The first Saturday in March is the start of the Iditarod sled dog race. The state of Alaska also sets the date as a annual memorial to this woman who won that race five times. This is the story of her kennel and her legacy as told by her husband…
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Imagine a race that last 8 to 10 days in which each competitor braves extreme temperatures and gets only 1 to 2 hours a sleep each day. It’s part of life for this family.
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Although dog mushing races like the Iditarod and Yukon Quest are winter time events, the training goes on year round. Today we go to the kennels of a four-time Iditarod winner for a look at the what goes into make a championship team…..
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When we think of reindeer we may have visions of animals pulling Santa’s sled. However, if you head to downtown Anchorage, you’ll learn what happened to the reindeer that couldn’t fly…
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Mr. Smith had a telegraph office and a friendly group of men that could send your message for a fee. Too bad those messages never actually went anywhere. Here’s the story of a telegraph office and the notorious gang that swindled thousands of dollars…
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For many this trail to gold began in Seattle, but the toughest part of the journey was in the mountains above Skagway, Alaska.
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Just about every gold rush has the same story line: Gold is discovered, a handful of people early to the gold field strike it rich, tens of thousands follow only to find all the gold is gone. But no matter the similar pattern, the story is always fascinating…
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When hunters and trappers would gather once each season, it was often called a rendezvous. In Alaska and the Yukon Territory, there is still a rendezvous, although the types of people it draws are more varied and widespread than a century ago…
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To many of us, salmon are just another type of fish we might eat. But to the people of Alaska, this is a fish that may have even a spiritual meaning…
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When the city of Fairbanks swelled with the Klondike gold rush in the late 1800s, a fleet of riverboats began to sail the river waters hauling supplies. When the riverboats came, something else began to change…
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When you think of a riverboat captain, you probably think of life on the Mississippi, Ohio or Missouri. Instead, we’ll ride a river in Alaska…
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It’s a chore for most states to build and repair roads and bridges. Mary Carey fought with her state for ten years to simply get a road…
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Jean Richardson’s mother had always dreamed of moving to Alaska and teaching school there. When she did move north, the opportunity she was given was one most people would not accept, but it still turned out to be a place she put down roots…
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If there is such a thing as a famous iceberg, it would probably be the chuck of ice that sunk the Titanic. If there is such a thing as an expert on icebergs, it would probably be Mary Bloom…
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Alaska has plenty to offer visitors when it comes to natural beauty. One of the most popular attractions for tourists is to board a ship and see the ice that the state is famous for…
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Alaska has had its share of gold rushes and although the stampede of prospectors may be long gone, there is still mining taking place today. We’ll head to one of the state’s gold fields…
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When Dexter Clark decided that the life of a Wisconsin dairy farmer was not for him, he took up a new career that he says farming helped prepare him for–a career as a gold miner…
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Denali National Park is home to North America’s tallest peak and many types of wildlife. Today we venture there for a look at one of the animals people most like to see as long as they are in a bus…
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Denali National Park is home to a peak for which the park is named…Denali…which means The Great One. Many people know it as Mt. McKinley…a name applied when William McKinley ran for president. Whether it’s McKinley or Denai, it’s today’s edition of the American Countryside…
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Skagway, Alaska has a wealth of history from its gold mining days. One of the personalities who shares that story is a lady named Dolly. Her life is a unique blend of history and reality rolled into one very enthusiastic Alaskan…
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