By Barbara Howard

I have always wanted to go to Alaska. I’ve gazed at Alaska travel brochures, been amazed while watching educational television programs about Alaska, listened intently to stories from friends who lived in Alaska, and been dismayed by the news about the potential destruction of the wilderness of Alaska. But nothing prepared me for my recent educational travel experience to Southeast Alaska!

I was invited to join a small group, including Dr. Andrew Weil, aboard a 60 foot yacht, the Alaska Adventurer, to cruise Southeast Alaska. We would learn about the nutritional benefits of wild Alaska salmon, sustainable fishing practices, and the Alaskan native beliefs about the salmon’s cycle of life.

I boarded my plane in Seattle and as always, sat in a window seat. The skies were clear almost all the way to Juneau, and it was some of the most beautiful, majestic scenery I have ever seen – lush green mountains, white peaks, glaciers that looked like huge, white rivers, sparkling waters – it just kept on going even as we descended through the mountains and landed in the small fishing village of Petersburg, on Mitkof Island, Alaska.

Our educational travel program started that evening with a welcome dinner on the deck of a small, local restaurant. We were served wild Alaska salmon, cooked to perfection. We got better acquainted and wondered about the adventure that lay ahead.

The next morning, we were guided on an excellent tour through Norquest Seafoods, a fish processing plant, right on the water. We were very impressed by the spotless, state of the art operation, and we all learned something new such as the highly nutritious value of beautiful red salmon roe. I tried some and it is absolutely rich and delicious!

We had some time before boarding the boat, so we drove down the island and visited a salmon hatchery (not to be confused with a fish farm). We walked down by the river and watched salmon swimming their way upstream. The stream was full of salmon seemingly waiting for their turn to put forth the great effort to swim up the ladder to the holding pond. After they spawn, the fertilized eggs are harvested and are kept until the young salmon (smelts) are big enough to be set free to swim out to sea, to live and grow, and eventually, return, and swim upstream again.

As we walked down the pier set amidst the misty mountain backdrop, we spotted the Alaska Adventurer, the boat that was to be our home for the next seven days. Our luggage was loaded and we were led to our quarters. Dennis Rogers, the captain of the boat, welcomed me, “You must be Barbara.” I was the only woman passenger on board (the only woman except for Emilie, the crewmate, whose story I’ll tell at a later date), and I had the privilege of having a berth with a window! Also onboard were Randy Hartnell, Founder of Vital Choice Seafood, and his business partner, Dave Hamburg. They had been commercial fishermen in Alaska for more than 15 years, and throughout the trip they shared their expertise and knowledge.

As we cruised up Frederick Sound, Chef Jake prepared a delicious dinner which included (you guessed it) wild salmon. Then, the evening show began as the sun set over the mountains. We were all excited because we spotted whales and watched them feeding! As they dove, the sun-sparkled-spray dripped like glittering diamonds from their flukes just before their graceful descent into the water. Breathtaking. Awesome.

It was then I recalled, a few weeks before I left home, someone sent me an email telling about a group of people who were planning a special world-wide event – to meditate and send healing energy to the waters on the planet. I remembered I had visualized the waters of the world as sparkling, like diamonds, like rivers of stars.

We set our shrimp and crab pots, and then anchored in a pristine cove. As I lay in bed, I gazed out my little window at the Big Dipper sparkling in the Alaska sky, and I realized, I was falling under the spell of wild Alaska.

Next time: Whales, waterfalls, hot springs and glacier lakes.

Fulfill your most passionate healthy travel desires and educational quests today with a meaningful, learning vacation!

Learn more:
www.mindbodytravel.com

Or call 1-800-504-3557 to develop your own program.

Learn more about fresh, wild Alaska salmon: www.vitalchoice.com