Our little family took a quick trip to Alaska over Labor Day weekend. My wife’s grandmother, Myrtle, is 98 years old and not in the best of health, which sounds ridiculous to say out loud. She moves like a 60-year-old, and hauls wood in from outside for the fireplace. No kidding. That said, she does struggle with dementia and no longer travels to the lower 48 states. Our trip was an opportunity for her to meet her great-granddaughter.

This was also my first journey to Alaska and my wife’s first time back in 20 years. We flew into Anchorage and stayed at the old family farm in Wasilla. Wide open spaces surrounded by incredible beauty in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. For me it was unforgettable and for my wife, Lisa, it brought back memories of her childhood and visiting Grandma’s house. When my wife lived in the 49th state the trip to Grandma’s farm was a commitment — a six hour drive from Fairbanks where she grew up. That’s almost double the flight time from Portland to Anchorage!

Lisa’s parents came with us and stayed longer — the benefits of retirement! Lisa’s Aunt Joyce lives on the farm and does a lot of the maintenance while also taking care of Myrtle. Lisa’s folks, Gary and Sara, were visiting to give Joyce a break as well as do a little traveling.

In the few short days all of us were together, traveling we did! One day we headed northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway to Sheep Mountain. The next day we traveled southeast along the Cook Inlet for lunch in Whittier. Both trips afforded spectacular scenery the whole way. My camera batteries wore themselves out.

While I’m making a video of the trip, I also brought a still camera with me. Here are pictures from our jaunts. No snow yet, but the fall colors are in their glory:

While I wish we could have stayed longer, a return is definitely in the future. Lisa still wants to get back to Fairbanks to see old friends. Some day I’d like to get to Nome to visit a friend and former supervisor who runs a radio station there. Alaska’s size is a bit daunting, and there is so much more to see. Time for a Last Frontier bucket list!

It has been a strange summer. We had plans to take our toddler daughter on several short trips around the Northwest. I was working on a mini-documentary, and July and August were wide open for visits to Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood (again!), and Silver Falls State Park.

Then came the Great Home Remodel of 2016 — the most mentally and emotionally exhausting event to come along since our child’s birth. Throw in a couple kitchen appliance updates, a replaced toilet, a car accident, and a few weekend commitments and suddenly it’s the end of August with time and treasure spent. We haven’t been anywhere since June!

The weather tends to be pretty good here until about mid-October, so there is still time for a summer activity or two. That said, vacation life took a bit of a turn a couple weeks ago presenting a new and unexpected opportunity.

We’ve been asked to come to Alaska, where my wife, Lisa, and her father’s side of the family grew up. It’s going to be a quick trip, but we’re headed to the Anchorage area — Wasilla to be exact — in the early fall. Lisa’s grandmother is well into her 90s and wants to meet her great-granddaughter.

It’s my first trip to The Last Frontier, Aria’s first ride on a plane, and Lisa’s first return to the 49th state in almost 20 years. I see a multi-generational photo and a whole new video documentary coming soon! It’s an unplanned adventure at the tail end of summer, and we look forward to it.