Airship Goes to Alaska
Tiffani and Deke showed up at Airship (Harris Harbor, Juneau, AK) at 10pm on June 20 (Woohoo! They're finally here!!). On Sunday the 21st we provisioned first thing. The Juneau IGA is a KILLER grocery store. It looks like any other slightly downtrodden rough-weather-place grocery store, but then you walk in and it’s all shiny and new (it’s like a geode!) and the selection they have of EVERYTHING is really good. (They recently remodeled!) We hit the IGA and Kenny’s Liquor Store next door and then Deke and Kevin dropped Tiffani and me off back at Airship (to find room for all the new provisions) while they went and gathered a few more fishing things.
Next, we all headed out to Mendenhall Glacier. First thing we saw? Of course, a porcupine in a tree, eating leaves.
The park ranger was standing beneath the tree with a little jar of porcupine quills and we got to hold and touch it and learn some stuff about porcupines. Neat!
Glacier, waterfall:
After the glacier we stopped at a place called the Sand Bar & Grill for some halibut fish & chips. This place came highly recommended by locals, and let us tell ya…the locals did not disappoint. The halibut was incredible and the beer batter was perfect, and the house-made tartar sauce…so good!
We left Juneau around 3pm and headed for Taku Harbor. Big Red (the American Tug 41 from our flotilla) was there on the dock, but no one else (yet). We caught up a little bit with them and then Kevin and Deke put out a couple crab traps and we made some crab enchiladas for dinner.
On the dock at Taku:
In the morning, Kevin and Deke checked the traps and came back with 4 large male Dungeness keepers!
Tiffani and I, in slippers, checking out tonight's dinner:
Tiffani "cleaned" the crabs like a boss:
After murdering cleaning the crab, we went on a hike out to the giant rope swing:
Then, we packed it up and headed to the unnamed anchorage at Tracy Arm.
Today's track (20 miles) from Juneau to Taku Harbor:
What a magnificent dream you are living! I feel fortunate to be along for the ride. That video is just mesmerizing. Having such a place all to yourselves, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to leave….
I am always lost for words when it comes to commenting on your blog. I follow it faithfuly but have this feeling of awe every time I read a post. Like Suzanne I feel fortunate to be along for the ride. Riveted along with The Blonde Coyote keep my need for adventure alive. Thanks for sharing your adventures and safe travels always.
Jim,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so glad you are along with us and we really appreciate your feedback!
Thank you for adding another place to my bucket list.
The drone video is quite spectacular.
This technology offers a view of the landscape we previously could only fantasize about. Floating above the bay and drinking it all in fulfills a certain very basic desire to see the world from this perspective. (Flying in an airplane or helicopter doesn’t quite give this slow thoughtful hover-like view.) I have hunch we have all dreamed of seeing things this way ‘a la Peter Pan’ but now that dream can be realized like never before.
Thanks for sharing.
-evan
Hi Evan,
Thanks so much for your comments. Yes, flying an airplane or helicopter over doesn’t get you as close or as low…can’t wait to get more footage like this of more places up here!
Beautiful video. Just beautiful.
Thanks Michael!