Thanks for the suggestions, first thing I did was try and look up the store -- which I found but which has no on-line store and is closed for the winter. Hubby also snuck the cup out of the trash and looked.
It was black inside and handles with a beautiful northern lights paint job (that's what sparked so much). It had Alaska in script but no other landscape or animals and it did not change color when warm. I thought it was just a 12 oz mug, but when I was looking found it held a full 16 oz which are usually too heavy for me. At the very top of the handle it was just slightly square, for a thumb hold. The sides were rather straight, not much of a taper and definitely no bulge. It was made in China but other than that didn't really have a company name or identifier on the bottom. It was on sale don't remember how much exactly but under $10, maybe just because when I was there it was the end of season or maybe it was the remainders from a previous year's orders.
I will keep up the search, this cup from the Goodwill is better than the other cups I had at home. It's sort of funny one of my other favorite cups was also an Alaskan mug, by artist Barbara Lavallee. She apparently releases one a year but they are the more tapered shape which while I don't mind it was not the same as that previously favorite mug.
I appreciate all of you who understand the relationship between a person and their cup!