21 Things I've learned while in Juneau, Alaska

1. Nose rings are totally in and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
2. The end of the road is THE END OF THE ROAD.
3. Bar fights on every corner are just something you accustom yourself to.
4. Weather changes every twenty minutes- always be prepared.
5. Our schedules revolve around the "ship schedule".
6. If you live here, you must also have a dog.
7. There are more hiking trails than actually roads.
8. There are two "malls" in Juneau. There might as well be none.
9. Bears are no big deal.
10. Working at the fudge shop does not (in any way) make you sick of fudge, chocolates, icecream, or delicious cookies.
11. The water here just tastes so much better!
12. The Church is the same here as it is everywhere. I just love this one.
13. You want to get in shape? Come run the streets of Juneau. I've never seen so many stairs and I honestly don't know how some people get to their houses everyday.
14. Tourists are interesting creatures.
15. Freddie's is the best store around, hands down.
16. Glaciers amaze me. It's as if you are stepping into a whole different world-  like Star Trek or something!
17. Alaskan commercials must have extremely low budgets- I'm embarrassed to watch them most the time.
18. It's not Gold's Gym- It's Goal's Gym.
19. Lichen only grows where the air is clean. And you can't help but take a deep breath of it every morning.
20.  You want another basket of chips with that? It's gonna cost ya... (there's no all you can eat chips and salsa at your favorite Mexican restaurant. Sorry.)
21. I use words and pictures to try and describe the beauty here, but it still feels unjustified.

Sharing these experiences with my best friend truly is... priceless.

Visitors!! Part Deaux

One thing I really hoped for while Matt's family was in town was that they would have the chance to fly with him up to the glacier.  It's hard sometimes to be there at the right time, when Matt is flying, and hope for an open seat in the helicopter.  Well, we totally lucked out and they were all able to up dog sledding with Matt as their pilot.  Unfortunately, I was left behind this day.  I was a little sad because even I hadn't done that yet.  But I knew that I had more time for this opportunity and I really was so glad they were able to experience this.

We went to the beach at Auke Bay one night to have a campfire.  Sandi bought a blanket from Freddies on our "quick trip" to the store just beforehand.. she found out later that she had just purchased a snuggie! :) It was pretty funny.  For dinner we made tinfoil dinners followed by roasting strawberries and marshmallows.. Mmm. I seriously think I could eat smores all night long- or until they were all gone. I LOVE them!  The beach here is always beautiful and it was a perfect night for this event.

Blueberry picking has been something I've wanted to do ever since our neighbors brought us some delicious blueberry bread.  On Sunday afternoon, we took a drive and stopped to pick some berries! I loved it.. Who knew picking berries could be so much fun?

While we sad to see our visitors leave, we know we will see them soon.  Just 2 more weeks left before we pack up and head home!  Lots of mixed emotions about this one..

Visitors!! Part One

We were so lucky to have visitors earlier this month!  It was something we had anticipated all summer long.  We took so many pictures which made it was hard to choose from. Matt and I were both able to take work off for most of their stay here(which was awesome and much needed).

Our first adventure was to go salmon fishing. We were fortunate to have perfect weather that really lasted for most the week.  It was a lot of fun- just being out on the boat on a beautiful day was enough to satisfy.  We caught mostly pink salmon; they put up a good fight, but are not the best to eat(at least, that's what I hear) so we threw them back.  We ended up with three nice silver salmon(which is what we were going for) and took them to Jerry's to be filleted and packaged.  Matt's family then took them home a few days later(good thing, too).  I learned that this kind of fishing is NOT like fly-fishing.  I think a few of us had bruises on our thigh from reeling.  Matt won the award for catching the only king salmon.. too bad he was only six inches long :)

Teri and I did a hike one morning and it made me realize what an amazing place we live in.  We both agreed that the pics with us in them were not to be posted anywhere... but here is some of the scenery along the way :)

There is one glacier in Juneau that you can actually drive to.  Only a short hike gets you pretty darn close.. a longer one will actually take you right through the glacier or to the "ice caves".  I really really hope we get to do this one before we leave.  This is the Mendenhall glacier and it is one of the glaciers that is receding- which means it is melting faster than it's growing.  There were a ton of icebergs that have calved off this glacier.  Matt is holding a piece of glacier ice in one of the pics.  The waterfall to the right of the glacier is called Nugget Falls. It was amazing.  I feel like I say that a lot, but it's true.  I really am going to miss this place.

We took a tram up to Mount Roberts where we then did a little hiking and enjoyed the sunshine while looking over Juneau at it's peak(no pun intended :)).  Afterwards, I introduced them to the Crepe Escape where we indulged in pizza, taco and cheeseburger crepes(Teri, I forget which one you got).. Mmmm it sure hit the spot. 

This is the point where I realize there is way too many pictures and words for just one post.  The suspense, I know, is way too much for most.. but stay tuned and I can hopefully ease your worry soon.

Family Highlights

I thought I should do a post of super exciting things that have been going on back home. I am so glad to be able to keep in touch with family through skype and phone. I can't imagine if those weren't available.  Here are the top stories as of late:

Puppies! Callie(top) had puppies about a month ago and they are growing so fast! This is Taylin(my niece) just chillin' with the pups.  It's so fun to see them over skype, but I really just want to hold them. Two of these cute pups are for sale if anyone is interested.  Names given for the time are Zorro, Tank, and Two-face.

TWINS! My sister Holly found out she is having not one, but TWO babies!  I am so excited for her and Jon.  And of course, Tay, who will make such a good big sister.  Looks like from this pic they will be doing the bunk-bed thing.

Welcome ALIVIA MAE BARNES! On August 4th, our newest addition was born weighing 7lbs 9oz and 20 in long.  Apparently Camille has a trick to making cute babies.  Here is a pic of Toby, Orry, and Alivia at the hospital. The other is off my phone so it's not great, but what a cute little girl. I hope to meet her sooner than later..

And last, but not least... I need a standing ovation for my amazing sister-in-law, Teri, for graduating from nursing school this last week from the U!! Yay!! She has been through it all and can finally say she is done.  I am so relieved for her and excited what life will bring her next. 

AND to top that off, she is coming to celebrate in Alaska with us! How awesome is that!? Matt's parents are also coming and we are so excited!  I wish my parents could come up too, but they are going to Georgia for Alivia's blessing.  We will see them soon though.  My ticket to come home is set for September 18th :)

*Side Note

This is a side note to my last post.  After hearing all about these amazing whales yesterday, I find out today that a cruise ship hit one while trying to get through the channel.  There aren't many details, but you can click here for the story.  I do know that the same ship hit a whale last year too.  Now that's bad luck.

Movies & Whale Watching

Matt and I went to dinner and a movie last weekend.  It's always fun to take time out from work and school to do this.  We saw Inception and were not let down after all the rave about it.  We loved it!

Yesterday seemed to be our first weekday off together so we had to make the most of it! (Okay- we had ONE other this summer, but it was crappy weather.  No bueno.)  The forecast called for an excellent day, so we booked a tour whale watching.  This is something I have really wanted to do.  I was SO excited! Especially just to have a whole day with just Matt and I.  Those are the very best.

Left: Stellar Sea Lions fighting to keep their spot on the buoy  Middle: A look at the Mendenhall Glacier  Left: Checkin' out the lighthouse and more

The morning was a little chilly at Auke Bay(where we took off).  But, no need to fear because they were serving hot chocolate and donut holes! Mmm.. I just couldn't get enough.  We took off and the day just got better and better by the minute.  We saw tons of whales- some were very close to our boat.  Of course, we just couldn't capture this on camera.  So sad.  I will show you the little we did get though.  I even saw a whale breech, which is rare out here.  It was amazing.  It's hard to imagine just how big these animal really are.  Especially since we mostly only see their back ends. These whales feed up here in the summer and head down to Hawaii in the winter to breed.  This pic below is a small island with a bunch of houses that have to supply their own water/electricity.  Not  to mention they have to take a boat to get anywhere.  You can see the solar panels- they also have windmills.  To me it sounds like a lot of work just to live here!

We then made our trip to Colt island where we had a delicious lunch and played on the beach side.  Matt enjoyed his grilled salmon while I opted for the chicken.  Afterwards, Matt had fun skipping rocks with "the perfect skipping rocks" and I was just still enjoying the perfect day.  The way back was so informative about the lives of these whales and how amazing they really are!

We were so lucky to have a day off together where it didn't pour rain on our plans.  Hopefully this happens again soon!

Fish, Frogs, and Bears

Last weekend I was so excited to go on a fishing trip with my friend Amanda. We went with a small group to Echo Cove(aka "the end of the road"). It was about an hour away and really is the end of the road for these Juneau-ites. It was a beautiful day and my expectations were high as far as bring home a trophy or two. I really didn't know what to expect though- as it was my first Alaskan fishing so far. We ended up at the "Cove" and it was a little different than I expected/hoped for. The water was still, when I was more accustomed to the moving rivers. There were lots of people and boats around- camping and fishing. There was too much noise for my liking.

After the first hour, frustration sunk in. No one had even seen a fish. Some left while the determined moved to the other side of the water. Here is where all the action seemed to be. There they were! The pink salmon seemed to be putting on a show for us and this turned out to be the most amazing part of the day. I wish I could have captured it on video. Unfortunately, we found them too late and the tide was rising quickly, pushing us farther on shore. We got skunked :(

Next trip will be better. I won't be going home 'til I catch some of the Alaskan fish.








Matt is so good to help me with my labs. This time we had to dissect the frog and identify its muscles and such. I was not a fan of skinning mr. frog, but knew it had to be done. Matt set up my lab in our living room, close to the window for ventilation. I got all geared up and went to work. It wasn't so bad when all was skinned and done :)




As for the bears... I was doing my laundry the other day and when walking back I spotted a BEAR walking down the sidewalk! Okay people, no big deal. This happens all the time right? I ran in to grab my camera so I could show you all my sighting. Of course, a dumb dog had to come out and scare bear away. So sorry. Apparently at night there having been a few sightings this summer of bears at our apartment. But this is not an uncommon here and so I try not to get all excited... Because it's no big deal. Right??