Wow, SAM! Those PBY-Catalinas bring back a lot of memories. In Southeastern Alaska, along the Panhandle, there are lots of villages scattered around the numerous little islands. Since there is no way to drive into Juneau, the only way for these villages to have access to any of the larger towns was by boat or by air. Alaska Coastal Airlines was a small island-hopper airline in those days, and flew mostly Catalinas and Grumman Goose(s?)(Geese?) back and forth between the islands and the Mainland. Sometimes, on very calm days, they would taxi out into the middle of the Gastineau Channel, and drive around in a circle for a while to stir up enough motion in the water to provide a little lift. In some of the old pictures of the Alaska Coastal Airlines aerodrome on the wharf in Juneau, the big "Alaska Airlines" sign is visible. My daddy painted that sign in the forties. ...sigh...memories...
Hi redhead, I hope you were able to join us Girlz in bumper boats. We've been missing you. Thanks for the southeast description of travel. What other state has a capital that you can't get there by car?