Here I stand with my pasty white Alaska skin, on the hot sands of Waikiki Beach looking conspicuously like a tourist.  The town of Oahu, Honolulu, has grown enormously in the twenty years since we last visited.  Previous stays we sought out all the major tourist attractions, so this time we opted to take the […]

Our friends, Judy Tyke and Billie Lewis, drove two hours from the opposite side of the “big island” to meet our ship and show us around Hilo.  We had a fabulous lunch at Pestos in the old town of Hilo, and fun at the Macadamia Nut Factory, but best of all we were able to […]

After four days a sea we arrive at Hilo, Hawaii, today and meet with long-time friends from Glennallen, Alaska. We’ve been treated like royalty on the cruise ship, and food dominates each day.  I especially enjoy the displays of vegetables and fruit carved and placed in decorative arrangements throughout the dining areas.  Ice carvings also […]

This winter has been one of the snowiest I can remember, the good news is that it is beautiful outside, the bad news is that it is a huge job keeping roads, driveways, walkways, patio Bar-B-Q accessible.  We plow, snow blow, shovel and clean it up only to find wind drifts covering our work and […]

A view of Fairbanks from the airplane window at -20 degrees two days ago, today it is snowing hard at my studio in the Matanuska Valley and the temperature has warmed to +38.  Wild swings, wild weather, wild Alaska.  It has been a most amazing winter.  Tons of snow, absolutely gorgeous.  Snow plows, snow blowers, […]

About 40 years ago we brought our family to the historic movie set of Old Tucson, Arizona, John Wayne was still making cowboy movies and we recognized many of the buildings and streets in films.  It was exciting.  Yesterday we revisited this place of many memories after a drive through the magnificent Saguaro National Park.  […]

While eating dinner at the SaddleBrook Preserve last night and tiny herd of seven deer grazed in the brushy area below the patio.  They are so much fun to watch, quiet and quick, first you see them then you don’t.  An enjoyable memory of our time in Tucson, Arizona. Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

The temperatures drop in the evening in the 3500′ elevation of Oro Valley, North East of Tucson.  I’m sitting at my favorite restaurant in the Preserve at SaddleBrook clubhouse, watching the evening sun on the Santa Catalina Mountains.  The tallest peaks are over 10,000′ elevation and have traces of snow, in the valley below are […]

Along the historic route 66 to Oatman, Arizona, we were delighted to find desert bushes decorated for Christmas.  Apparently every year there is a Christmas Bush decorating competition in the area.  The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in this part of the United States!  God’s Blessings to the people of this wonderful community. […]

Birthday cake at Donna Church’s home in Bullhead City, Arizona, with Faye & Jim Palin, Dave & Joella Bruno, Donna and several of her “Ivy Street Girls”.  Oh yes, Wayne too!  Wonderful, memorable times. Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Bob with Joella and Dave Bruno in Lake Havasu, Arizona.  We enjoyed renewing our 36 year friendship with our old Glennallen neighbors and learning about the beautiful community of Lake Havasu.  Great times, good friends, and tons of fun. Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

A truly fabulous garden is in Henderson, Nevada, at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory.  Acres of cactus and desert plants are covered in Christmas lights in every conceivable color and shape.  We wandered through the gardens on well-maintained paths and enjoyed the light display sans snow and ice.  Gorgeous! Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, has an extraordinary ceiling light fixture in the lobby made by the glass sculptor Chihuly.  The Christmas display at this hotel is fabulous as well.  I’m always overwhelmed my first day off the airplane when arriving downtown Las Vegas, it is sensory overload.  It didn’t take us long […]

When I was young I had Pen Pals, and we wrote letters to each other regularly.  I remember running out to the mail box in anticipation of an envelope addressed to me in my Pen Pal’s handwriting.  I’d read and re-read each letter over and over enjoying the smell of the stationary and any flaws […]

Sandy and Sean Parnell We topped off a busy week of travel with our house guests enjoying the down home hospitality of our own community, first attending the Friday Fling in downtown Palmer, later seeing our Governor Sean Parnell and his wife Sandy at the annual picnic at the Palmer Fairgrounds.  A generous serving of […]

Bob and me, Arlene and Bob Shuster Every time we drive the Seward Highway and pass the Summit Lake Lodge I marvel at the beautiful setting along the lake, well-kept grounds, and delightful wood carvings that adorn doors, fences, and the exterior of the log buildings.  This year we visited the ice cream shop with […]

Every year we fish for King Salmon with our favorite guide Jeremy Anderson of Alaska Drift Away Fishing.  This time we spent two sunny, warm days drifting down the Kalisof River, Alaska, enjoying excellent scenery, great fishing action, and the type of outstanding service that Jeremy is famous.  Not only did everyone catch a King, […]

It is fun to have house guests from out-of-state, it creates the opportunity to visit places that we ordinarily might skip.  We drove to Willow, Alaska, to visit the gorgeous yard of master gardener Les Brake, who has been featured in numerous magazines including Horticulture, Sunset, Country Living, Gardens Illustrated as well as featured in […]