At night, I dream’t of all things beautiful. I’ve seen pictures, and some of the places were more cowboy-ish, but when I returned a few days ago, as I read through my notes, I was in my dream again, absolutely taken by this amazing state. 

May 21, 2019

We arrived at the hotel after 3 hours of sleep because of transportation issues. But we made it. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyes were stuck together. Eye drops and things finally work. We gather our luggage, one piece only, and see others that will be on the bus. It will take us to the train depot for our eight-hour journey to the Mt. McKinley Inn located in Denali. We have some neighbors that went as well. and everything is moving on as usual.  We walk downtown to experience a little of the city’s limelight. One storefront was called Once in a Blue Moose. A funny place with a funny name. We are all aboard the train as it begins its smooth ride. I love trains, and the feel of it rocking me softly is better than anything I can think of. Our weather was perfect. Blue skies and mountains that are still hanging on to their snow.

I’ve seen mountains but these were more than the normal mountains: these were talking mountains. What they have to say I don’t know, but they did say welcome to my land, my earth, and peace into this world. Along the way, we saw an eagle that swooped down on a trumpeter swan. The Eagles’ wings were like a Piper plane. The swan’s mate was despondent.  The train moves on. We have a while to get to our destination. They have a dining car where we and another get together and talk and eat a bad meal, but it was food. I snap pictures of almost everything. I have a 64-bit digital card, and it will handle ten thousand photos. 

We see the river that runs through this vast country. Again, it’s not that you’ve never seen a river, but it’s awe-inspiring.  The river comes high from the mighty mountains. Those mountains. Those mountains, what will they bring, and how will it all be brought? This earth that so many punish, when will they be washed in the spiritual goodness?

We pass the lines and other city elements, but I can see the beauty of it all. And maybe it’s future that is if God puts down his mighty foot of reason.  

We arrive on Mt. McKinley. It’s a great place to start our trip to the vibes of the mountains and the songs of birds. We settle in. Doug needs to eat, and I leave him to wait and walk to the deck where I know that view of Denali is waiting. 

In the afternoon, we traipsed through the wooded area. I looked for a moose, which was one of my dreams, but also, I wanted to make jewelry from the earth and pick up Moose droppings. They are a compound mixture and are emulsified in a liquid that keeps them from coming apart. But beware, dogs may follow you around. 

May 22, 

There are many adventures available. Gold panning at a ranch and other things, but we’ve chosen to go to a town named Talkeetna. To get there, it’s another bus ride, which is okay and about three hours, but our driver is a talkative soul and has a book full of jokes. I can’t remember the jokes, but others seemed to enjoy them.  We arrive at Talkeetna. I already love it. I can just see a shoot-out between the bad guy and Jimmy Stewart winning. They have stores, a few restaurants, and directional signs. The Inn’s but nothing like these in our part of the world. We walk around taking in the city life and go down to the water. Three different rivers meet.

And there is turmoil at the meeting place.  The Talkeetna, Sustina, and Chulitna rivers at the mouth are like three dogs fighting for their place.  Sustinia is where the silver salmon spawn. Chulitna comes down from the mountain, and Talkeetna is the town in which all things are good. The river runs into the basin of the mountains.

To write about this extraordinary takes a great mind and time. Time, yes; a great mind, no. Without the aid of the LOG given to each passenger, I could not write any detail, but my cruise summary is mine.

1^st day out We arrive and board with all the pomp and circumstance. There are orders and details and ID to examine. Coming through all of this we’re aboard. 

Sunday the 26^th. We are on our way to Yakutat Bay, and they drive us to the next beautiful sight.  Between the air and the ocean is Hubbard Glacier.  I have pictures of this glorious design by Mother Nature, but as good as those are, the sights that formed over the many decades are stunning. Blue with a mix of dirt and grass that welds these coatings of snow in a frozen and captive moment. There’s a topaz setting embedded in the ice, the sun finds the bling. Less than two hours later, we sailed for more incredible prizes she had bestowed. 

The thing about this place is like a fairy tale. Only hearing about such mysteries and then having the incredible luck to see in person, take pictures, and have that feeling the rest of your life. So many will never see them experience their power and the glory that we may easily forget as life goes on.  

Monday, May 27^th Glacier Bay- We arrive inside of the Glacier Bay National Park waters of Point Gustavus. We stop in front of Margerie Glacier- She’s smooth with decades of blue water atop her back. There is a point when this glacier gives to structural problems. Not often, but when it does, it is a spectacular sight. The process is called calving. When enormous chunks of ice break off. Calving can be caused by all nature-related glitches. I didn’t get a photo of the actual calving, but I did get to see the power the calving producing. The wave of its fall feels the powder and the spray. 

Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau

There were three small antiquities along the beautiful byway and Anchorage, each as wonderful as the first but different in their flavor and each with a little something to take home. Yes,  it’s touristy, and yes, it’s full of cruise ship visitors, and yes, it’s over-crowded, but they have a full old west venue when the gold rush was on.

When men came from east to west and south to north, living in virtually unlivable conditions,

sloping around in the cold Arctic streams that wind their way to their and sometimes-bitter end. Never stopping but to pan for that illusive piece of heavenly nugget, lay claim and get taken for a ride with a much to be fingered at the scales.

Skagway

The Eldred Rock Lighthouse sees us safely into port. We debark and walk to the little town that made it big with the gold rush. The army used it as a base of sorts when it was found that Russia could be seen from a tip of a long piece of land.  I loved Skagway. It’s a small block of country, but pleasant buildings and the glorified windows of gold jewelry. They are everywhere. 

White Pass & Yukon Route, The scenic railway of the world. Destination: the top.

White Pass Summit is twenty-eight hundred feet in Elevation. The journey begins in Skagway. We board the White Pass train. I want a window seat to see down in the massive valley below. But along the way, I stand outside to take some photographs of the beautiful falls that meander down the hillside. It’s called the Yukon route of the Klondike Gold because this is the same route, minus tracks, to get down to the lower floor to find the winnings. The ancient or the first convoluted bridge system is still intact, sort of. The new construction is built to stand unless one of the many earthquakes shakes it from its moorings. Big” Mike Henry and ten million dollars, twenty-six months, and four hundred and fifty tons of blasting powder turned a dream into reality. We skirt the mountainside and watch time disappear into legend. Snow still lies in the ravines, and crisp streams sluice through. Possibly, a nugget may find its way through to one of the many dreamers.

Ketchikan

is believed to come from the Tlingit language “Kitschk-Hin’ meaning the thundering wings of an eagle. 

There is a train that sits at the ready.   But for now, we walk and talk, seeking a beer and a sandwich. It’s been a busy day, and we enjoy the calmness. Walk along alleys that hold hidden treasures. We run into our friends; they, too, are enjoying a little downtime.   A few more come, and we have cornered the corner table. The beer is coming, and the food will arrive shortly.  We have a couple of hours to explore, and that is what we do, except when the bad guy comes and tries to rob a local jewelry. I hope he didn’t make a living from this. He’s not a very good bad guy. His mask fell off, and he and the horse take off. Funny stuff. 

Down the alley, there are old building that once was the first residence. No need to dust, not much furniture; a bed, roughhewn table, a fireplace, and a pot. It did have porch and a rocker. My favorite. 

There were many other places to visit, but time was running out.  

The experience was vast, like the country. More to write about. More to see, maybe another time. I know we need to take care of this vast and bountiful land. It’s grand and superb and more adjectives. From the sky or a bus, I saw the beautiful blues of topaz sliding down the mountains. They caught my breath and filled my mind with concerns. I hope if ever you go, you see a little of what I have.

JUNEAU: THE CAPITAL OF ALASKA

It’s a small piece of land which is surrounded by water at least some of it.  They had an adventure if you like riding to the top of a great hill. And a group of us did.  Mount Roberts Tramway ran smoothly and was a wonderful way to see the waters below and where you’re going. There is so much to see. I can’t remember everything, but we arrived at the top and climbed a little while. Arrived at the office/ building to get tickets to walk the grounds.  It was pretty; Flowers were out, yellow and everywhere.  I like to walk and explore, and others like to disturb the peace. I saw a cross while waiting for the lift. So, we walked there. It was resurrected for the priest for helping the Tlingit set up shelters and live a more productive life with God and the people around.

Here are a few Tlingit words: Gunalche`esh: thank you, Yak`eei Good ax xooni-My friend. There is a very good film, and a little understanding means a lot. Father Brown’s? The cross is a symbol of the peace and love he had shown. It was phenomenal from up there. Close to God and to all things, I loved it all. Every minute of the day and the places we saw. 

If you look everything up, then you might find an error, but in my eyes, it’s exactly what I saw.

We rode a tram up to the Arctic Spirit Gallery where gifts can be found, but another find was a hike to the top. Along the way was a porky pine with the longest set of quills it was a giant in comparison to ours. He was straddling a branch only a foot or so from the path. Another group was close to our heals. I stopped and said OMG. Some of these people have no respect for wildlife and tried to get to close. My comment was you don’t want to make it made those quills will give you a great big hurt.  They went around talking much to loud even scaring the birds.

Along this journey I spotted the wildflowers I took many a picture but they were beautiful and one was the for-get-me not. Tiny and blue dotting the side of the hill with yellow leopard’s bane. 

There were others that I could find but together it took a beautiful photo. I didn’t go that far get involved in just the camera angle, but I just wanted to make sure I had memories to search through. Standing at the tip top looking down into the bay I just knew I saw the Tlingit and the Haida Natives canoeing in the open canoes with their catch of Alaska Salmon for supper. It is the number one supplier for Salmon.

A note Skagway, Ketchikan and of course Jeanu the capital is in the and it is an island of the  Gulf of Alaska. 

There were many excursions to sign-up for. Our last excursion Lighthouse, totems and Eagles

was the best as far as finding shooting and laughing. Our captain a young man grew up in Ketchikan and knew the area well. This little spot used to be a cannery for fish but was moved as the need grew for more space. It was a poor sight this deserted place, but on closer look, eagles so many as not to be able to count. And squinting they were parked in a tree group. Sitting there with their white heads staring out. Their babies in huge nest and a fisherman coming in ridding himself of the unwanted parts caused a gigantic roar. They came from everywhere to partake.

I have amazing pictures of these animals.

We saw them out in the bay as we headed into the wind to look for other extraordinary creatures. As we come to the Lighthouse seals lay in the sun. They really didn’t seem bothered by any of this and snapped a few shots along with a major rock of gulls. 

On the way back we saw Totem State Park with the native’s totems standing tall and serene, each told a story of war, a hunger, birth.

**Just a note Dolly Parton lived there as a young woman and worked in a brothel as most women did.