide include Palmer, Sutton, Matanuska Glacier, Sheep Mountain, Eureka, Nelchina, Glennallen, Gakona, Chistochina, Mentasta, Tok, Chicken, Eagle, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Copper Center, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Kenny Lake, Chitina, McCarthy, Kennicott, Tonsina, Thompson Pass, Valdez, Cordova, and Prince William Sound. There is a special section on Marine Mammals.
The Anchorage & Kenai Bearfoot -The Anchorage & Kenai Bearfoot starts in Anchorage and goes all the way down the Kenai Peninsula to Homer. The Kenai Peninsula has two highways, the Seward Highway and the Sterling Highway. This guide covers them both. The guide starts with a large section on Anchorage. and continues south to Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope, Moose Pass, Seward, Cooper Landing, Sterling, Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski, Ninilchik, Deep Creek, Clam Gulch, Anchor Point, and Homer. There are special sections on Wildlife in Anchorage, Day Trips from Anchorage, and Fishing.
The magazines are free and, in my opinion, better than many of the other travel guides you can pick up (or buy) in state. If you’re visiting Alaska, look for the magazines at airports, rental car agencies, and visitor centers.
While traveling last week, I picked up the Parks Highway Bearfoot at a gas station along the way. I enjoyed thumbing through it and reading about some of the places we’d be passing through, even though we’ve visited all of these places many times over the years. I still found very interesting tidbits of information in the Bearfoot Guide; and even learned some things!
The section on Fairbanks is larger than most, as Fairbanks is the second largest city in Alaska. For being the second largest city, Fairbanks really isn’t all that large - especially from the viewpoint of someone who was born and raised in Philadelphia (Philly proper has a population of 1.5 million, while the entire metropolitan area has almost 6 million residents). The population of Fairbanks proper is about 35,000 while the Fairbanks metropolitan area is less than 100,000. To put things in perspective, the Philadelphia Eagles stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) holds about 68,000 people - almost twice the population of Fairbanks proper.
There’s a heading entitled “Journal”, in the Fairbanks section of the magazine, and when I read the words there, I had to smile. This paragraph sums up exactly why I love living in Fairbanks:
Culturally, Fairbanks is one of the liveliest towns in Alaska. Its university is a great science college, allowing students to perform important arctic research. The people of Fairbanks have a lot of energy. They are actively involved in just about everything. They form singing and music groups, work on historical projects of all kinds, coordinate snowmachining activities, and throw themselves into various other summer and winter events that keep them busy and in touch year-round. They call themselves “The Golden Heart City”. Nobody thinks that’s corny; Fairbanks people are sincerely old-fashioned in their unabashed enthusiasm. It’s a place where anyone will talk with you on meeting you for the first time, and where you can revisit what a strong American community looks like.
Thanks, Bearfoot!
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IN THE YARD
We came home to big changes in the yard. Steve’s tomato plants have fruit on them. My sunflower seedlings have grown at least 6″ since we left. We have one lone fireweed plant blooming in my wildflower garden (which Steve mowed down as it was choked with weeds). And there are mushrooms everywhere. I’ve also seen leaf color changes on a few of the weeds that have sprung up out of a dirt pile we have next to the driveway. It’s a little early for that, isn’t it? I hope our summer isn’t a short one.
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SUMMER REMINISCING
Hard to believe that June is almost gone. The month flew by so quickly! I wish summer would pass by as slowly as it seemed to when I was a kid.
In Philadelphia, the public schools didn’t let out until mid June at the earliest. If we had a lot of snow days, the school year was extended to make them up. I remember a few years when we didn’t get out until after the 25th of June.
Nevertheless, summer vacation always seemed to go on forever when I was a child. We’d fill our days with activity. We spent time outdoors as much as we possibly could. No one voluntarily stayed in on a summer day unless you were sick or grounded. And weather never stopped us either. We’d hang out in someone’s garage or on someone’s covered porch, if it was raining.
We’d ride bikes for miles. We’d ‘hike’ the railroad tracks. We’d play football, and baseball, and wireball, and stepball. We’d play games like Kick the Can, and Hide and Seek, and a game we called “Yogurt”.
I don’t know how the game got that name, but it was a lot of fun. To start, everyone would line up on one side of the street. (The street was practically deserted after work let out) At the sound of “GO!” we’d all race across the street to the other sidewalk. The last one across was “it” and had to stand in the street, tagging runners as they raced back and forth. When you tagged someone, you yelled “YOGURT!” and that person joined you in the street to help you catch the runners. Soon, everyone would be in the street except for the two fastest (or most elusive) runners. The last one left was the winner. Billy Daka almost always won. He was fast!
Sometimes, we’d just hang out on someone’s front steps, talking until the sun went down. We were good kids and rarely got in trouble. Back in those days, you not only had to worry about your own parents chastising you, but your friends’ parents too. The “it takes a village” concept was alive and well back then.
Our fathers were very present in our lives, despite the fact that they worked so hard to support our families. Sometimes after dinner, they’d join us in the street for a game of stick ball or wiffle ball or wire ball. On weekends, one or more would gather us up for a game of baseball or tag football. Best of all, girls were allowed to play too. No discrimination from our dads!
Our dads had their own recognizable whistle. This is the way they called us in at night. We’d be playing when the high pitched sound would come echoing down the street, prompting a chorus of “Smalleys… It’s your dad”, or “Farrens… you have to go home”. Sometimes the whistles would come within minutes of each other, leading us to believe that our dads had some special communication system.
We built forts in the woods near the railroad tracks. We’d play school (!). We’d play board games. We’d go to the neighborhood pool, or swim at a friends. And summer always included a couple of trips to the Jersey Shore and Wildwood. We loved Wildwood with its 7-mile boardwalk, shops, and several piers with arcades, rides, and games.
All this reminiscing reminds me that I am blessed to have had such a wonderful childhood, with many friends, supportive and FUN parents, and memories that will always bring a smile to my face and a warmth to my heart.
I hope your summer provides you with wonderful memories that you can reminisce about in years to come.
Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,
the things you are,
the things you never want to lose.
~From the television show The Wonder Years~
Until next time…
With summer vacation almost here, I decided to start looking for a unique place to travel. Tired of the usual beach vacations, my husband and I decided that we would like to go somewhere new this year.
Not wanting to get our passports renewed, we wanted to stay in the US. And so our search began. Limiting our search to something we have never done before, we decided that we wanted to go make the outdoors a focus on this trip. Not the usual outdoors buffs, with any hiking experience or anything under our belt, we decided that a nature cruise type vacation was just what we needed.
We decided to go for an Alaska cruise. I researched a ton of boat companies in Alaska and we were set.
The company we chose is known for its alaska fishing trips, and after visiting, we know why. The scenery is stunning, and you will see a variety of wildlife, glaciers, and other things not found elsewhere in the US.
For anyone wanting to vacation somewhere unique this year, I highly recommend an Alaskan cruise. You truly won’t regret it.
[Reply]
Susan Stevenson Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Very exciting, Erin! I checked out the website and the boats are beautiful. I can imagine how serene it would be to see the great Alaska outdoors from up close and personal. What a fabulous option for travel in AK. Thanks for your recommendation.
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Erin — June 29, 2010 @ 5:00 pm
It looks like my wife and I must make the Alaska Fishing Trip. I do hope you honor us with a short journal of your vacation. I only wish we could make the trip this year but since we just came back from an eighteen day Alaska drive vacation, yep, next year (our 60th Wedding anniversary) will be our gift to each other. We certainly enjoy our blog and of course, those wonderful pictures. Bob & Betty
[Reply]
Susan Stevenson Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Thank you Bob and Betty. I appreciate your kind words and I’m happy that you enjoy my blog and photos.
I hope you are able to make the Alaska Fishing Trip. It looks like a lot of fun, and the boats at the link are beautiful.
Summer in Alaska passes quickly. We look forward to staying as busy as possible during this short season.
Warm regards,
Susan
And also Happy Anniversary! 60 years! May you have many, many, more!
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Comment by Robert L. Shipman — June 29, 2010 @ 6:52 pm
I just love how you framed your photos
They are just stunning!!
and when I “force” my own teenagers/adult children to take pictures…I always ask what are we doing??…they say…”Making Memories Mom” LoL they will appreciate it one day 
I Love remembering my childhood
[Reply]
Susan Stevenson Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 11:28 pm
THanks Liz. I like the framing too. It makes them look how they would if they were matted and framed and hanging.
I’m so glad I had a good childhood. Many people don’t have it so good. I miss my parents very much, and I’m happy that I was blessed to be raised by them.
Memories are good. When I visit my kids, we talk about the ‘old days’. They have memories that I’ve forgotten, and we have such a good time talking about them and laughing. I’m glad that my kids think I was a good mom. Times were hard for us, and I had to work full time as a single mom, but I did the best I could. I’m happy when they tell me that they had a good childhood.
That’s what our job is, right?
They certainly will appreciate the memories. Don’t we all?
[Reply]
Comment by Liz McCollough — June 30, 2010 @ 4:51 am
You have made me homesick for Fairbanks, Philly and the Jersey shore! Still love your photos and blog, thank you for the escape from daily life.
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Susan Stevenson Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Thank you so much, Therese. I appreciate you commenting and I’m happy you’re reading.
I hope all is well with you and your family.
My sons and daughter in law are driving from WI to Philly in August to visit the family. I’m envious! I haven’t been back since my mom’s funeral in 2006 - four years! But we all know that you don’t leave AK in the summer. *grin*
Take care,
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Therese — June 30, 2010 @ 8:54 am
Susan!! I’m always amazed at your incredible talent when I come here!! I’m just now catching up after an incredibly bittersweet time in China. I’m totally confused as to what season this is now :).. we left when the leaves weren’t on the trees yet, and now Summer is passing quickly!
Growing up just across the Delaware river from you (in N.J.) I also remember those long summers when school didn’t start back until late September and it was REALLY fall when you started.
Thanks again for the beauty of your images and the memories!
xoxo
S.
[Reply]
Susan Stevenson Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Hi Susan! So good to see you here. I read your blog through Google Reader, but haven’t seen any updates from you in the longest time. I hope all is well. The last I heard you were on your way to China with another couple adopting a child.
Summer is definitely halfway over here, and it’s bittersweet, but so beautiful. We’re enjoying the summer to the fullest, as always.
Memories of the Jersey Shore make me happy and always bring a smile to my face. How blessed we are to have had good childhoods with great memories.
Be well!
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Another Susan — July 11, 2010 @ 9:12 pm
Hi Susan,
I’m just catching up, but had to comment on how simple life was back when we were kids. Parents really had no fear of abduction, and could let kids roam the neighborhoods freely. I remember when I was about 8, my father drew me a map on how to get to park that was fairly close to where we lived, and the only fear was that I couldn’t follow the map. We didn’t worry about weirdos in parks.
Human nature being what it is, I can’t figure out why things were more innocent back then. There must have been people who preyed on young kids, but it didn’t seem to be as much of a problem as it is now.
I am so grateful that I grew up in the 50’s, where childhood was a pleasure and not a constant contest with soccer, baseball, football and things like that to take up time. We didn’t need to have things to “keep us out of trouble” like they have today.
I really grieve for my grandsons at what they are missing in their lives. Luclily, all five of them live in safe neighborhoods where other parents look out for all the kids, as well as just their own.
I enjoyed your thoughts on the past. Raising kids now is a scary thing.
Linda
[Reply]
Susan Stevenson Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Even when I had my kids (31 years ago for Chris), there was a little more freedom than there is today, but not much. He used to walk to grade school by himself, and I let him. There were crossing guards along the way, and he’d walk with friends. Now, parents drive their kids to school (if they’re not bus riders). Where did this fear come from?
I played Volleyball in HS and that was enough competition for me. And still…. either you won, or you didn’t. If you lost, there was no ‘consolation trophy’. You congratulated the other team and hoped to do better the next time.
This new information age, with people spending more and more time inside, on computers, watching TV, playing video games… it’s taking us out of society and making us loners. I’m glad to be married to someone who likes to get out and explore. I do spend more time than I should on the computer, but not as much as some folks. Still, I need to reduce that.
I’m glad my children are grown, but I do worry for Brandon and Becky’s child (if they’d EVER give me a g-baby! LOL) Will they be able to make the same memories we made? Will there still be clean beaches and breathable air? National and State Parks? Outdoor activities to enjoy? *sigh*
Glad to hear from you Linda. Where will your travels take you next?
[Reply]
Comment by Linda Kauffman — July 12, 2010 @ 5:32 pm