Unique Alaskan Experiences

Dude Ranching…Alaska Style!


Hike! Gee! Haw! No horses on this ranch! You are in The Great Land, Alaska, where dog mushing is the “national” sport and this ranch belongs to the dogs.

In order to understanding the culture of Alaska you will need to at least understand a little “musher speak”. (This is different from speaking “Alaskan”. ) Where better to get that knowledge than to experience a Mushing Adventure Camp at Vern Halter’s Dream a Dream Dog Farm near Willow, Alaska (about 50 miles north of Anchorage)? Be part of Vern’s mushing family. Enjoy the Dream a Dream Dogs at their best, summer or winter. Participate at your level with Vern’s guidance. Experience the splendor of the Alaskan wilderness. Heck, if you are really nice, I bet Vern will even let you “scoop” a little.

Check out everything from a simple summer tour opportunity to a winter tour lasting 3 or more months, which includes training to run the Iditarod. Information and great videos at http://www.vernhalter.com/

Rivers – A Uniquely Alaskan Writer


Shhhhh! Rivers is busy “barking” out answers to the more than 600 emails he gets every month from kids, and yes, even some adults. (OK, even I write to him occasionally.) He also has a free e-mail newsletter that he "barks" to over 1000 subscribers about his adventures.

So, why is this person “barking”, you ask? Well, because Rivers is not a human but rather a blind Alaskan sled dog (He writes with “bark” recognition software…) who lives with his humans, Mike and Mary Dillingham, and several canine family members, in Palmer, Alaska. Mike is the author of two wonderful books about Rivers and his adventures: "Rivers, Diary of Blind Alaska Racing Sled Dog" and “Rivers, Through the Eyes of a Blind Dog”. These books, and Rivers’ series of "Teachers Letters", addressing such things as cheating, lying, racism, etc., are widely used in classrooms across America.

Rivers’ human, Mike, is currently working with him on a third volume of adventures to be released soon.

To see a picture of Rivers and learn more about Rivers and Mike,
go to http://home.gci.net/~sleddog/ You can also send Rivers an email or order books from this site as well.

“Alaskan” Culture

Alaskan culture goes far beyond the native people. Alaskans in general are different. They have to be. They take a strange pride in rough winters, and their isolation. They are independent. They “do with what they have”.

Two of the “tools” Alaskans absolutely LOVE, and cannot survive without, are duct tape and Alaskan blue tarpaulins. They NEVER leave home without a roll of duct tape and the tarpaulins must be the exact shade of blue in the Alaska state flag to be “authentic.” They can build anything, fix anything and invent anything with these two basic tools.

You will see both of these “tools” employed in interesting ways as you travel throughout the state. Take a look below at this local “homestead” along the Chena River near Fairbanks. Leaky sod roof? No problem! Get the tarpaulins and the duct tape…..and, oh yes, a few old tires to hold it all down. (“Do with what you have”)