Alaska

Sharon and Tom

Take a Closer Look
4
 Glacier Bay

Sitka

Juneau

Skagway

Juneau

North Bend, WA

Lamplugh Glacier,
Glacier Bay
All Aboard!

Jenn, Tom, Sharon

6
On board the
Alaska Marine
Highway Ferry.

Onboard the
Republican
Presidential
ticket.
Glacier Bay Fog

8
Glacier Bay
Brown Bear (Grizzly)
Glacier Bay
Steller Sea Lions

10
Glacier Bay Fog

12
Glacier Bay
Margerie Glacier

14
Glacier Bay
Margerie Glacier

16
18
Glacier Bay
Lamplugh Glacier

20
Glacier Bay
Marine Life

22
Orca dorslal fin.

Humpback
blows.
Glacier Bay

24
Rainforest Hike

26
 Beach Hike

28
Critters

Heron Herene

30
Porcupine. They
have poor vision and
hearing. Nevertheless,
we kept our distance.
Blueberries.
Sharon likes blueberries.

32
Salmonberry
Blueberries.
Bears like blueberries too.

34
Black bear

Turn back a page and

take a closer look.
Locate the two leaves at
bottom right. Note that
in this photo, all the
blueberries above the
two leaves are gone.
Meet Explorita

Explorita was named

by the park rangers.
Estimated to be a two-
year old female. She has
been sighted several
times in the vicinity.

36
 How close?

38
Bear Park Rangers Dormitory

Note location
of feet on
board walk.
40
Too close

42
“You’re too close The zoom lens is
when you can hear creating the illusion
the bear breathe.” the bear was much
About 15 feet. closer than reality.
Black bear

44
Early Morning Flight
Gustavus to Juneau

46
Fjord Flying
Service.
Early Morning Flight
Gustavus to Juneau

48
From the
plane we saw
a humbpback
breeching, about
the size of these
small boats.
Alaska Marine Highway
Juneau to Sitka Ferry

Humpback
Whale

50
Strait of Peril
(no joke)
Sitka

52
XtraTuffs
Sitka Architecture

Ludvig’s Bistro.
If you are traveling
to Sitka, make
your reservations
in advance. We
never got in.

54
NPR affiliate NBC affiliate

Details not
available.

St. Michael’s
Cathedral
Sitka Odds ‘n’ Ends

56
Sitka

Souvenirs
celebrating
Sitka’s Russian
roots.

Shopping is king in
towns frequented
by cruise ships.
Independent
travelers (like us)
are instructed by
locals to look for
signs in the window
specifically stating,
“Alaskan owned.”
Cruise companies
own shops too.
They pass out
coupons onboard so
that their clients get
the best “deals.”

58
Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa
Kahhidi Dancers.
Locals assured us this
was the real thing. We
weren’t disappointed.
A true (modern) Tlingit
Clan House.
Sitka
Alaska Raptor Center

60
Sitka
Alaska Raptor Center

We watched as
raptor center
staff applied a
little first aid to
a bald eagle.
Makes trimming
cat claws look
easy.

62
Sitka
Alaska Raptor Center

64
Free birds dropping
by for a visit. They
are squawking
back and forth
with a captive bird
(drinking water on
a previous page).

Kingfisher on edge
of Indian River.
Sitka
National
Historic Park

The totems outside

are re-creations from
the 1904 Louisiana
Exposition (St. Louis).
Originals are in the
park building.

66
Sitka National
Historic Park

“Appears to be a bear “I brought you a

holding some type of chipmunk” –Bungee.
animal in its mouth.”
–Alaska Geographic
Association

68
Yaadaas Crest Pole.
Sitka National
Historic Park

First contact.

70
72
Sitka
Indian River

“River’s thick
with Humpies.”
Pink Salmon
returning home.
Sitka
Sheldon Jackson Aquarium

A hands-on
opportunity Jenn
could not resist.

Starfish

74
Sea anemone
Juneau
Alaskan Bar & Hotel

76
“It’s a bit dodgy.”
–Jenn
Juneau

Coffeeshops are Costa’s Diner

affordable. Its where features an honor
the local’s hangout. pay cash register (its
actually a bucket).

Souvenirs galore
in Juneau. Photos
from the 19th-
century show
merchants selling
mini-totems similar
to these.
78
Flight Juneau to
Skagway

Glacial silt pouring

into bay from a
river.

80
Wings of Alaska.
Skagway

Skagway was
recreated by cruiseship
companies. As
independent travelers
we had to ask lots of
questions, to find the
right places. A local
artist suggested the
Thai restaurant which
did have excellent
food—and we sat next
to the train crew.

82
Skagway before
gentrification.
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
Skagway

One of the most

famous narrow-gauge
scenic railroads in the
world. We assume
its even better when
there is no fog.

84
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
White Pass

86
88
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
White Pass

90
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
Yukon Territory

Canadian
customs.

92
94
We traveled from
the rainforest (and
fog) to a desert in
just a couple hours.
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
Lake Bennett

20,000 prospectors
moved to Lake
Bennett during the
Yukon Goldrush. They
departed when the
pass opened, turning it
into a ghost town in a
matter of weeks.
96
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
Lake Bennett

98
Alaska Marine Highway
Skagway to Juneau

Solarium. Only a
couple of brave
souls set out their
sleeping bags
during the trip.
No tents.

100
Juneau
Mendenhall Glacier

102
Juneau
Mendenhall Glacier

104
Say “Mendenhall
Cheese!”
Juneau
Alaska State Museum

World Hat. Sitka

Kaagwaantann
House. Early
19th century.
One of the finest
spruce root hat
in existence

106
Kayak framing.
All functional,
resembles a fish.
Juneau
Alaska State Museum

108
Juneau
Airport
Mendenhall Glacier

110
White Pass & Yukon
Railroad

112
Carcross, Yukon Territory

114
Carcross, Yukon Territory

116
Alaska Marine Highway

118
North Bend, Washington

Anne reacting
to brother Tom’s
surprise beard.

120
Katy, Tom’s sister,
struggling to
accept the beard.
North Bend, Washington

Christian Melgaard Ty Brooke Joe Fotheringham Wilkins Melgaard Will Brooke

The Nonnies. Anne Melgaard James Brooke Edwin Fotheringham

Second and third
cousins. They all
share a great-great- Thomas Barnard Elizabeth Brooke Barney Fotheringham
grandmother.
Harvie Barnard Marion Fotheringham

Nonnie Barnard
122
Catching the
school bus.
Dog People
North Bend, Washington

Max

124
Reuben
Blueberry Picking
North Bend, Washington

Sharon and Leigh

selecting only the
finest berries

Anne with the

Melgaard lode.
Tom swirling a
Snoqualmie Merlot.

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