North By A Thumb

Why would a perfectly respectable, more or less sensible husband, father, and teacher, hitchhike to Alaska? One of his favorite quotes was from Edward Mallory'who, when asked why he climbed Mt. Everest, responded "because it was there." That sums up his approach to life. Why go somewhere's? Because it's there. Warren Ison came from a family known for itchy feet. His ancestors were early settlers in Maine, Conneticutt, Ohio and Iowa. They moved states every generation. Daddy liked to travel, money was scarce, and hitchhiking was an option. So, he went places: Mexico City, the New York World's Fair, any place he wanted to see. In the days before serial killers and interstate highways, hitchhiking was a viable travel option for someone who needed to travel or someone with more curiosity than money. In India, during World War II, he hitchhiked when he couldn't take a train. It doesn't seem real now this was real, but honest, folks, it was. In 1959 Alaska was a new thing. It became a state in January 3, 1959. The state was a mystery to those of us in the contiguous states. It was sparsely populated and difficult to reach (This was the days before Alaska Air). My father had always been curious and (just maybe) he wanted one last grand adventure before settling down to complete adulthood. The stars aligned, my mother was willing, and off he went. Coming home he wrote this book to share his adventures and the stories of the people he met. It had been a grand adventure, indeed. This journey could never be repeated today. Hitchhiking is insanely dangerous. Interstate highways make it impossible. There are more laws than ever. But, step back to a past world and enjoy the adventure.