The New Normal

For a moment I will remember and share a story about the rain in Juneau and then never write of it again. I was there on Memorial Day weekend along with quite a few local TENT campers. I wondered, why on earth would they come out camping in this weather? Are they crazy? Then, I…

To the Yukon and Mainland Alaska!

I finally left Juneau, during a rainstorm, of course! I boarded the MV Fairweather, a high-speed catamaran/ferry and arrived in Haines only 2 hours later (4 hours via the slower ferry). As I left the ferry the weather was only partly cloudy with glorious blue skies and sunshine. After a week of rain, I felt…

Goodbye to Juneau

Tango and I are sitting in the car, waiting for the ferry. It will be several hours before we can board, but the rain is falling so hard there is nothing else to do but sit and reflect on our time in Juneau. I can’t think of a city with a better location: on the…

When Fairbanks is the Warmest Place to Go

Ok. I have found the limit of my positive thinking about endless rain. Arrrrggghhhh. Sometimes I get a reprieve for a few hours during the day, but rain pours all night, every night and during most days. I am here to experience the outdoors yet I am doing little more than driving around, visiting the…

Library, Mendenhall Glacier, and More

We had a day that was mostly rain-free, so Vickie and I set out for the Mendenhall Glacier trail. When we arrived at 9 AM, the trail was mostly empty. By 10:30, it was packed with people from all over the world taking a day trip from their cruise ship. An Australian couple spotted Tango…

Rainy Days

Rain all evening. Deep, drenching, pervasive rain.  I dug into my clothing duffles and brought out my rain pants for the first time. I eagerly slipped them on over my new, fleece-lined tights and then wiggled unto my rain slicker. Ahhhh. All is well. I was reminded of the saying, “There is no bad weather,…

Juneau!

Rain, rain, rain, on and off. All day, all night. I am protected when I walk Tango by my rain gear, and I am warm and dry at night in my tent. The Mr. Buddy heater inside the tent drives off the chilly evening air once again while I listen to an audiobook in my…

The MV Malaspina to Juneau

Time to move, via the ferry MV Malaspina, from Petersberg to Juneau. Seagulls escort the boat this time, probably looking for a handout.  As the ferry approached Juneau, both eagles and seagulls provided the escort. Juneau bills itself the Bald Eagle capital of SE Alaska. I believe it; I think they are as common here…

Petersberg, AK

Wrangell was quiet, even contemplative. In Petersberg, I was busy the whole time, too busy to write, which was a nice change. First and most important, I caught up with my friends Vickie and Jerry, who are about 4 days ahead of me. We only had a couple of days together at the campground but…