Hi All,

This will be a brief message because I'm slowly adjusting back to life in Ohio.  I just got home a couple of hours ago from Alaska and wanted to send a brief trip description while it's still fresh in my mind.  I promise I'll send more details later.  I will say that it was weird to get off of the plane here in Columbus and not see mountains.

What can I say about this trip, but wow!  This was my second trip to Alaska and while some things were familiar I saw a lot of new things and saw some familiar things in a new way.  Additionally, I was there from the 5th-24th, which allowed me to bear witness to the beginning of the seasonal change from summer into fall.  Fall was definitely approaching quickly.

The trip could also be summed up with a title from an old John Candy film called "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."  I traveled in everything from rental cars from opposite ends of the automobile spectrum (Dodge Durango & Ford Focus), to two Cessna 206 bush planes, to the Alaska Railroad, to a small twin prop jet, to a 1964 DeHavilland Otter Float Plane, several vans, and a giant tour bus.

The trip ranged from the parks and natural areas around Anchorage and Seward to the historic copper mining village of Kennecott in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, to sled dog kennels of Fairbanks, to the interior of Denali National Park, to the village of King Salmon and Katmai National Park.

I also had the opportunity to be put into some potentially life-threatening situations including hiking a trail with sleeping brown bears about 30 feet from the trail and driving in downtown Anchorage (if you saw how they drive you'd understand--a red light is more of a suggestion to stop up there).

Until I get a chance to organize my thoughts and give you some more details, please accept the attached photos for the time being.  I hope you like them.

If you're interested in learning more about Alaska, my travels to Alaska, and potentially future opportunities to travel with me to Alaska, I've been invited to do a presentation for Audubon Miami Valley on October 8th.  The title of that presentation is "Bird, Bears, and the Boreal Realm: An Alaska Wildland Safari."  You can learn more about that presentation here: http://www.audubonmiamivalley.org/Programs.htm

Ok, I'm off to take a very long nap and to relax a bit.

Take care,

Casey