Stepping Through TIme

By C. LaRene Hall

I have always loved to travel. As a child my parents took us on many family vacations. After I married, my husband and I traveled every year. Sometimes we went a long way but most of the time we went camping or visited our own state. It wasn’t until 1977, and after we had four children, that I flew on an airplane. Jack was working out of town and decided for our anniversary that I should fly to where he was in Pennsylvania. My mother agreed to keep the children for two weeks and off I went. I can still remember how frightened I was to get on the airplane that first time.

Now, we sometimes take a car trip, but when money permits we go by plane. Occasionally I go alone, but I usually try to convince Jack to come with me. One of those long trips we took was in 1992, when we took a plane to Alaska for some deep sea fishing and then went on an Alaskan cruise.

In Ketchikan I rode a float plane to the Misty Fjord National Monument. It was a tremendous experience and I wrote about it with the following words:

It is one thing to see an impressive picture or read with simple words about the Misty Fjords and quite another to actually capture the spirit of it. No one could paint an authentic picture of the inconceivable vastness, the breathtaking heights or the overwhelming silence of this virtually untouched wilderness. As you are visiting this land of indescribable beauty it is as though you are stepping through time with one foot in the past and the other foot in the present.

In this secluded area the only way to Punch Bowl Lake is in a float plane. While being transported into this territory your eyes capture the extraordinary map of the land and the eerie misty clouds covering many of the immense Mountain Tops. If you listen carefully, you can hear nature singing her ancient songs. You can also hear the whispering breezes calling your name in the spellbinding silence.

Your closest neighbor is the abundant emerald green forest backdrop. If you are watchful, you can see granite cliffs rising towards heaven, snowcapped mountains and lofty towering peaks standing guard over these rugged mountain ranges. The waterfalls plunge into the tranquil transparent lake below.

In this remote wilderness the eagles dare to fly. It is a place where bears, wolves, mountain goats and other creatures of the land roam freely. This is truly a feast for your eyes, a land of secrets and a place of peace.

I hope this description makes you all want to catch the next plane to Alaska. I have many exciting experiences about traveling to tell, so come back soon for another visit.