Off the Stage and Into the Mountains: Alaska

Bill & Debbie's Alaska Adventure

For years, Alaska sat on our bucket list.

Actually, it sat pretty high on the bucket list.

I've spent much of my life writing songs about roads, rivers, mountains, and the places life takes us. Alaska seemed to combine all of those things into one enormous, beautiful package.

In June 2026, Debbie and I finally found out if Alaska lived up to the hype.

Spoiler alert: it did.

And then some.

Fairbanks: Where the Adventure Begins

Every great adventure starts somewhere.

Ours started in Fairbanks.

The first thing we noticed was the daylight. The sun apparently doesn't believe in bedtime in Alaska. Just when you think evening has arrived, the sun decides to hang around for another few hours.

We explored Fairbanks, learned a little Gold Rush history, and took the Riverboat Discovery excursion. It didn't take long to realize Alaska operates on a different scale. The rivers are bigger. The wilderness is bigger. Even the mosquitoes seem bigger.

Thankfully, the scenery more than made up for it.

The anticipation was building because we all knew what was coming next.

Denali.

Denali: The Mountain That Doesn't Care About Your Travel Plans

One thing every Alaska traveler quickly learns is that Denali shows itself when it wants to.

You don't schedule a mountain like that.

The mountain decides.

Many visitors spend days in the park and never see it.

We got lucky.

When the clouds parted and Denali appeared, it was one of those moments where everybody simply stopped talking.

Pictures don't do it justice.

Videos don't do it justice.

Standing there looking at North America's tallest peak made me feel both incredibly small and incredibly fortunate at the same time.

As a photographer, I couldn't stop shooting.

As a traveler, I couldn't stop staring.

As Debbie can confirm, I managed to do both simultaneously.

Wildlife Viewing: Alaska's Real Residents

The wildlife viewing was everything we hoped it would be.

Moose.

Caribou.

Dall sheep.

Eagles.

And enough animals to keep my camera busy from sunrise until well after my memory cards started filing complaints.

One of my favorite things about Alaska is that wildlife isn't a tourist attraction.

It's simply life.

The animals aren't performing for visitors.

They're just living their lives while we get the privilege of watching.

Sometimes from a safe distance.

And sometimes from a distance that makes you very happy you're sitting inside a bus.

Whitewater, Dog Mushing, and Other Good Decisions

Chasing Denali

The day we went dog sledding, Debbie and I had a secondary mission.

Sure, we were excited about meeting the dogs, learning about mushing, and experiencing another unique piece of Alaska culture. But secretly, we were also hoping the location might provide an even better view of Denali.

As we drove farther and farther down gravel roads, winding through the hills and wondering if our GPS had developed a sense of humor, we finally arrived at Wildthingz Dog Mushing. 

The scenery was beautiful, but we still hadn't seen the view we were hoping for.

After parking, we climbed the hill toward the dog sled operation and checked in. Naturally, one of the first questions we asked was, "Where's the best place around here to see Denali?"

The owner didn't point down a trail.

She didn't pull out a map.

She didn't give us a list of viewing locations.

Instead, she simply smiled and said,

"Turn around."

So we did.

WOW.

There it was.

Denali.

Huge. Majestic. Spectacular.

The mountain seemed to fill the entire horizon.

For a few moments, neither of us said much of anything. We just stood there taking it all in. Sometimes the best views aren't hidden at the end of a long hike or found after hours of searching.

Sometimes all you have to do is turn around.

Of course, once I recovered from being completely speechless, the camera came out and the memory cards started filling up again.

Anchorage and Boarding the Ship

Eventually our land adventure gave way to the cruise portion of the trip.

Before boarding, we made one final Anchorage stop at 49th State Brewing Company. After days of exploring Alaska's wilderness, hiking trails, photographing wildlife, and chasing mountain views, it seemed like the perfect place to pause and reflect on everything we'd experienced so far.

The burgers were fantastic.

The "Smoke" beer was even better.

And after a week of adventure, both disappeared remarkably fast.

We sat there talking about Denali, the wildlife we'd seen, the people we'd met, and all the moments that had already made this trip unforgettable. Little did we know that some of our biggest adventures were still ahead of us.

With full stomachs, happy memories, and cameras loaded with photos, we headed for the ship.

After several days immersed in Alaska's vast wilderness, stepping aboard Holland America felt like entering a floating luxury hotel.

A very large floating luxury hotel.

One that, thankfully, was headed toward glaciers.

Glacier Bay: The Day Alaska Showed Off

If Alaska has a highlight reel, Glacier Bay is on it.

The scale is difficult to describe.

Mountains rise from the water.

Glaciers stretch to the horizon.

Icebergs drift silently across the bay.

And every now and then, nature decides to put on a show.

Watching a glacier calve is one of those experiences that stays with you.

You see it.

Then you hear it.

Then you feel it.

It is a reminder that glaciers are not frozen monuments.

They're alive.

Moving.

Changing.

Growing.

Retreating.

And occasionally reminding visitors who's really in charge.

Skagway: Gold Rush History and Mountain Views

Skagway felt like stepping into a history book.

The Gold Rush stories are everywhere.

You quickly realize how tough those early prospectors really were.

Personally, after hiking around Skagway for a day, I determined that I would not have made an effective Gold Rush miner.

I enjoy hot showers too much.

The scenery, however, was spectacular.

Every turn seemed to reveal another mountain view worth photographing.

My camera got another workout.

Ketchikan: Eagles, Rainforest, and Totem Poles

Ketchikan gave us a chance to experience another side of Alaska.

The rainforest, the totem poles, and the incredible wildlife reminded us how diverse this state really is.

We saw eagles.

In Missouri, spotting a bald eagle feels special.

In Alaska, they sometimes seem to be running the place.

The Helicopter Ride and Glacier Landing

This was one of those experiences that moves from bucket list to memory.

Flying over glaciers is incredible.

Landing on one is something else entirely.

When the helicopter touched down and we stepped onto the ice, the first thing I noticed was the color.

The blues.

The whites.

The way the light reflected through ancient ice.

It felt like standing inside another world.

A quieter world.

An older world.

A place that existed long before us and will hopefully exist long after us.

And yes, we took a lot of pictures.

A lot.

Taking Flight: Alaska From Above

By the time we reached Ketchikan, we'd already seen Alaska by train, motorcoach, cruise ship, raft, and on foot.

There was only one perspective left.

The sky.

Our Misty Fjords floatplane adventure began with a short safety briefing and a walk out to a plane that looked perfectly suited for Alaska's rugged backcountry. Before long, we were skimming across the water, picking up speed, and suddenly we were airborne.

Within minutes, the world below us changed completely.

The forests stretched endlessly toward the horizon.

Rivers carved their way through valleys that looked untouched by time.

Waterfalls spilled from mountain cliffs.

Snow-capped peaks appeared in every direction.

And just when we thought Alaska couldn't get any bigger, we saw it from above.

The pilot pointed out landmarks along the way, but there were long stretches when Debbie and I simply stared out the windows in silence. It felt less like a flight and more like watching a National Geographic documentary from the front row.

The highlight, of course, was Misty Fjords itself.

Massive granite cliffs rose straight from the water.

Hidden lakes reflected the mountains.

The scale was almost impossible to comprehend.

Pictures help tell the story, but they don't fully capture what it feels like to soar through a landscape that remains largely unchanged from centuries ago.

Eventually, the pilot banked toward home and gently touched the floats back onto the water.

As incredible as the scenery had been, I couldn't help but think about the people who first explored these remote wilderness areas without GPS, radios, or aircraft.

We simply had the privilege of seeing it all from a much more comfortable seat.

And yes, by the end of the flight, my camera had once again worked almost as hard as I did.

Final Thoughts

Alaska exceeded every expectation we had.

It challenged us.

Inspired us.

Amazed us.

And reminded us that there are still places in this world big enough to make us feel small.

As we headed home, we carried thousands of photos, hours of video, and memories we'll treasure forever.

Alaska had been on our bucket list for years.

Now it occupies a permanent place in our hearts.

And yes, I'd go back tomorrow.