May Delight

I remember May like it was yesterday. And it was - by far - the best month of May of my life.  Maybe it was the fact that May 2015 was Juneau's driest May on record.  Or maybe it was because every single day held an adventure that stirred my soul.  Who knows why I loved May so much - but I sure know May loved me back tenfold.

Why was May 2015 so incredible?  Well, let's see.  It started out with a fun photo shoot at Eagle Beach with friends, Becky and Kerry.  Not long after, I bought a roadster hybrid bicycle and spent sunny evenings exploring North Douglas Island at sunset.  The Alaskan Brewing Co. rocked my socks off at their Spring Fling event, and the Sealaska Heritage Institute fixed the pit and hosted their grand opening of the Walter Soboleff CenterCinco de Mayo didn't disappoint either, especially since Juneau had weather reminiscent of South of the Border.

I spent a wonderful weekend in Anchorage, catching up with foodie/bestie Sharon, multi-talented blogger Gretchen, and my incredibly hospitable host Cyndi.  Cyndi is one of the best cooks I've ever had the pleasure of knowing - and that's saying a lot. 

Back in Juneau, I hiked with old friends (Denali the Dawg) and made new friends (Sarena's precious Momma, Maggie, visited Juneau from Fairbanks).  One of my closest confidants, Michelle, celebrated her 50th birthday, though she doesn't look a day over 32. 

I kayaked the golden hour with award-winning nature photographer, Daniel Buck and cherished an action-packed weekend at the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) event at Echo Cove. 

Temperatures were regularly in the high 70s, and I couldn't resist soaking up the sun.  I spent lots o' time in and around hawbaws (harbors) - like Auke Bay, Douglas, and Harris Harbors.  To round out the month,  I got my sealegs aboard the S/V Arcturus while sailing with Captain Louis Hoock of Alaska Adventure Sailing.  As for the ICE-ing on the cake, I took a TEMSCO helicopter up to the icy blue Mendenhall Glacier for a Sunday afternoon walkabout, a trip that never gets old.

Every summer has a story - and this has been mine.  Juneau in June is back to her rainforest self, yet adventure awaits around every corner.  If there's anything this month has taught me, it is this: I am ready - rain or shine.

Fun with Becky at Eagle Beach.

Kerry in my hands.

With two amazing women, Becky and Kerry.

Representin' the blue helmet on North Douglas Island.

North Douglas Boat Launch at sunset.

With the ever fabulous Gretchen.

Site of the Walter Soboleff Center.

Siesta with sassy Sarena.

Cheslea and Aileen rocking the sombreros.

Happy Cinco de Mayo from McKenzie and Candice (photobomb by Sonny Bunny).

Sharon in Anchorage with her tempura fried green tea ice cream.  Yummo!

With Cyndi, the hostest with the mostest.

A feast compliments of Cyndi.

Sunset somewhere between Anchorage and Juneau.

Denali the dawg.

Sarena and her sweet Momma, Maggie.

With Michelle on her 50th.

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Proof I'm not making up this temperature thing.

TEMSCO helicopter on Mendenhall Glacier.

Quenching my thirst with glacier water.

Auke Bay.

Harris Harbor.

Harris Harbor.

Cruise ships in the Gastineau Channel.

Harris Harbor.

Harris Harbor.

At the helm of the S/V Arcturus.

At the bow of the S/V Arcturus.

That Time Again

It's that time again, folks. Cruise ship season, Juneau's bread and butter. Time to roll out the red carpet for nearly one million visitors coming to our fair city from all around the world.  

Today, we welcomed our first two cruise ships of the year - Holland America's Westerdam and Celebrity Cruise Line's Solstice.  The MS Westerdam measures in at 833 feet long, and the MS Solstice is a whopping 1,033 feet in length. Simply put, the presence of these massive ships cruising down Juneau's Gastineau Channel is a sight not hard to miss. 

For me, it's always a delight watching boats - large or small - as they dock downtown. But on a bright and sunny day like today, with temperatures reaching 60+ Fahrenheit, I was especially excited for our first round of new visitors. Tourists certainly got a treat today with perfect weather, calm seas, and golden sunlight. 

Here are just a few snapshots from this spectacular day.  

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Juneau's First Cruise Ship of 2014

Summer in Juneau brings cruise ships and boatloads of tourists - and I love every minute of it!  Our first cruise ship of 2014 came down the Gastineau Channel on Saturday, April 26.  The 781 feet long M/S Volendam had a gorgeous sunny day and brought over one thousand tourists to town.  Cruise ships (for me) signal longer days, beautiful foreign accents, and more fun moments in Alaska's Capital City.