The 49th Estate: Land of the enchanted mermaids

Margy Johnson loves mermaids -- they dance in her bathroom -- and shares her downtown Anchorage with "The Enchanted Mermaid," a statue by Betty Bugsby. Johnson also has a large collection of Alaskana; it's a slippery slope that she says all starts with one piece to pique your interest. Owner of Cordova's Reluctant Fisherman Inn and a former Cordova mayor, Johnson said she picked her décor because "I wanted my house to be the color of Mount Susitna at sunset."

Johnson is a tea enthusiast whose collection includes pretty much any variety of tea you can think of. One of the many paintings in her home depicts her sisters at high tea.