Alaska has scenery that will make you stop and stare, the people are friendly, and there is always some really large fresh fish to eat. I never thought a great way to see “The Last Frontier” would be with a group of 25 people I had never met before.

Along with the great folks, with the great accents, from Wisconsin based Holiday Vacations, I hosted the WRAL Great Alaska Adventure. A Hoke County farmer, a female welder from Wendell, an ex-Chatham County Commissioner, it was a fascinating cross section of people who took the big trip.

We trekked from Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks to the Yukon Territory and finally to a cruise down the chilly waters of the Inside Passage. There were early starts and long days, potholes too numerous to count on the Al-Can Highway, and many switches from bus to boat to train to plane. And yes, the sun never really set. Each challenge was met with a helping hand, a joke, or a story of bigger trials back in the Carolinas.

It was a great group, a great trip, and only one thing really changed.

None of my fellow travelers is a stranger anymore.

To see “another view” of the Great Alaska Adventure check out “Off The Mark" this week.