Immediately east of Anchorage is the Chugach Mountains. The first ridge that overlooks the city has peaks to about 3500 feet; head deeper into the mountains and the peaks get taller, and eventually you reach the glaciers of the Chugach Mountains.

About this time of year, we’ll get a rainy, foggy day, and when we get up the next morning, the tops of the peaks will have a fresh coating of snow. Alaskans call this “termination dust”, which is a reference to the end of summer. Termination dust comes and goes several times in late August and September, before the snows settle in here at sea level, usually on a Saturday morning, when we have some outdoor chore, or even worse, a fishing trip planned. The phenomenon is the same in other parts of the state. In Fairbanks, the White Mountains just north and northeast of town will gather a mantle of snow a few weeks before the snows reach the floor of the Tanana Valley.

In Denali National Park, the situation is a little different. The mountains there are quite a bit taller, and most of the park, including the area along the park road is around the 3000 to 4000 feet, so when there’s termination dust on the Chugach Mountains, there’s snow on the park road in Denali. This is an important thing to remember when you’re out in the elements in Alaska; especially in the fall, but in fact, it is important anytime. When it is raining on you, it is snowing just a few thousand feet above your head, and in Alaska, a nice sunny day can become rainy very quickly, and an unexpected heavy shower might have a few hailstones, then a few more, then a few flakes of snow, and before you know it, you have a cold, wet mess.

I was on a moose hunting trip a few years back. We traveled by boat for about 15 miles, and we spent the better part of the month of September at our camp. We hunted the last day of the season. It was a beautiful fall day, with temperatures in the low 50′s. We went into our tents that night, ready to break camp and go home the next day. I woke up around 7 AM, and I heard some dripping on the tent.I was eager to make some coffee and some breakfast, so I started to get dressed and go to our campfire and get the fire started. I unzipped my tent, and was greeted by the sight of six inches of snow.

First snow of the year at Kashwitna Lake near Willow.

I made my coffee, and we broke camp, and rode in the boat for 15 miles in the cold and miserable snow all the way back to town.

Any day now, the Chugach Mountains will get another coating of snow, and Alaskans will moan and complain about how summer was short, and winter is coming. The truth is, winter comes when it wants to come, and summer is really just on loan to us, and we’re going to have to pay that loan back… Any day now.

Alaska has become one of the more popular destinations for travelers in the United States. The hospitality industry in Alaska is one of the largest single sectors of our economy, and we have experienced a slow and mostly steady growth in visits to Alaska. One implication of this growth is that once-small businesses have had to grow and change to accommodate higher and higher demand for their products and services.

In the years that I have been in the industry, my business has been transformed in the opposite way. Most of my guests contact me because they are looking to avoid the larger, more commercial destinations and activities. So as the Alaska Hospitality industry grows, and the businesses within that sector try to accommodate larger and larger volumes of people, my business is charged with the task of courting and maintaining relationships with small or very small business that offer highly customized and personalized experiences, whether it be lodging at a secluded cabin on a hilltop with views of Mt. McKinley, or a personally guided rafting and float trip, or a personalized adventure in the Brooks Range.

Much of the information that people outside of Alaska receive about our state come from large, sophisticated marketing engines operated by industry groups and/or large vendors. You’ll notice a lot of cruise ships, domed rail cars, king crabs and big mountains in these advertisements, and I am the first to admit that these images are very compelling, and the cruise lines and other large players have done a very good job at getting their guests to some truly spectacular destinations. However, to be on that cruise ship looking at that glacier or visiting that national park requires you to compromise about the number of people with whom you share that experience. So while the experience with both the cruise lines and the railroad is very good, once you reach your destination you’re faced with a rather commercial and often crowded set of options.

View from the entrance of one of the large hotels in Denali Park, Alaska. Numerous business, hotels and other commercial enterprises are located in the area known as “Glitter Gulch.” This picture was taken in September 2005, after the guests had left for the season.

The biggest enterprises are the drum to which the smaller businesses tend to dance. Tour schedules and courtesy shuttles are tailored to match the arrivals of cruise ships and trains. In order to offer these added amenities, the smaller companies must have the ability to handle the large number of guests arriving at once, and so what was once a very personalized experience becomes something geared to a larger audience, and by definition, is less personal. In addition, businesses that are located away from the cruise ship terminals and train stations have a hard time attracting these guests because they can’t offer the transportation options that the larger places offer. While this situation may seem like quite a problem to overcome for a small to very small business, I actually think this is a big advantage for many of them, provided they are focused on a very high quality experience for their guests.

For that reason we generally suggest that people skip the larger vendors, and do a self-guided trip instead. It isn’t that these larger vendors don’t do a good job, but rather that to have that wonderful, personalized Alaskan experience, with great hospitality and great locations, you need more flexibility. In almost every case, that requires that you travel by private vehicle, and for that reason we include rental cars in almost every package we do for our guests.

A lot of people are reluctant to drive during their visit to Alaska. My guests have cited a number of reasons, from finding driving to stressful, to concerns about the condition and quality of Alaskan roads, to the amount of time required to drive the hundreds of miles in a typical stay here. I will admit that I am not typical, and I really enjoy driving, but part of that is because of the tremendous flexibility that having your own vehicle offers. In addition, there are so many wonderful destinations that are not served by cruise ships or the train. Having access to a car opens up your visit to so many possibilities that really make a difference in your stay.

Having access to a vehicle is not the complete answer, however. This past weekend is a perfect example of what can go wrong in Alaska, or in fact, on any trip that you might plan. A week of heavy rains caused widespread flooding that damaged two bridges on the Parks Highway, the major route between Anchorage and Denali and Fairbanks. The road is just now being reopened, and drivers should expect delays traveling either north or south on the Parks Highway between Talkeetna and Denali. Travel insurance is always a good idea, and if you had the right travel insurance, your costs relating to delays and trip interruption would be covered. The same flooding also suspended rail operations, and thousands of guests were stranded, especially in Talkeetna and Denali, so taking the train did not help guests avoid the inconvenience caused by the floods.

So, get in the car, find the special places, meet the special people, buy travel insurance, and have a great vacation.

Last fall, after the visitor season was over, I took the family down to Florida for a week. I had never been to the Florida Keys, and I had always wanted to see them. We originally planned to camp at one of the state parks near Marathon, but Hurricane Wilma did quite a bit of damage, and the park was not available for camping.

Rather than cancel the trip, I decided to do some research and try to find a place for us to spend the week. I found an apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen, and it actually fit our party of four very nicely.

When I arrived there, and it was time to check in, the first thing I noticed was the number of small signs that were posted everywhere. There was one on the door that said that said that vehicles that did not belong to a registered guest would be towed. There were a number of other ones, too, but I don’t remember what they said.

I went into the office to register. The person was business-like, and had a contract for me to review and sign. Since I actually work in the hospitality industry, I read the contract thoroughly, both because it is a good idea, and because I wanted to see if there was anything that people in Florida were doing differently than what I had come to expect in Alaska.

The contract stated that they would charge my credit card for the entire stay at the time that I registered, and that if I left early, there would be no refund. This was acceptable for me, because this is one of the conditions that I require, too. However, it would have been good to have been advised of this in advance. There was a list of “Thou shalt nots…” having to do with damages and noise… nothing that I thought was unreasonable. I signed the contract, was given a couple of keys, and we went off to our apartment.

The apartment was very nice. There were two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a ceiling fan, air conditioning, cable television and a balcony with a view of the Gulf of Mexico. The kitchen was at least passably supplied, with a stove and microwave, dishes, pots and pans, glasses, etc. At this point, I noticed a sign posted in several places in the kitchen. The sign said that if we left dirty dishes, we would be charged a $200 cleaning fee.

As you might imagine, after a flight across the continent and a drive from Miami to Marathon, it was time to visit the bathroom. When I walked in, I was greeted by a sign that said that if the bathroom towels were used for spills, or were otherwise stained, there would be a $50 replacement charge.

Now I am the first to admit that I pay attention to these kinds of details more than most. However, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable at the constant reminders that I should definitely not make myself at home. I don’t think that any of the things on the signs were in any way unreasonable. In fact, they are completely reasonable. However, there are other ways to let your guests know about these conditions.

Every time I walked in the bathroom to take a shower, or washed dishes in the kitchen, there was that reminder, and it ate at me. I know that I am overly sensitive about such things, but I can’t help but feel that other guests would be similarly uncomfortable, but just not know what they were uncomfortable about.

Now that I was sensitized to the little things, I noticed that the owner spent a lot of his day riding around on his golf cart. Admittedly there was still a lot of cleanup to be done after the hurricane (notice that some of the trees look dead or brown from being flooded with seawater). However, he was a lot more about riding in the cart and supervising than about cleaning up.

The place itself was very nice, and we did have a very good time while we were there. However, there are certainly ways that the owner could have presented his conditions that would have actually been a positive experience. Guests expect that there are conditions and penalties related to their stay. Informing the guests about the payment and cancellation policies in advance is a start. Taking the time to explain the damage penalties, rather than just putting a piece of paper in front of you and having you sign it is another. Having someone take a moment to walk you through your apartment and remind guests about washing the dishes and not staining the towels would be a third. Letting the guests enjoy their vacation rather than reading and re-reading every little condition is a fourth.

I am sure that there are some of you out there reading this thinking that I am just way too uptight about this. However, you can tell from my experience what this particular host is focused on. I never actually met the owner — he never took the time to introduce himself to me, even though I was there for a week. This experience left an impression with me, in part because one of the criteria by which I choose vendors is the way they treat their guests. All of my vendors have very nice places, and they have their own policies and penalties. But they are also very focused on making sure that you have a great time. I have lots of opportunities to visit properties and speak with hosts. I am impressed when they talk about the guests experience, and put off when they focus on the money.

My vendors make their livings by making sure that their guests are not just satisfied, but have a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The same is true for me. If that isn’t the most important thing to a vendor, I don’t use them.

One of my most lasting memories of my first visit to Alaska was the view out the window of a van as I was heading back to Anchorage to leave. It was September, and late in the afternoon, and we were driving south near the intersection of the Parks Highway and the Glenn Highway. The weather was rainy, and there really wasn’t much to see in terms of scenery, because of all the clouds and fog. [This area is actually quite scenic, with views of the Chugach and Talkeetna Mountains.] At the time, the roads here were two lane roads with at-grade intersections. Today the road is expressway, with interstate highway-style interchanges.

What was memorable was the crossing of the Knik River. The river originates at the Knik Glacier, 20 or 30 miles east of where it crosses under the road. Like all glacial rivers, the silt load is tremendous, and the water is as opaque as chocolate milk. The water was grey, the sky was grey, and the boundary between the two was almost invisible, as if the sky and water and fog melted together into a single impenetrable blob. This probably sounds unappealing, but for a kid from the east coast, where glacial rivers are something you read about in a book, this was a fascinating experience and strangely beautiful scene.

It is raining today here in Anchorage, and Alaskans far and wide are complaining about the weather. But I think if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that most of us are really rather spoiled. We do get our rainy days, especially at this time of year, but a weekend is a weekend, and we’ll all still probably go fishing, or visit our cabin, or go four-wheeling, or whatever our weekend plans are. If we catch that monster silver salmon, we’ll quickly forget that it was raining. If we sit in our cabin and finish that mystery novel we’ve been meaning to read, the weekend will be a success. And as we drive down the road, and see trailer after trailer of muddy four-wheelers heading back home on Sunday afternoon, you won’t hear their owners complaining about the rain, but rather the fun they had splashing through all the puddles and mud.

Alaska in the summer is about being outdoors. When it rains, we complain, but when it is sunny and 75, we complain that we have to put on sun screen and that it is too hot.

I guess there isn’t a perfect Alaskan day… but on a scale from one to ten, almost all of them are a nine.

In the summer of 1985, a lifetime of obsession was about to come to its logical fulfillment. I had actually saved up some money, and I was going to hop on a plane and fly across the continent to visit Alaska. I was in my early 20′s, and Alaska had been calling me since I was a child.

Geography, especially the geography of the far north was a source of constant interest for me. I had a set of encyclopedias and an atlas as a kid, and while my mother maintains that I read them cover to cover, I was actually more selective than that — I read them as I found an interest in a topic. The section on Alaska was particularly well-worn.

When I was in sixth grade, my teachers came up a creative way to get us to study geography. They created a game where all of the kids would submit a list of questions and answers about the United States. The teachers would take the questions and cut them into strips, and then rank them. The easy questions would be rated a ‘single’, harder ones a ‘double’, ‘triple’ or ‘home run’. The class was divided into teams, (boys and girls) and people would draw questions from a hat, the teacher would announce the number of bases the question was worth and pose the question to the player. If you were right, you would advance the number of bases stated on the question. If you were wrong, you were out.

I don’t remember exactly what the score was at the time it was my turn, but the bases were loaded. Up until it was my turn, every question had been rated a single. For example, “What is the capital of New Jersey?” etc. So it was my turn and the bases were loaded. I reached into the grocery bag that held all the questions, and pulled one out. I handed it to my teacher. A big smile appears on her face. She said, “Home run…” and she paused, and said, “And it is his question!”

My team was cheering wildly as the teacher posed the question: “What is the area of the State of Alaska, in square miles?” I answered as if EVERYBODY knew the answer, and it was the easiest question in the world: 586,400 square miles. I trotted the bases, three of my male classmates ahead of me, and Alaska had made me a hero.

Twelve years later, on August 28, 1985, I stepped off the plane in Anchorage, and while I hadn’t made any concrete plans at that time, my heart knew it was home. Out of deference to my mother, I got a room, rather than sleeping in the airport. However, had she seen the place, she would have found the airport preferable, I think. I spent the night that night in one of the scariest places I have ever seen in my life – a motel that was a throwback to the pipeline days.

The next day I took the train to Denali and saw the northern lights for the first time. I eventually ended up in Fairbanks, where I met some of the coolest people; some that have become good friends, even to this day.

I had been in love with Alaska from afar, but once I got here, it was a life-changing event. And while the spectacular scenery and wildlife were an important part of my visit, it was the people that I met that clinched the deal for me. Since I have never been the really spontaneous type, I did in fact fly home at the end of my vacation, but the following summer I drove my car from the east coast to Alaska, and I have been here ever since.