Riding the Alaskan Railroad

It's true the Alaskan Railroad caters to tourists and wouldn't be a viable commute option for Alaskans, but for this tourist, a full day ride along the rails was a perfect Alaskan day. The train called at Fairbanks where we boarded as GoldStar passengers. After more than a week of backpacking and camping, boarding the train as a first class passenger was a serious luxury. From our seats in a domed car, we had panoramic views of the Alaskan countryside. The train winds its way south from Fairbanks through the outskirts of Denali National Park, past small towns, over a three-hundred foot high bridge, and twelve hours later pulls into Anchorage. It rarely goes more than forty miles per hour and sometimes slows to no more than ten miles, which is perfect for picture-taking, napping, reading, and stepping out onto the open air porch of the GoldStar car. A walk through the coach cars assured me that riding the rails for less would still be a luxury.

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Nalukataq & Blanket Toss

Even though the blanket toss may be considered the main event of the day (according the Lyn Kidder of Barrow From A to Z), the Nalukatag is so much more than jumping on the sealskin trampoline. Nalukataq is a festival in which the whole community gathers to celebrate a successful end to the whaling season. Beginning at noon and lasting until all of the food has been distributed, the Nalukataq can be a whole day affair extending into the hours of the midnight sun. Depending on the success of the season, there can be several different Nalukataqs in the Spring and in the Fall. This year Barrow celebrated four separate spring Nalukataqs . At the beginning of each distribution, the master of ceremonies calls the whaling crew to the center of the dirt field where the crew holds hands in a giant circle and thanks the whales for coming to them this season. It is an Iñupiat belief that a successful hunt is possible only because the whale gives itself to the whaling crew captain’s wife, not...

Sierra Norte de Mexico

When I come home and think back on a recent journey away, I can measure the value of that adventure in the contact I make with the people who live where I venture. That value is multiplied if I can travel in a way that supports the community I'm visiting and is sustainable to their way of life. While visiting the city of Oaxaca was politically rich and vibrant giving me a glimpse into one family's way of life (primarily taking in foreign students) and beach combing in Mazunte and Puerto Angel was relaxing, the highlight of my trip to Mexico this summer was contained in the last three days of travel in the mountains of the Sierra Norte. An ecologically rich area of the state of Oaxaca, the people of the Sierra Norte recognized the potential for outsiders to be captivated and educated by their way of life on the land. A grassroots effort to bring people to their villages in a sustainable way is the foundation of the mancomunados. Along the Sierran ridge there are villages, some w...

Women Welcome Women…to Sacramento

Carolin Grahlmann, a twenty-two year old German-born biology student at the University of Groeningen in Holland, decided to take a year off from her studies to travel around the world by herself. She planned to visit world-class destinations in California, New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia. But in the middle of all her travels, Grahlmann ended up in Sacramento. For Grahlmann, Sacramento was a surprising though welcome respite from itinerary-driven days in the big cities of New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Sacramento allowed her the chance to rest while still taking in some vital California history. She toured the State Capital, visited Old Sacramento, and admired the elegance of the Sacramento Youth Hostel (the beautifully-restored Llewellyn Williams mansion located downtown). In regards to her guided tour of the Capital, where she was the only international guest that day, she says, “They were all surprised that somebody from so far away came there to see their ...

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