About a month ago, I had the opportunity to go to Alaska. It's officially the most beautiful place I've ever been (beating out Estes Park, Colorado). I traveled through the Tracy Arm Fjord, took a train through the mountainous scenery of Skagway, hiked up Mount Roberts in Juneau, and spotted dozens of humpback whales. The pictures shown below don't even come close to capturing the beauty I saw there!
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I saw this and took a picture of it, not really knowing what it meant. Once I got home, I looked it up. Here's the story:
"George E. Buchanan, a Detroit coal merchant, began bringing boys and girls to Alaska on adventure trips in 1923. His goal was to help young people learn the art of earning and saving money. To accompany Buchanan on these special excursions, a young person had to earn one third of the cost of the journey. The parents could pay one third and Buchanan contributed one third. If necessary he assisted the would-be adventurer to earn his share of the costs.
For fifteen years groups of approximately 50 young people, mostly boys, made the annual summer excursion from Detroit to Alaska. The travelers departed from Detroit in mid-July traveling first class by train across Canada to Vancouver B.C. and Puget Sound. Three days on a steamer and then arrival in Skagway. They boarded the White Pass & Yukon Railroad to travel to the lake country and then a transfer by boat to Atlin.
The young folks, dressed in coat and tie, had to be on their best behavior. Many years later members of the various Buchanan Boys groups returned to Skagway to ride the WP&YR and to revisit the memories of their special and happy trips. Reportedly the boys from one of the summer trips painted the sign “On To Alaska With Buchanan” on the side of the mountain to commemorate their inspiring leader, George Buchanan."
(Thanks http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM92ZP_On_to_Alaska_with_Buchanan_Buchanan_Rock_AK for the story)
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