The contest has been completed, the winners are listed below.

Alaska Wildland Adventures is a leader in providing eco tour and small group Alaska vacations, Alaska lodge packages, and adventure packages. Explore the Kenai Peninsula and Denali National Park with Alaska Wildland Adventures.

Announcing the Escape to Alaska or Bust Essay Contest Winners

First Prize Winner receiving an 8-Day Alaska Wildland Adventure, visiting three distinct Alaska lodges, valued at over $12,000:

We long for a trip, to play and have fun, to explore the vast land of the Midnight sun. Watch out, this group is about to break loose, We just can't wait to see our first moose!
Whales, bears and otters we'll see while we're sail'en, And maybe have lunch with Governor Palin!
Mountains and glaciers, calving into the sea, Is the place that we all sure long to be.
We need new surrounding, to see all new landscapes, And trade in our cornfields for clear water lakes.
Snow capped mountains, hiking, and rugged back packing, Makes this trip an adventure without anything lacking.
Sightseers beware, this group longs to be free, There is so much in our forty-ninth state left to see.
New people, cities, fjords, tundra and snow, Makes Alaska the perfect state left to go.
A train ride, how exciting for this lucky group, What a refreshing change from Chicago's great loop!
Fewer people, but friendly and casual dress, This trip appears to be far less covered with stress.
Kenai, Seward and Anchorage we all long to see, Before time takes its toll on our backs and our knees.
A boat tour to date we have yet to partake, So a raft would be nifty and right up to date.
We need you Alaska, sweep us up and away, To the land filled with adventure each and every day.
We need a vacation to feel young and alive, If you find us the winner we could make the group five!
So pick us please, make our hearts sing with joy, And make this dream happen for two girls and three boys.
Thanks for this contest to enter and I beg, please pick us, For to Alaska we want to escape or be bust!

This will be our first trip to Alaska and we are ready to experience it with gusto! Two of us are newly retired and the others are getting ready, so we need to try our wings and fly north before we get too wrapped up in our AARP magazines. Nature and enjoying the outdoors is something that we all share in common and this trip will enable us to spend time as kids again (we are siblings of sorts) and be doing something that we all find exciting. I direct the University of Illinois Extension 4-H program in our Midwestern County in Illinois (450 youth) and the things that I will learn and bring back from this trip will be used to teach how fragile and important our environment and different ecosystems are to each of us, no matter our age or where we live. To appreciate our planet we must travel, experience, pay attention and listen to all that it has to offer. The goal of this trip is just that; learn from my surroundings and teach what I have had the opportunity to experience. A little fun and time with my husband, brothers and sister works too!

5 Second Place Winners receiving coupons redeemable for 40% off on any Alaska Wildland Adventures 2009 trip:*
Denise Goode ~ Chicago, Illinois 
I just happen to be one fourth of a not-so-well-known group called Team Awesome.

Meet Mary, Marcus, Noel, and Denise (that's me!). In different pairings and combinations, we are sisters, friends, ex-neighbors, roommates, and fiancees, but most importantly, we are annual-adventure-seekers.

Yes, once a year for the past five years, we meet in both unique and not-so-unique places that we know will be full of adventures. The process of deciding on just where to seek adventures is 24-7. The email trails are long and we always go over our minutes when discussing the latest and greatest possible vacation spot, new culinary delight, or far-away bike path. But, when we finally can all agree on a meet-up location, we cough up the dough, travel near or far, and arrive with a year's worth of excitement to see one another and catch-up. Our past meet-up locations have been Chicago (where Noel and I call home), Washington, DC (Mary and Marcus' home), Massachusetts' beaches, Canada, and New Hampshire's White Mountains. We hope to bring some fabulous Team Awesome spirit to, where else, but Alaska!

I can't say that each and every one of our adventures has been necessarily all "wins" for Team Awesome. There was the time Marcus jumped in the sunflower patch for a laugh somewhere along the road in Newfoundland, and ended up with head-to-toe bug-bites the size of tennis balls...or, the time we decided to downsize and just do a weekend in Chicago, but Mary packed enough for a month...or, when Noel got stung by not one, but two jellyfish...or, when I took us on a bit of an adventure to locate a "secluded beach" and we wound up in another time zone. No, I cannot say it has all been peaches, but what Team Awesome does best is pack the vacation full of activities, try to have some good laughs, and make some darn good memories.

Team Awesome would love to seek adventure in Alaska. Not one of us has traveled to the great state, but let me tell you that it has been discussed multiple times! I am pretty sure it never made the cut due to the overwhelming amount of activities--Team Awesome needs some experienced folks to help keep us on track! It is a fact that each of us would bring a certain case of curiosity, awe, and humor to each and every excursion, and I am sure I speak on behalf of all of us when I say it would definitely be Team Awesome's greatest meet-up thus far.

Carol Cambareri ~ Auburn, New York 
I was born in late 1958 and christened the day Alaska became a state.
An adventurer my whole life, a good thing my husband took ME as his wife!!

William H Seward is my guru and that my friends, is really true!
His home in Auburn is now a museum and we frequently go and see'em.

He bought Alaska for 3 cents an acre and it's surprising he was the only taker!
They laughed and called it Seward's Folly but who's laughing NOW, by golly!!!

I know Alaska in and out I know you can catch many trout.
It's not Alaska's most famous fish That would be Halibut- what a dish!

The state flower grows here on my lot, and is one of my faves, the Forget-me-not!!!
The Willow Ptarmigan I've never seen but really, I'd be quite keen!

The State fish is the King Salmon so we know in Alaska there will never be famine. I'd love to see the mountain of jade I'm sure the beauty will never fade.

Nome is home of the Great Gold Rush And the state sport? The Dog Mush!
The wildlife is really diverse and never, ever seen as a curse.

There are bears and moose, with large antler spans so we won't waste our time trying to get a tan!

The Northern Lights, I hear, are a beauty and your governor is quite a cutey!
Alaska has the most glaciers in the nation and probably-the most weather stations!

"So why should we pick you?" I hear you say.

ALASKA OR BUST is what we say. We're coming to see you either way! But it sure would help if you'd pay our way!

Larry Pleimann ~ St. Louis, MO 
Dear Alaska Wildland Adventures, We are the Pleimann's and we are your next well deserving family to escape to the great state of Alaska. Why?

My wife and I have both had huge changes and downsizing to our jobs and have not been able to get away for so long. Our small backyard and patio view in St. Louis just can't compare to the majesty of Moose Country.

So take us away, we're ready to play - we can be packed in no time at all.
We'll ride your boats, we've got thick coats - and ready for the long haul.

Our two kids will rave, and said they'd behave and only touch what they're told.
They'll still be ambitious with glaciers and fishes and move a bit slower when cold.

We're from Missouri, so we're in a hurry, so "Show Me" what your state provides.
We can't wait to travel for stress to unravel, and slip slide sleigh ride and to glide.

It just can't compare, to seeing a bear, but perhaps one we need to dodge.
Beautiful sights and campfire delights, at
The new Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge!

Show Us what's different in your-neck of the woods,
We need a fresh change - and fast.
We desperately need great fun memories and pictures our whole lives will last.

We're your typical fun loving family of four but whose finances will just about break us,
Please lead us the way, we beg you today.
We'll go where Alaska Wildland Adventures will take us.

In case you have notions - we'll help with promotions,
We'll help out - we're good looking and funny.
We'll-never-get to Alaska all on our own,
The mind-is-willing but we're all out of money.

This Dad and good husband wants-so-much to provide
And perhaps maybe it's simply "our Turn"
Just maybe you'll pick us- both lucky and blessed for the trip to Alaska we yearn!

Ellen Dreyer ~ Melbourne, FL 
I'm writing this to tell you why,
My friends and I deserve this trip.
That is why I decided to apply
And describe, to you, our friendship.

Let's start with my fiancee and me,
We are getting married quite soon.
We are adventurous and zany,
But have no money for a honeymoon.

We would love to travel but don't have the dough
So we have to pretend to visit far away lands.
However, Alaska is one place we just have to go
Because above all of the others it stands.

Our friends are a lot like us,
But they got married last year.
They had no honeymoon but had a service.
I assure you, this plea is sincere.

They are both teachers all day every day
Even though it won't make them wealthy
Because they know it's more important than the pay
And they'd rather be happy and healthy.

We love to camp and take a hike.
We are the outdoor type.
We'll raft or mountain climb or bike,
Believe me, this is no hype!

We all dream of getting to go to a place
With mountains that soar and glaciers that glide.
Never going would be such a disgrace
Because Alaska can't be experienced in a guide.

We'd love to see the bears,
Whether they're polar, grizzly, or black,
We'd settle for seeing some snowshoe hares
Or a moose, as long as it's laid-back!

The wonders we've heard that exist there,
Alaska holds close to her heart.
They don't even exist elsewhere
Because with them, she will not part.

This trip, to us, would be priceless
Because this is our only chance,
To experience Alaska's greatness
And take in Alaska's romance.

So one last time I'll request,
Just as nicely as can be,
To let us be your guest
And our gratitude will forever be yours, truly.

Chris Mays ~ Pelzer, SC 
Kiana! (Inuit for "Hello") We are Miss Meyers, Mrs. Mays, Mrs. LaBoone and Ms. Thomason, all teachers from the South Carolina public school system. Our district is one of the largest in the country and we teach a variety of subjects from 2nd grade through 8th. Sending us to Alaska would be like sending all of the 470 some students we have every year! Talk about a gift that keeps giving. Field trip monies are being cut more and more, which can make it difficult to make the curriculum come alive. Just imagine what your son or daughter would enjoy more - reading yet another ancient textbook on animal habitats or a video their teacher took careening through the Alaskan rapids whilst shouting flora and fauna from her kayak!

We have heard people say a teacher is just a glorified babysitter. Did you know that if a teacher like ourselves, was paid $3 per hour for each of 32 students per class, for the 180 days we are in session, just one of us would make $103,680!? Not to mention, none of the babysitters we know would work for $3 an hour and can teach Shakespeare and long division. We make less than 1/3 of that, and Mrs. Mays does drama club, the school newspaper, and teaches adult immigrants to read; no charge. Miss Meyers tutors for free on Mondays. Ms. Thomason works with special needs children and Mrs. LaBoone volunteers for Special Olympics and works with special needs children, as well. If you have kids, you owe us this trip.

Teacher Appreciation Week is fast approaching. Show you care by showing us and our students a good time. Send us to Alaska now! (PS-If you would rather support a family, you should still send us. Mrs. Mays is Miss Meyers's mom!)

10 Third Place Winners receiving coupons redeemable for 20% off on any Alaska Wildland Adventures 2009 trip:*
Ashley Sieg ~ Mandan, ND
Not too long ago, my 85 year old grandpa told me he wants to visit Alaska before he dies. Since then, I've been thinking of ways to make that possible for him. Though I don't like to think about life without grandpa, I would love nothing more than to make what could be his last wish come true. I myself haven't been to the great state of Alaska, and can't wait for the opportunity to experience its great adventure, but I know I have plenty of life left to get myself there.

My grandpa was a hardworking farmer much of his life, working sun up to sun down just to make a living, with not much left to show for it. With nine kids, 18 grandkids and 8 great-grandkids, grandma and grandpa have raised a large, wonderful, and happy family in small-town, rural America. Grandpa has a great appreciation of nature and wildlife, something that was passed on to me through him and my dad. Hunting is the number one thing that bonds our entire family together. At 85, grandpa is still the first one out the door opening day of deer season. Hunting and fishing, nature and wildlife, all that Alaska is, is exactly what grandpa wants to experience in real life. He's spent years reading about Alaska in his National Geographic magazines, and watching it on Nature and other TV programs.

Though my parents have been to Alaska, I'd like to send them, along with my grandparents. If room allows, I'd definitely love to go as well, but would like to see the four of them experience Alaska together, especially my grandpa and my dad; I'll get there some day. To make grandpa's wish come true, and to say thank you to my grandparents and parents for all the love and support they've ever given me; in celebration of his long, healthy life, dedicated hard work on the farm, and love to his family, please consider my grandpa's wish to experience Alaska! Thank you! Ashley

Annemarie Selness ~ Caledonia, Minnesota
Ole, Lena, Sven and Grandma Olga were debating the virtues of going to Alaska over going to Norway to visit the relatives. Lena stated that Alaska had fjords as deep, majestic and beautiful as the fjords in Norway. Grandma Olga said there was a Ford in the driveway, so why did we need to go to Alaska to see a Ford? Lena explained that the Kenai Fjords in Alaska were spectacular, deep canyons with soaring vistas that could be toured by boat getting close to seals, orca whales, river otters, puffins and black bear. Ole then mentioned that not only was the fishing incredible but there would be numerous opportunities to view marine mammals and other sea life in their natural, pristine environments. Grandma Olga said she could see life everyday just by looking out her window, but she did want to know what was so good about the fishing anyway? Ole, knowing that Grandma Olga loved fresh fish, explained that guided salmon fishing, fly fishing for rainbow trout, halibut fishing in fresh water and river fishing for Dolly Varden char were all available and since the trips were guided, all she needed to do was show up. Grandma Olga muttered something about already having seen Dolly Parton at Dollywood. The restaurants, Ole explained, would even cook her fish for supper and package the rest to ship home to Minnesota. Sven, not wanting to be outdone in promoting Alaska to Grandma Olga, mentioned that the food at the Kenai Glacier Lodge where they were planning to stay was even better than the food in Norway and included sumptuous fare like fillet of caribou with wild game sauce, linguine with lemon and smoked salmon, and halibut with corn fritters and roasted red pepper sauce! No puffin! Lena then mentioned that the Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center would be an interesting place to visit because they had many artifacts on display explaining the various cultures that passed through Kenai. In addition, special art events in the area included traditional Alaska Native works. And finally, Sven said "Grandma Olga we need to go on this trip because Alaska is one of America's last great wild places with millions of acres of unspoiled wilderness. We want to see glaciers before they melt due to global warming, go rafting and hiking in areas with abundant wildlife, experience the real Alaska and meet the people who have made their livings in this remote and sometimes inhospitable climate for generations." Grandma Olga responded "Yes, we do deserve to go on this trip. I want to be able to tell the relatives back in Norway that there is more than one Land of the Midnight Sun!"

Joyce Patricelli ~ Bellevue, WA
"That sounds 'doable," my friends would say. The energy seems boundless, the adventures seem unending when my friends gather to discuss what our next shared excellent experience should be. We seek to try something new, something daring, and go for it. "Do it or bust!" The spirit of trying something new makes everything seem "doable" for us active 60-something women friends that call ourselves the "Doables." Like a call to the vastness of Alaska, the open spirit of adventure that swept the rush for gold calls to us, speaks to us to escape to the out of doors, to experience something new. After spending last summer learning how to ride horses so we could participate in a cattle drive in Montana, we now think Alaska is that something new, the last frontier.

We Doables have hiked in alpine meadows of Pacific Northwest mountains, but we haven't hiked amongst some of the 3 million lakes of Alaska nor seen the multitude of animals in the world's largest wildlife refuges. We haven't gazed over the vistas seen only in Alaska of magnificent stretches of breathtaking scenery, of majestic mountain ranges and richly forested hills that wave their skirts into icy ocean waters.

We have kayaked to the sacred grounds of our First Nation people in the Broken Islands of Barkley Sound off Vancouver Island. But we haven't rafted the rushing rivers that cascade down the valleys carved by some of the 100,000 glaciers of Alaska. We haven't seen the unique marine life nor been enveloped in the deep fjords of our 49th state of the union.

We Doables remember when Alaska became a state in 1959 and we marveled at its size and wealth of natural resources. Now we are watching as Alaska develops a new resource, one of sharing its beauty with tourists, of increasing access to its wilderness, and of providing services and lodging while protecting the land that is so full of elements that are so raw, rugged, and beautiful.

We would love to escape into the rich history, the native art and culture, and the vast nature of Alaska, a place that calls to us for an adventure like no other. Alaska offers opportunities for adventures we don't want to miss. It sounds very doable. We'd do our best or bust!

Wendy Sunderman ~ Findlay, Ohio
Alaska or Bust

After watching and hearing my parents plan and cancel their dream vacation to Alaska for the last five years, I decided it was time for me to interfere in their lives, even though they have done their best to never interfere in their children's lives, but instead have always supported us selflessly.

After we had all graduated from college, my mom and dad officially had an empty nest. To fill the void, they started visiting, watching, or "stalking," as I like to call it, eagle nests all over Ohio. My mom even toted my son along on her back to check up on the local eagle nest by their home, and I credit her, with my now seven-year-old son's love of nature. My mom and dad are not fans of Florida beaches, or Las Vegas lights, "too many people." They are lovers of the wild, beautiful, spacious country, where they are surrounded by wildlife. The dream of going to Alaska began when my mom spotted her first black bear in Yellowstone National Park. After this excursion in 1998, they made plans to go to Alaska...some day.

Creedence Clearwater Revival sings a song, "someday never comes," I didn't want to believe the lyrics.

The winter before my parents were supposed to go to Alaska, my mom was experiencing pain walking. For years, she had blamed leg problems on genetic arthritis, but now the doctor explains, "you need surgery to open up your arteries in your legs." Mom replies, "Sorry, Doc, I'm going to Alaska." Doc retorts, "unless you plan on crawling around Denali, Judy, you are not going to Alaska."

They postponed their trip until the following summer. No big deal, bears and eagles will still be foraging and soaring.

Winter '08, my Grandma, who has been living with my mom and dad for five years, falls and can not be left alone. So, again they push their Alaska trip back.

After Grandma passed away, dad called friends in Washington to reschedule their Alaska excursion. Frank and Valerie agree to be their guides. But, Valerie calls weeks later, her dad is in poor health, and she can not leave him. Mom and Dad decide to tackle the trip on their own. They schedule it for the summer of 2009, but become nervous when they hear of the volcano activity and volcanic ash problems in Anchorage. I call them and say, "We are all going to Alaska, gosh darn it!"
My mom smiles at me and says, "Someday, Wendy."
"No, now. I'm going to enter us in an Alaska or Bust essay contest, and I'm dragging you and dad to Alaska if I have to...with the help of Alaska Wildland Adventures, of course."
"I'm a realist, Wendy."
"You may be, mom, but you are also a dreamer, and I'm going to try to make your dream come true, because you and dad always put our dreams first and made them all came true."

Someday has come.

Jule Stroick ~ Madison, WI
Let's start out by saying that our family dreams of traveling; however, our most exciting trip in the last 10 years has been to a petting farm outside of our hometown of Madison, WI. Granted, Madison has charm: 40,000 Wisconsin football fans dressed up as Badgers on Saturdays during the fall; carp jumping out of the silted lagoon in our local water body, Lake Wingra, and 6-8 feet of snow towering over you in the winter that isn't pristine as you know where.

ALASKA has been the talk around the dinner table. Jeff, my husband and Camille, our 10-year old daughter have swapped tales of what the wild lands of Alaska hold in their imagination. Whales, otters, seals are imaginary pets to my two dreamers. Receding glaciers bring small tears as their voices crack of how we must unite to save the world from climate change. But most of all, the mighty fish and bears, bring the most zest to the dinner time tales. Wading in the crystal clear, cold creeks. Picking berries with bears sniffing in the air. All of the talk is how someday, somehow, and someway we will plunk down in the good ole state of Alaska.

We are a family that believes that a dream will come to be. Jeff, who will be celebrating his 60th birthday in a year, has made a list. The top of it: Visit national forests in Alaska. You know he is serious since it is underlined. Our daughter Camille has embellished it with her yellow highlighter. Any visitor in our house would immediately know ALASKA is important business: underlined, highlighted and images of the land of vastness decorate our small, cozy home.

Many people want to go to Alaska. We support the whole darn world taking turns to set their eyes on your state. We are the ones that would deeply appreciate it for its outer and inner beautify. We would stop dead in our tracks at the sight of the large blocks of ice. We would cherish the stories from the Aleut people on how nature has shaped their world. Our jaws would drop at the site of a whale migrating across the sea. And for us, the mighty eagle soaring in the sky, would make us feel blessed to be Americans.

We give you our word Alaska: we cherish you from afar and wholeheartedly will create life memories upon our visit.

Gail Ward ~ Marietta, Georgia
"Heaven cannot be found on a map. Our guides, however, know a few places that come pretty close."

My daughters and I have enjoyed the spectacular beauty of our country since they were very young. However, we've known for a long time that Alaska, in all her splendor and beauty, was our dream vacation. Alaska became a desire of our hearts. When they were younger we were at Yellowstone National Park enjoying the beauty there, and all they could say was "Wow, wow" and "Daddy would love this, oh Daddy would love this." So we started inviting Daddy on our trips, why not? There was enough love to go around, and Daddy too loved the splendor and beauty as much as we did. Then when our grandson Tyler was old enough, he became part of our traveling gang, and yes, he too fell in love with the outdoors and all nature provided us. The mountains, the lakes, the waterfalls, the valleys, the bears, the bison, the elk, the moose, all became a part of who we are. Our hunger for more grew.

"What would you expect after hiking through the rugged wilderness? May we suggest grilled salmon served with a nice chardonnay?" Yes, yes you may, because we are hungry for Alaska. The glacier fed lakes, the bluest sky, the clearest nights with a show fit for a king, the whales, the wilderness, and the few places that only you know come close to heaven. That's the excitement we feel when we think Alaska really is within our reach.

As you may have noticed we have poured through your brochures year after year, and because of your very own quotes, we do believe Alaska is the next best thing to heaven. We would love your salmon and chardonnay after a day in the rugged wilderness or a beautiful Alaskan city. Alaska Wildland Adventures our appetites are ferocious and we are ready for a feast. Ready to sink our teeth into Alaska's beauty and all her bountifulness. And because of you, Alaska is within our reach.

Now here's a jingle we wrote: A rare treasure we seek, Alaska in all her beauty, From Mt. McKinley's peak, To the for-get-me not, oh what a cutie - The willow ptarmigan, oh what a bird, The grizzlies, moose, and dall's sheep, And don't forget the elk and the caribou herd. Oh, the memories that we seek - Alaska Wildland Adventures you have heard, why our family adventure is so well deserved.

Sincerely,
The Ward Family

Janice Ragazzo ~ Hopewell Junction, NY
"YOU GET ONE CHANCE IN LIFE!"
That's the quote I repeatedly impressed upon my children as they were growing up. Since we encountered a life altering day in August of 2007, this statement more than ever has enormous meaning to us.

Our daughter who was 24 yrs old had just experienced a minor stroke. The following days revealed that she was born with a hole in her heart, that needed repairing, along with the discovery that she was predisposed to developing CADASIL (a rare genetic mutation) of which there is no known cure.

Since her recovery, the family decided to save for the trip of a lifetime, that being ALASKA, America's Last Frontier. We have always been an adventuresome family, a tight unit, a team, dubbing ourselves in earlier travels as "The Four Shades." (Note the sunglasses in our picture)

This year, at the age of 54, I took up babysitting, putting every dollar earned towards our goal and as fate would have it, along came this contest.

Our daughter, who is a Special Education teacher, always said she wanted to be the reason for a child's enlightenment. We believe that Alaska, with its extraordinary beauty, astonishing wildlife, natural and cultural heritage will provide her with inspiration, beckon her inner strength and fill her with renewal. She will be able to bring back to the classroom, stories of a living world filled with splendor and awe.

We look forward to using our eyes as the camera to capture all the magistracy of the mountains, glaciers and natural wonders that are exclusive to Alaska. We wait anxiously to feel our souls soar freely in the manner of the Great American Bald Eagle, savoring each moment in this unspoiled land.

We want to open our hearts to the calls of the wild, listening intently as it will invoke our senses and echo to us, "WELCOME TO ALASKA, THIS ONE CHANCE IS YOURS!"

Julie Wagner ~ Blue Eye, MO
We grew up in two very small towns about 15 miles apart on the Arkansas-Missouri line. We became friends the summer before our senior year of High school. That was 32 years ago and we've been the best of friends ever since. We both married our high school sweethearts the summer after graduation and had our first children 3 years later. They were due only a few days apart but I had twins and they decided to come two months early. Janita had a son two months later. Three years later they had another son and then 6 years after that a daughter. We did not have any more so it took them longer to become empty nested.

We have raised our kids together camping, hiking and floating rivers in the Ozarks. We all love the outdoors and have dreamed of going on that Big Adventure someday when all the kids are grown. Their last child graduated from high school in 2008 and the dream lives on. We laugh and joke about all the places we are going to see. We always knew it was probably just a dream until we saw your contest.

Janita has been receiving pamphlets from Alaska Wildland Adventures for years, just looking at the pictures and dreaming of that perfect Alaskan trip. Janita and I are both turning fifty soon and What A Fabulous Fiftieth Birthday that would be. Imagine two goofy friends who Love the outdoors turning FIFTY YEARS YOUNG at your Alaskan Adventure Resort. On our 30th birthday, we jumped off a sky coaster swing 100 feet in the air. Our 40th we just celebrated with flashing button lights and balloons at a local restaurant.

Turning fabulously 50 floating down the Kenai River and spending the days at your resort would be the best birthday gift in the world. We could keep the whole place in stitches, even the bears would be laughing and wondering what a wacky crew was doing in their domain. Talk about advertisement! PLEASE select two sets of long time best friends and give us the Greatest Birthday Gift in the world. PICK US and we can all celebrate Fifty Years Young in AWESOME ALASKA.

Two 50th birthdays so let's CELEBRATE
It could be one BIG Alaska Wildland Adventure DATE
The fun we could have would be FIRST RATE
We saw your contest, it must be FATE
We'll even bring our sweetheart MATES
Please pick us for HEAVENS SAKE
Before we're too old and it's too LATE
PLEASE PICK US AND HELP US HAVE THE MOST FABULOUS FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY EVER!!!

Heather Grace ~ Las Vegas, Nevada
Give me an "A," give me a "K" -- hopefully you can see our distress call from way up there. We need a rescue vacation and stat! We don't even need to pack our bags; we're dressed for all the exciting adventures and roaring to go. Although, I must say, we look a little mismatched and confused. It has been so long since we have had a real vacation or even a single excursion that we don't know how to piece together simple sporting attire. Will you please save us?

My husband and I have had 2 wonderful children in the last 3 years, so as you can imagine we have had little sleep and much less, any time for ourselves. In addition, we rarely see each other. When our first child graced our family, we had to rearrange our schedules to care for her. I work mornings and my husband evenings. While our kids always have one of us, we never see each other. My husband always asks if we will ever take a vacation that isn't just visiting grandparents again (our last vacation together was March 2005; but who's counting...). We love all sports, camping and like to make anything into a competition. It has been a dream of mine since I was a young girl scout to go white water rafting; unfortunately, we never got to do the cool stuff like the boy scouts. We have talked about going to Alaska since we married over 5 years ago, this would honestly be an aspiration come true and a definite reconnection for us.

My sister and her new husband of 6 months would join us on this trip of a lifetime if you deem us worthy. It would be great to get to know my brother-in-law better. Especially because in one years time, he will be applying for dental school and who knows what city that will be taking them to for several years. They are scraping together money for schooling to avoid excessive loans and as such forego traveling as well. My sister and I are very close, so we want to grow close with her husband. It would be a great experience for them to take this adventure before they start a family of their own too. My sister and I work together and many staff members were recently laid off due to the economic times. While we were fortunate enough to maintain our jobs, the layoffs have doubled the amount of work for the remaining staff, which makes the desire for a great vacation so much sweeter and longed for.

The memories of this trip would last forever and we are oh so ready to make them happen. Thank you all for considering us for this amazing opportunity.

Meredith Malburne ~ Durham, NC
I grew up surrounded by tiny black and white pictures of Alaska. Every few months, my father would rediscover the old slide projector and my mom and I would join him in watching the images from his parents' trip to Alaska glide by. I never met my grandparents and I was too young to even find Alaska on a map. But that never stopped my dad. A devoted ornithologist, nature lover, fisherman, and jack-of-all-trades, my father has dreamed about visiting Alaska for as long as I can remember. A big, burly man in flannel, it was easy to picture my dad traipsing through the Alaskan tundra someday, binoculars and fishing pole in hand.

Someday has just never happened for my dad. A Vietnam-veteran-turned-machinist, my dad struggled to keep the family afloat when I was young. He worked hard to put me through college, mortgaging the house that desperately needed repairs. Once I finished college, he turned his attention to those repairs. Each piece of sheetrock, each section of molding, each floorboard--all of it has been shaped, fitted and hand-placed by my do-it-yourself dad. But my dad has never stopped talking about Alaska and the much-awaited trip. Alaska, my dad would tell me, like all dreams, was worth waiting for.

Alaska may wait, but cancer does not. My father was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma in 2008. The treatment, we were told, had to be as aggressive as the cancer. Unable to eat, destroyed by the chemo that oftentimes had to be injected directly into his spinal column, I watched my once rough-and-tumble dad drop more than 40 pounds in one summer as his doctors warned us to be prepared. We all thought dad's dreams of exploration were an impossibility for the man who spent months in the hospital, too weak to get out of bed by himself.

My dad, however, had more fight than any of us knew. Currently in remission, my dad is preparing to walk me down the aisle in October. He tells me that he wouldn't miss my wedding for anything--not even cancer. But I'd like to make sure there's one more thing he won't miss: Alaska. Just this once, I want the chance to surprise my dad by providing for him; I want to help him realize one of his own dreams. I would love to buy my dad a new flannel, pack up my parents and my fiance, and head to Alaska. We've got the binoculars, the fishing pole, and the camera ready. I'll even bet I can find that beat-up old slide projector in the attic. This time, I'd like the memories to be in color--and to be my dad's.

Honorable Mentions: We would like to thank all the other wonderful applicants that contributed to the contest, and although the names are too many to list here, we'll be sending special thanks out via mail.

 * Valid for the 2009 season for up to 4 participants, on a space available basis, as determined solely by AWA.