Carol Makar

Name: Carol Makar
Age: 75
Residence: Girdwood, Alaska
Occupation: Retired teacher. Small business owner. Bud ‘n Carol’s B&B and The Ice Cream Shoppe
Years lived in Alaska: 45 Years
Current Location: Girdwood, Alaska Alyeska Ski Resort
Date of Photo: February 7, 2020
Temperature: 32 F
Current Weather: Cloudy lightly snowing

Image Description: Carol is shown in Girdwood, Alaska.

What first brought you to Alaska:
I first came to Alaska because my first husband and I wanted to come up here. He was in the military. He applied for a position and he received it.

How has Alaska captured your heart?
Alaska has captured my heart because it has given me so many opportunities, so many directions, so many unbelievable experiences that had I lived in the lower 48 probably most of these would not have happened.

Describe just one of your favorite “Best Days” or  “Most memorable experiences”  in Alaska. 
My most memorable experience was, after much deliberation and categorization of all the different facets of my life that Alaska has allowed me to experience, was one day a couple of years ago I was out in Prince William Sound going around this corner, this little point. And I said to my friend who was sitting at the in the left seat, I said, I think there’s a whale behind us. And so we powered down, we sat there, there was one whale, there was another whale, and there was another whale. Three big humpbacks.

So we sat there for a while and they went out of sight a little bit. So we took off very slowly. And then on my right side was one whale coming up out breaching out of the water. The second one breached out of the water, the third one breached out of the water and this time we’re going three knots. And then they went under the water. They would come back over to the other side of my boat and they followed us about two thirds of the way down Prince William Sound. They were following us, Jeff. We were not following them. No, it was surreal. It was absolutely surreal. And they would come so close. I mean I would just actually stop the boat and they would come so, so, so close and then they’d go back out. Yup. What a gift.

What in Life do you know for sure?
What I know for sure in life is that I had been gifted with so many wonderful memories,
challenging problems and absolutely wonderful, wonderful family and friends. I’m cherishing each moment with them because I know at any time it could be terminated.