Scene 1/25

12 pts!

@ Night Aurora, Alaska

The friends disembarked in a small, unassuming town called Tok, where they heard tales of the legendary Northern Lights. Their excite­ment grew as they set off into the night, the sky above a canvas of inky black­ness. They found a clear­ing and waited, their breath mist­ing in the cold air. And then, as if on cue, the heavens above began to dance with ether­eal lights, paint­ing the night in a symphony of greens and purples.

Scene 2/25

57 pts!

@ Atmospheric Night Sky, Alaska

They watched in silent awe, the lights shimmer­ing and weav­ing like a cosmic ballet. It was a moment that trans­cended words, a moment that spoke to the very core of their being. They knew that this was a gift, a message from the land that had come to embrace them. And as the lights slowly faded, they real­ized that their hearts had grown even larger, filled with the magic of Alaska.

Scene 3/25

15 pts!

@ Snowy Trek, Alaska

Their journey was far from over, but for now, they were content. They had faced the wilds and come out the other side, for­ever chang­ed by the beauty and the power of the land. They had found a piece of them­selves in the vast expanses of ice and snow, in the eyes of the creatures that roam­ed free. And as they lay down to sleep, their dreams were filled with visions of the next advent­ure that awaited them; they knew that they would return, for the call of the wild was a siren's song that could never truly be silenced.

Scene 4/25

14 pts!

@ Black Guillemots, Alaska

The next day, they set out for the coast, eager to feel the spray of the ocean on their faces once more. The journey was long and arduous, but the promise of the sea kept them going. They en­counter­ed more wild­life along the way, each creature a reminder of the fragile balance that existed in this remote corner of the world.

Scene 5/25

11 pts!

@ Juneau Harbor

In a quaint coastal village, they found a boat captain named Salty Sam, a sea­gull with a heart of gold and a treasure trove of tales. He agreed to take them on a whale-watching expedition, his eyes twink­ling with the promise of adventure. The friends were over­joyed at the prospect of see­ing the gentle giants of the sea up close.

Scene 6/25

14 pts!

@ Alaskan Cruise

The boat ride was bumpy, the waves crashing against the hull as they ventured out into the open water. The salty air filled their lungs, and the scent of the ocean was balm to their souls. Then, in the distance, they saw them—the majestic hump­back whales, their massive tails slapping the sur­face as they breach­ed the waves. The sight was so over­whelming that even the well-traveled Dotty was left speech­less, her eyes wide with wonder.

Scene 7/25

12 pts!

@ Anchorage, Alaska

They spent hours on the water, their cameras click­ing away, captur­ing every moment of the whales’ graceful dance. They watch­ed as the massive creatures breach­ed and dived, their move­ments a silent symphony of power and grace. And as the sun dipped below the horizon, paint­ing the sky in hues of pink and gold, they knew that this was a memory that would stay with them forever.

Scene 8/25

12 pts!

@ Scenic Aurora, Alaska

As the night fell, they gathered in a local tavern, sharing stories of their adventures with the villagers. The laughter and camara­derie filled the air, as the warmth of human connection meld­ed with the magic of the land. They had come to Alaska as strangers, but they were leaving as friends, bound by the un­forgettable moments they had shared.

Scene 9/25

10 pts!

@ Fall Colors, Alaska

In the days that followed, they continued their journey, each step taking them deeper into the soul of the land. They saw the vast expanses of the tundra, the tower­ing peaks of the Brooks Range, and the shimmer­ing auroras that paint­ed the night sky. They met more locals, each with a story to tell and a piece of the puzzle that was Alaska.

Scene 10/25

12 pts!

@ Chilkat Mountains, Alaska

One evening they received an unexpected message. It was Larry, the sea-plane pilot, inviting them to join him on a special trip. "I've found something," he said, his voice filled with excite­ment. "A place so wild, so un­touched, it'll make your heart sing."

Scene 11/25

13 pts!

@ Alaskan Lake Scene

Without a second thought, the group dropped any plans they had had and book­ed their journey to meet Larry. The lure of the un­known was too great, the pull of the wild too strong to resist. They had to see this place, to feel its spirit, to breathe in its un­tamed air once more.

Scene 12/25

64 pts!

@ Aerial View, Alaska

When they arrived, Larry met them with a mischiev­ous grin. "You ain't seen nothin' yet," he said, his eyes twinkling. They climb­ed aboard his trusty sea-plane, the Gulf of Alaska, and took to the skies. The land below was a patch­work quilt of green and brown, the rivers like snaking ribbons of silver.

Scene 13/25

15 pts!

@ Misty Fall Scene, Alaska

After hours of flying, they descended into a hidden valley. It was a place un­touched by man, where the only sounds were the calls of the wild­life and the rustle of the leaves. The valley was a sanctuary, a secret garden nestled in the embrace of the mountains.

Scene 14/25

13 pts!

@ Mountain Reflections, Alaska

Larry landed the plane with the skill of a seasoned pilot, and they stepped out into the crisp air. Before them, a herd of caribou grazed, their antlers cast­ing shadows on the tundra. In the distance, a family of wolves howled, their voices echo­ing through the valleys. It was a scene of un­paralleled beauty, a testament to the power of nature.

Scene 15/25

12 pts!

@ Misty Peaks, Alaska

The friends set up camp. They had come for adventure, and Alaska had delivered. The days were filled with hiking and exploration, the nights with the warmth of friend­ship and the gentle lullaby of the wilderness.

Scene 16/25

10 pts!

@ Indigenous Totem

It was on the third day that they discovered the valley's secret. A hidden water­fall cascaded into a crystal-clear lake, surround­ed by a ring of ancient totem poles. The sight was so breath-taking, so sacred, that they fell silent. It was as if the very earth held its breath, waiting for their reaction. The totems told a story of unity and strength, of the inter­connected­ness of all living things. It was a message that resonated deep­ly within each of them, a reminder of the bonds they had formed in the face of adversity.

Scene 17/25

11 pts!

@ Glacier, Alaska

As they touched the icy water, they felt something stir within them. It was a sense of belong­ing, of being a part of something much greater than them­selves. The land had accepted them, had whispered its secrets to them, and they knew that they would carry this place with them always.

Scene 18/25

12 pts!

@ Bald Eagle Fishing, Alaska

The trip was not without its challenges, but they faced them together, their spirits buoyed by the magic of the valley. They grew stronger, their friend­ship un­shakeable. And as they packed up to leave, they knew that a piece of their hearts would always remain in that hidden sanctuary.

Scene 19/25

12 pts!

@ Steller's Jay, Alaska

Their final night was spent around a roaring campfire, the flames cast­ing shadows on the totems. They shared their dreams and fears, their hopes and ambitions. The stars above twinkled like the eyes of the friends they had made in Alaska, a constell­ation of memories that would guide them through the darkest of nights.

Scene 20/25

72 pts!

@ Baked Alaska

Their last meal consisted of some of their chef friend’s best culinary master­pieces. To finish, the squirrel proudly brought out a tray on which was a large Baked Alaska—ice cream covered in meringue then put in a very hot oven briefly to make it golden and crisp. Josh eagerly polish­ed his spoon and Dotty smiled happily in anticipation.

Scene 21/25

11 pts!

@ Winter Forest, Alaska

Drive chuckled. “When I was a cub growing up in Britain, a favorite pudding of ours was Arctic Roll—vanilla ice cream covered in rasp­berry sauce rolled up in sponge cake. One of those posh TV chefs compared the taste to ‘frozen carpet’! But it was a weekly treat for us cubs.” The bushy-tailed gour­met beamed at him. “I hope this is tastier than frozen carpet! Come on, tuck in, everyone!”

Scene 22/25

13 pts!

@ Flag and Map, Alaska

It was their last morning. As they said their good­byes, to Larry and the valley, and to the land itself, they made a pact. They would return, again and again, to this wild, un­tamed place that had become a part of them. For they were not just friends anymore—they were guardians of the wild, forever linked by the heart of Alaska.

Scene 23/25

66 pts!

@ Nighttime Lake Reflections

And as they boarded the plane that would take them home, their hearts were heavy with the know­ledge that they were leaving a piece of them­selves behind. But they also knew that they would carry the spirit of Alaska with them, a beacon of wild­ness and wonder that would guide them through the trials and trib­ulations of their city lives.

Scene 24/25

@Alaskan Lighthouse

The engines roared to life, and the plane lifted off, the land­scape shrinking below them. They watched as the land of ice and fire grew small­er, the memory of their advent­ures burn­ed into their hearts. They were seven friends, for­ever bound by the magic of the Last Frontier. And as they dis­appeared into the clouds, the land below whispered a promise—that it would be wait­ing for them, ready to em­brace them again when they were ready to return.

Scene 25/25

@Alaskan Fjord

Back in the city, the friends went their separate ways, but the bonds forged in Alaska remained un­breakable. They gather­ed often, shar­ing stories of their daily lives, but the con­versation always found its way back to the land that had cap­tured their hearts. The tales grew more vivid with each telling, the memories as fresh as the day they'd made them.

Midge Maisel has enjoyed visiting Alaska, but it is time to go home. This Event is over now, but there will be more events in PnF soon!