Alaska-The Great Land
Alaska · Inside Passage · Being There
Where Mother Nature Lives
Glaciers, rain, cold, and river ice reduce digital narcissism to zero. The wilderness does not ask for attention. It takes it.
Being There
“By the time I recognise this moment, this moment will be gone.”
Wow, what a summer. Alaska is a lot like pizza. When it is good, it is really good. When it is bad, it is still pretty good. Like the pizza guy, Alaska always delivers.
I am not swimming with the sharks in New York City. I am keeping company with the glaciers in Juneau. The rain, the cold, and the glaciers together can take every bit of conceit out of me, reducing my digital narcissism to zero.
My analog eyes do not see our digital world. Internet or InterNOT?
The wilderness is therapy. Nature is the only voice here that does not need amplification.
Travelling in places without electricity is not merely a voyage of discovery. It is a ritual of reassurance.
This is my second week in a row up here, enough time to be under and within the influence of this river of ice as it slowly moves into the bay, breaking off chunks the size of SUVs.
“Quinn the Eskimo” personifies the Inside Passage.
Travelling is a life sentence. We yearn for journeys the way prisoners dream of rooms without bars. We all want time off for good behaviour. We get it in a place like this.
I worry, I weigh three times my body
I worry, I throw my fear around
But this morning, there is a calm I cannot explain
The rock candy has melted. Only diamonds now remain.
Alaska Wisdom
Not everybody trusts paintings, but people believe videos. Nature’s living mirror, however, is water — whether still or in motion. The most beautiful landscapes go better with H₂O.
The happy-go-locals do not tan. They rust. If they smoke, they smoke salmon. The cruisers who inhabit this place for six hours a day may have arrived on different ships, but they are all in the same boat: Mother Nature’s.
Inside Passage Route
A Blogger-safe route index replaces the external map, preserving the journey without external scripts or dependencies.
Seattle
Gateway to the Inside Passage and the departure point for the northbound route.
Vancouver
The Canadian threshold between city life and the coastal wilderness.
Ketchikan
Rainforest, salmon, totem poles, Misty Fjords, and the first strong taste of Alaska.
Juneau
Glaciers, mountain weather, and the wild gospel of nature.
Tracy Arm
A river of ice moving toward the bay, breaking into luminous blue water.
Glacier Bay
The John Muir country where the wilderness strips away conceit.
Skagway
Gold Rush history and the Chilkoot Trail at the far end of the passage.
Alaska Wilderness Reflections
Keep close to nature’s heart. Break clear away once in a while. Wash your spirit clean. — John Muir
Travel Blog Archive
August (15)
The Great Land Experience
Alaska always delivers.Being there means standing where nature’s living mirror reflects the wilderness — and, for a moment, reflects you without the noise.