ketchikan, AK

The best (easiest) part of travel posts is I don't have to think up creative titles. Ketchikan is a small fishing town in Alaska.

Craziest thing I did in Alaska: went snorkeling. The 9mm thick wetsuits really do keep you warm, I wasn't at all cold (that I remember). Sorry for the blur on some photos, I was using an underwater camera that I'd never used before and just bought on the ship.

The starfish sometimes are hard to come undone, after they've really planted themselves on your hand for long enough. And the tons of white jellyfish are actually not toxic or dangerous, but the red ones are. That one came right towards my face (which is the only area of your body exposed during snorkeling) so I swerved out of the way to avoid it, then swung back around to snap a photo of it.

Look, another purple sea urchin! Points for reference.

Did you know that sea cucumbers (hint: check the moustache) will vomit their entire intestinal tract in the case that they are threatened with being eaten? Therefore, the predator will become interested in... that, allowing for the sea cucumber to get away. Hence, we were not allowed to squeeze the sea cucumbers. End animal nerd talk.

Also, a pair of adolescent bald eagles. They'd become so common by the end of the trip that I'd stopped bothering to take photos of them.

juneau, AK

It rains a lot in Alaska. This day was one of those days, just a slight drizzle and overcast skies throughout most of the day. Not necessarily unpleasant. Mendenhall Glacier is the landscape here, and it should be noted that in 50 years it'll be completely gone, receded and melted into the rest of the lake.








Whale watching in Juneau. Got to see a pod of resident orcas as well, though they move way too fast to be capture on camera. Took a snapshot from a video I took of the humpback whales breaching, which was impressive. And adorable harbor seals hanging out on a buoy marker. Then treated to a salmon bake feast at a small fishing dock.

skagway, AK

Skagway! Pictures really don't do it justice. Clouds so low they seem to be falling into the water, mountains surrounded by fields of blooming wildflowers, not to mention we hiked through a forest with trees so tall you couldn't see the tops.

And yes, we kayaked to the face of that glacier. There are few days where my hair ending up in a giant knot is wholly worth it, but this was definitely one of them. And if you're wondering, if all boys in Alaska have beards and are cute, the answer is yes. And yes, they drink beer.

tracy arm fjord

Begin June-July trip/cruise to Alaska, all aboard the Carnival Spirit. The endeavour was a trip that my parents planned to commemorate the fact that I had finally graduated and gotten a job lined up. Granted it's taken me almost 6 months to finally post these photos, but I hope it's well worth the wait.

Alaska is a beautiful place, and another harder-to-hit state crossed off my list in the US. The only real habitable areas are the small slivers of land between the coast and the point where the jagged peaks begin.

These were taken the first day/night of the cruise, and consist of icebergs and waterfalls at the same time, which still blows my mind. We started spotting humpback whales and bald eagles by the end of the first day.

I'm also considering making a post for the photos I took of food aboard the cruise, which would probably be sanctioned by some of my foodie friends + sister. Seriously, there were days I took photos of nothing but food. I'm not even joking. ps. having a balcony suite kind of rocks. So does having a loft bed that descends from the ceiling. It's like sleeping in a treehouse.