Ask any area outdoorsman if they'd like to visit Alaska, and they're sure to say, "Yes." This northern state is a classic example of a great place to pursue almost any outdoor sport in an often spectacular setting of snow-capped mountains, rushing rivers and broad tundra or taiga.
The day that Mike Christensen was laid off his job as a property-tax troubleshooter, he went home with a smile on his face and a spring to his step. No more sitting in front of a computer for hours on end. No more closet-size cubicles. No more ringing telephones and long-winded meetings with his boss.
* An alphabetical listing of movies on TV the week of Sept. 24-Sept. 30. Absolution (2006) Samantha Mathis. A New York journalist returns to her small hometown to investigate claims of a comatose man who can miraculously heal people. (NR) 1 hr. 36 mins.
How does this sound for your next vacation: A backcountry log cabin on a lake, with a fireplace and nothing to do all day but fishing, hiking, canoeing or relaxing on the porch with a good book.
If you're thinking of flying or taking a cruise in 2007 that will include destinations in Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico, you should plan to get a passport this fall.
Vast, awesome, spectacular, immense. All those words weakly describe the Panhandle of Alaska. Southeast Alaska is truly a wilderness of islands. Over one thousand have names. Many smaller ones are nameless.
