Thursday, August 30, 2012

Juneau, Alaska ...and a giveaway (part 2 of ?)

 This was what we woke up to when we arrived in Alaska...It was beautiful!  

 This is not trick photography, that blue line going up the side of the mountain was what we saw.  
Have no idea what caused it???

 One seriously long waterfall...

 Our first view of Juneau. You can't drive to Juneau.  
The only way to get there is by plane, ferry, or ship.
There are only about 100 miles of roads in and around Juneau.

 My first wildlife sighting....Harbor Seals.

 My first humpback whale!  
See the puff of water in the air behind him?  That's another whale.

 Getting a picture of a whale tale was a challenge.  
You only see the tail when they are going to dive deeply.

 A calf kept breaching over and over again.  It was spectacular.

 Three puffs!  How cool is that?

 Sorry this is blurry, but I had to tell you about it.
The whales are bubble net feeding.
One whale dives deeply and blows bubbles around a school of fish.
The fish can't get out of the bubble net.
Then all the whales in the pod open their mouths and shoot up to the surface.
Notice the birds...we could predict where it was going to happen because the birds started swarming before the whales came up to feed. 



 Two whale tales!

 Mendenhall Glacier...

 You could walk down a little trail to get a closer look. They gave warnings about not walking by yourself, but...I was on my own.  Surly there were enough people around for me to not run into a bear.

 Yes, those icebergs are blue.  
It has something to do with the organisms in the water.


 The path down to the better view was lovely!

 The forget-me-not is the state flower.
I had them in my bouquet when I got married.

 All was going well, so I decided to walk down to a deserted beach.

 I wanted to check out the lump of ice on the beach.
Yes, I was alone...and no one was around.

 It was pretty cool to see and touch the ice.

 I got an awesome shot of the glacier. I was enjoying my solitude.  I could see people in the distance, but I loved the silence.  I felt like I was part of nature.  The bus was about to leave so I hurried up the trail...

 One of the ladies in our group was standing at the top of the stairs (waves to Diana).  She looked a little pale.  She asked me if I saw it.  I had no idea what she was talking about.  She said the bear cub that walked in front of you.  I thought she was pulling my leg until she showed me the photo.  She said the bear cub (which means there was a mama somewhere close) crossed the path about ten seconds before I came around the bushes.  YIKES! And yes....I was on my own...

 Juneau had lots of shops...


Many were full of jewelry...

Which reminds me...
Did you leave a comment on this post to get an entry in my gold flake earrings from Alaska?

Have I convinced you that you need to visit Alaska yet?  
My next post will be about Glacier Bay...

20 comments:

  1. Wow! Your trip looks fantastic. And the near-miss with the bear will give me the heebie jeebies tonight. Glad you had a wonderful (and safe) trip. Looking forward to more pics.

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  2. I thought the whales were pretty super duper amazingly awesome and then the bear comes along! LOL!! Oh Sharon K Mayhew!! How wonderful!! My goodness!! On my bucketlist: see whales and bears! Awwwww!!! Brilliant! take care
    x

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  3. I had no idea Juneau was such a pretty town! :)

    I can't wait to go (hubby & I are going as a retirement gift to each other a few years down the road) - those whale photos are beyond spectacular!!!

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  4. That just looks like such an amazing place!

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  5. beautiful pics -- they remind me of the time my sweetie and I went something like 20 years ago. we swore we'd go back because it was so lovely but then life stepped in. maybe someday...

    hope you are well!

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  6. oh yes, I'd love to visit Alaska one day. Those photos are fantastic. I especially love the whales.

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  7. What gorgeous pictures!

    My cousin brought me back a necklace with glass flowers in the middle, so I know they have some nice jewelry in Alaska!

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  8. hi blom!
    wOWEEE! fantastical pictures! some could be for real postcards. yikes! you just missed saying hello to that baby bear. ack! looks like you had a whale of a time. :)
    ...hugs from lenny

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  9. What beauty!

    My nephew works there so if you run into a nice man named Toni Day, that's him.

    What a wonderful trip.

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  10. Aha Sharon,
    'Juneau' what I think? Sorry, that was lousy. You know what I think? I think this was just amazing and north to Alaska, is one heck of an adventure.
    I always wanted to go to the place where the magical garden wee folks like to go on holiday. Yep, 'Gnome', Alaska. Ignore me. Not enough sleep!
    Seriously, I know of a similar experience as you and I share your wonder.
    Take care, eh.
    Your adoring starstruck fan, Gary and co-starring, Penny :)

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  11. You didn't need to convince me, I have known that I wanted to visit Alaska for many a long day. I envy you and am enjoying all the pictures. Have seen bubble net fishing on TV, fascinating to see it in real time. Lucky you.

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  12. The blue of that glacier is incredible. What great pictures! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us. :)

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  13. Yes! You have convinced me to put Alaska on my short list of vacations to take.

    The photos are all so beautiful!

    And regarding the bear -- Yikes!

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  14. Gosh ~ you got som terrific shots! Alaska is so beautiful isn't it? Very nice captures Sharon.
    xo Catherine

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  15. Yes, you managed to convince me to visit Alaska!

    Thanks for sharing such beautiful, amazing photos, Sharon!

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  16. I remember a college professor of Romanticism used the word "sublime" a lot in regards to nature. Those pictures and that location are sublime. I'd love to go to Alaska.

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  17. Those pictures are so beautiful, Sharon - thanks for sharing them with us!

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  18. Alaska is one of our most beautiful states. I love the photos!!! I have such fond memories of Alaska.
    And I am VERY glad you did not get chased by a mama bear!!!

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  19. So beautiful! I'm convinced for sure. :) Alaska, here I come!

    But wow, scary about the cub!

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  20. Hi Sharon .. the photos of Alaska and your ship are stunning - amazing ... believe it or not I wrote about Juneau and Pelican ( a village) three years ago almost to the day ... a New Zealand contact had spent time with her art and photography ...

    Having seen the lakes around Lake Louise etc .. it is stunningly beautiful - one day I might get there ..

    Love this - cheers Hilary

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