Monday, June 12th, 2006, Flying from Ohio to Alaska Options

[Tracy_Alley]

On Monday, June 12th, I left the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport at 12:15pm to begin my long journey to Toolik Lake Field Station in the North Slope of Alaska.

I arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota (home of the “Mall of America” – the largest mall in our nation) two hours after I left Cincinnati. Minnesota is known as the “Land of Ten Thousand Lakes”, and I flew over so many beautiful lakes. I left Minnesota after an hour layover to head to Anchorage, Alaska. My flight to Anchorage was nearly five hours in length. I flew over beautiful mountains in Canada and Alaska before I flew over Cook’s Inlet to land at the Anchorage airport. I left Anchorage after a brisk walk to the gate where my plane for Fairbanks was parked. The plane ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks was approximately forty minutes. I was so happy to arrive in Fairbanks safely after a long day of flying. The hotel shuttle arrived to take me to Sophie Station Hotel – a beautiful hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska.

I read two excellent books on my way to Alaska, and I am highly recommending both of them. The first book was titled The North Pole Was Here by Andrew Revkin. It is a book written for middle school readers to adults. It is a fascinating look at a journalist’s journey to the North Pole. He writes about the dangers of visiting a place with such extreme conditions. I highly recommend it to students, science teachers, and anyone interested in this part of the world. The second book was titled Elaine’s Circle by Bob Katz. It is heartwarming story of a fourth grade teacher in Eagle River, Alaska. It focuses on her class of students particularly a boy with terminal cancer. You learn a great deal about Alaska as you read the book plus the tremendous importance a teacher has in the life of a child. It is must-read for teachers and any adult who enjoys non-fiction.


Quick facts about Alaska:

In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, offered Russia $7, 200,000 to purchase Alaska which equals two cents per acre.

Alaska became the 49th state on January 3rd, 1959.

The state of Rhode Island could fit into Alaska 425 times!

Alaska is the nation’s largest state – it is twice the size of Texas!