Kentuckian sees 50 states with touching tour of Last Frontier

My grandfather, Don Smith, has always been a world traveler. A retired Navy captain, he was stationed from Connecticut to Hawaii. He also traveled while working for Ford Motor Company. By age 76, he had visited 49 states – leaving Alaska.

This year, my family took him on an Alaska cruise. We visited Denali National Park and Preserve, saw moose and road in a Zodiac boat along the coast in Ketchikan.

I’m glad he reached 50 states and that I shared these experiences with him. Seeing him steer a dog sled on a glacier is something I will cherish forever.

– Kaitlin Keane, The Kentucky 100