South to Alaska: From the Heartland of America to the Heart of a Dream

by Nancy Owens Barnes

In 1926, a 10-year-old Oklahoma boy dreams of living in Alaska. Nearly fifty years later, he builds a boat in his Arkansas backyard and cruises it there. He has never been south of the United States border and has never been on a boat in the open ocean. A true story of courage and endurance, South to Alaska chronicles one man's dangerous journey through a watery world he knows little about, to a world he cannot forget.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ronnie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Awesome read.

This is a exciting true story of one man's childhood dream becoming reality. It also introduces you to his entire family as his childhood dream unfolds. I briefly knew the author Nancy Owens Barns in the 1965-1966 school year, saw the Red Dog under construction at their home in Hartford, AR, but I had no idea of this story. To my surprise I go to church with Gene Owens in Fort Smith, AR and just recently discovered his relationship (sibling) with the author and the existence of this book. It is a great book I highly recommend.

[Joe Brignolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!! It is hard to believe one man could do so much with his too hands !!! He built three or four boats and three houses learned how to pilot those boats all on his own!!! Amazing story of one mans dream come true!!! This book has inspired me to live a better life and dream bigger!!!

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What were your dreams growing up?
To be a fireman? Policeman? Princess?
Those are common responses if you were to query a grade school aged child.
I wanted to be a football coach. Obviously, that didn’t happen.
When Melvin Owens spotted a picture of an Alaskan cabin in a 4th grade text book, he knew from that day on, his dream was to live there. After a 50 year journey, his dreams came true.
Nancy Owens Barnes has created a masterfully blended account of her father’s childhood in Oklahoma, her parents’ marriage, her own upbringing, and ultimately his quest to build a boat in land-locked Arkansas, which would take him to his beloved destination.
It took three years of laboring in his “spare time” for Melvin to build the Red Dog in his Arkansas back yard. According to the author, “The Red Dog surprised many who drove over the rise of the hill by our house to find a large ocean-going vessel sitting high and dry…they couldn’t see that the Red Dog would be my father’s song, and the final unfolding of a dream that had slumbered against his thoughts for many years.”
From that point on, it would take another two years to navigate (primarily alone) the Red Dog thru con-artists, waterways, canals, Gulfs, foreign ports, customs, and finally to its destination – Ketchikan, Alaska.
South to Alaska is part Thor Heyerdahl, Bill Bryson, and Sebastian Junger (and even the prophet Noah!) in scope. With narrative that is equally entertaining as you read Melvin’s folksy mannerisms; agonizing as you experience the many treacherous storms; and educational as you immerse yourself in the geography and botany of the lush Latin American region – it is rewarding on multiple levels.
In the end, I fell in love with Nancy’s parents – people I seemed to recognize immediately from my own background. Two great people, living their lives to the fullest.
I don’t think Melvin ever saw an angel, but South to Alaska is ultimately about a man who was inspired to fulfill a God-given calling.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read overall, though the book could use some work in general to get to the 4 or 5 star level. It was a bit scattered with the various time jumps just to tell stories about the various family members - sometimes jumping from the grandparents experience to the kids within a few lines. I understand the author was trying to keep up the pace of the voyage itself (rather than just using a purely linear storyline), but it was jarring to keep jumping all over in time to learn little bits of family history. The author also regularly amped up a lead-in by implying grave happenings were coming, and then nothing all that disastrous really happened. I felt like the journey itself and dealing with the repairs and the unforgiving ocean were tense enough without the embellished chapter or section lead-ins. The most impressive part of the entire book was learning about Melvin's building skills and I wish that could have been explored more. Anyone who can build an ocean faring vessel in their backyard is impressive to me! And, the Ketchikan house was amazing! More details on how Melvin learned and honed these skills would have been nice additions (with less about the random other relatives).

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly detailed tribute by daughter to her father who beat nearly insurmountable odds to realize his dream. Manually skilled and highly creative, he made a steel boat from scratch and determined to sail it from Arkansas to Alaska. With no Spanish and a meager understanding of captaining a boat in unfamiliar waters, he encountered crooks and unfamiliar business practices as well as unseen water hazards. Costs accumulated beyond expectations, and the separation and dwindling finances made for friction between husband and wife which were resolved when he achieved his goal. He started work in Ketchikan and did well. After retiring, he built a house on a nearby island. There they lived well and with new interests for another sixteen years until the book ends with more vivid word pictures. The ebook and audio both have pdf with photos, maps, and more.
I have the audio, and I always feel that the author makes the best narrator. This is certainly true for this book.
I requested and received a free review copy from the publisher, author, or narrator courtesy of AudioBookBOOM.

[Dianna Winget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story! I bought a copy of the book because the author, Nancy Owens Barnes, is from my neck of the woods, and I had the chance to talk with her on several occasions through the Idaho Writer's League. Her father's story of how he built a boat in his back yard in Arkansas and sailed it clear to Alaska, is full of adventure, drama, and courage, with a little bit of heartbreak thrown in for good measure. Although Nancy only accompanied her father on the very first leg of his journey, her wonderful research and description make it seem as though she was there every second. I know my own dad will love this story as well, and I'm passing it on to him.

[Roger Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

South to Alaska is a first-rate story about an amazing voyage. The vivid descriptions made me feel like I was onboard the Red Dog with Owens, who personifies American ingenuity and the spirit of adventure. I found myself eager to stow away in a quiet place at night where I could escape to backwater port towns and remote coves. Twice the book kept me up till 3 a.m. It’s easy and enjoyable reading, and the pages flowed like the waters of the Inside Passage.

Roger Weston, author of The Golden Catch

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique story more about the journey than about Alaska. The author's father had a dream to move to Alaska from the time he was in 4th grade and took an unusual route to get there at age 55. He built a steel boat in his backyard in Arkansas, sailed it down the Arkansas and Miississipi Rivers, across the Gulf of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and along the western coast of Central America, Mexico and the U.S. to Ketichikan, Alaska. There were many setbacks along the way but through perseverance, he accomplished his dream.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really neat book to read. I was deciding between 3 stars ("liked it") and 4 stars ("really liked it"), and settled with 3. It was a cool story and a great way to preserve this family's memories. I thought it was really neat that this man was able to fulfill his dream of living in Alaska but building a boat and traveling from the Arkansas River, down the Mississippi River, down the coast of Mexico and Belize, through the Panama Canal and then up the west coast.

[Jolene B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

I loved this book. I felt like I was on this journey with them. Honestly, unbelievable what this family went through. The imagery was vivid and the emotions raw. It was a hard book to put down.

[Karen Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, and even more so because it was about my husband's family. The incredible story is not just about a man building his own boat, but about a good man who had a dream and worked hard, didn't give up and saw it come to pass. Love it!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story of hard work and determination.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book as it reminded me of the day dreams I had as a youth.

[Angela Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was interesting to read but two thirds of the way through I got bored. Felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again about the different sights that Melvin was sailing through.

[Rick Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great travel/adventure book. A true story of a man who lived wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of taking a boat from Arkansas to Alaska.

[Steven White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have personal ties to Arkansas and Alaska. And I love adventure stories. Highly recommend.

[Alison]

kindle - travel stories