Heeding the Call of the Wild in Alaska

It began when I read Jack London’s The Call of the Wild at the age of 13. Alaska has captivated me ever since—the pioneer spirit, the electric blue glaciers, the glowing night sky. That’s the curse and blessing of the Internet: so many Alaska images available and yet every time I see one, I feel that longing to go there. I want more than a photo on my computer screen. (Also, I really want to see a moose. Is that too much to ask?)

My husband is aware of my obsession. How could he not be, after I’ve rented movies about Alaska (White Fang is a personal favorite), brought it up in mealtime conversations and even left Alaskan cruise brochures on his pillow. (No, my hints aren’t very subtle.) Then, a few months ago, I saw a thin envelope on my pillow. Inside was a note with my husband’s handwriting: “Alaska, here we come!”

So we set off on a Christian Cruise to Alaska with Inspiration. Dreams do come true!

After a day sailing up the coastline from Seattle, the first thing I noticed as we neared Alaska were the colors that rivaled a crayon box: deep green forests, stark blue skies, towering brown mountains, white-blue glaciers—and that’s just from our ship. My husband and I love flying, so we reserved a seaplane tour with another couple at our first port. From the air, soaring above glaciers, rain forests and craggy peaks, Alaska is a whole new world. I know my husband appreciated the chance to take in the scenery and relax . It was so romantic, the two of us sitting hand-in-hand with the wilderness rushing below us. The smile on his face enthralled me as much as the views.

I expected the natural parts of Alaska to be colorful, but the vibrant houses we encountered were a surprise! In Juneau, so many residents live along the city’s numerous channels. Their houses are a kaleidoscope of yellows, reds and blues, like brightly painted brushstrokes against the gray water. What must it be like to live here year-round, with spectacular glaciers in your backyard, the northern lights painting the sky in the winter and the sun shining until midnight on those long summer nights?

We were playing Skip-Bo in our stateroom while waiting for the ship to dock in Sitka, when my husband heard something and rushed to the window. Just in time, he watched a seaplane skid smoothly across the water. In the harbor we laughed at this new kind of rush hour: cruise ships, yachts, fishing vessels, seaplanes, all performing an intricate dance of movement without traffic signals or even roads. Alaska is full of surprises.

It wasn’t a moose, unfortunately...but we did see a bear. And the bear was fishing! Actually, we saw a bear steal a slab of salmon from a grill. But that counts, right?

The fishing here is amazing. I grew up along a river in northern California, where my dad was an avid fly-fisherman. I never caught on (sorry, bad pun), but we took advantage of our time in Ketchikan—the “salmon capital of the world”—and tried a fishing excursion. What a rush! Reeling in these huge salmon was as easy as buying canned tuna at the supermarket. I was all prepared to tell a whopper about “the one that got away,” but we caught them all. The only fish that got away was the one the bear made off with at our post-excursion salmon bake! Dad would have loved this place.

The whimsical Creek Street in Ketchikan reminded me again of Call of the Wild and Alaska’s pioneer days. With its quaint shops, galleries, and restaurants all maintained in pioneer style from the late 1800s, Creek Street immersed us in native Alaskan culture. Totem poles, vivid colors, a vibrant history—not to mention the chocolate-dipped Oreos from Ketchi-Candies—this shopping experience makes Ketchikan an unforgettable stop.

I expected raw beauty and adventure in Alaska, but I found something else I didn’t expect: rest. Back home, we unwind by watching TV or taking a walk around the block. But this was a whole new kind of relaxation. Sitting on the deck in the morning, watching clouds twirl across the sky, breathing in the salty air with my Bible in hand—that’s true rest. “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened,” Jesus said in Matthew 11, “and I will give you rest.”

Did He have Alaska in mind? This place of adventure, wildness and color reminds me of the Creation story, in which God spoke everything into existence—light, mountains, ice, bears, salmon and moose—and then rested on the seventh day.

I keep thinking of my favorite line from The Call of the Wild: “The ghostly winter silence had given way to the great spring murmur of awakening life.” Whether sailing past a glacier, flying over a jagged mountain range, or pulling a salmon from a rushing river, Alaska awakened new life in me, too.

I expected the jaw-dropping scenery. I expected to discover a place so completely different, in every way, from where we live. I expected to encounter the adventurous Alaska of my dreams. But I didn’t expect the cruise to introduce me to both adventure and rest. They combined in this wild place, working in harmony to restore my soul.