The adventures and various works of a photographer, road tripper, former patron of the local arts, aspiring app developer, and late night coffee drinker and conversationalist.
In May 2024, at the beginning of a month long sabbatical from my corporate job and working to complete a long term travel itinerary which had by then included the entirety of the Lower 48 and much of Canada, I finally embarked on the 8,000+ mile round trip from Dallas to Anchorage, Alaska and back. I set off on this adventure with the assumption that the entire route of the famous Alaska Highway would be fairly straightforward with no surprises. It was 2024, after all; I anticipated a paved route traveling through a very long stretch of often remote terrain, and no information I had seen about the roadway had seemed to challenge this assumption. Along the way, I had some experiences that are worth sharing. So here are some tips and some things to know before setting off on a road trip to Alaska, based on the experiences of someone who's actually made the trip.
The beginning of the Alaska Highway, in Dawson Creek, BC
Antique postal covers, letterheads, and business cards provide fascinating glimpses into the commerce, politics, and correspondence of earlier eras, so they make interesting collectibles for those of us who appreciate history from a more intimate perspective. Some time ago I acquired an old postal cover for an obscure business concern on Elm Street. This particular envelope bears postmarks of early October with no year, and the logo and return address of J.G. Robinson, manufacturer of decorative art needlework. Dallas has had its share of well known craft and apparel fabricators, but lurking quietly among them were many smaller, more modest outfits whose stories have been forgotten. What was the story of J.S. Robinson Needlework, and of the man behind it?
