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Between 1949 and 1969, Norton comes of age in Anchorage, Alaska. With this personal memoir, he explores and celebrates the beauty and awe-inspiring terrain of the state known as "The Land of the Midnight Sun" and "The Last Frontier." He details his early life in Anchorage, allowing readers a glimpse into rare escapades. His firsthand accounts present a portrait of Alaska that few ever see or understand. Weaving together reminiscences of years that define and shape him, he examines Alaska's peoples and chronicles its ecology, wildlife, and terminology that make the land so unique.
As he begins, Norton remembers traveling up the Alcan Highway (now called the Alaskan Highway) in 1949. He observes a brief history of its construction and notes how his father's time in Alaska at sixteen prompts him to move his family there. The young Norton doesn't realize how much his life is about to change as he looks back on the inconvenient travels along that rugged, mountainous Alcan Highway traversing into Alaska until his family settles in Anchorage.
There was still a primitiveness to Alaska in 1949, where danger lurked in the "wild wilderness" for anyone unprepared for this territory. Norton expertly recalls living in this fascinating region, where he attends school and church. He vividly recollects his family's first Christmas there, memorable fishing trips, and hunting moose. He also candidly shares his outdoor adventures in the Boy Scouts, his work as a night watchman with an oil drilling company, and the earthquake of 1964 now known as The Great Alaskan Earthquake. These and other remarkable memories and episodes complete Norton's interesting account. His writing makes for an accessible narrative where readers feel as if they are discovering something special. It's a book perfect for travel lovers and anyone dreaming of exploring the untamed wilderness.