Alaska #3

Haines, AK. Population 2800 but feels like twelve. One of the locals gives me the cold eye, in this very pleasant, quiet town. The ship seems weirdly out of place here, as do the Clean Laundry People that seep out of it and onto the land like a cartoon oil-spill...


Back on the boat after a day of prowling Haines, and my Alaskan Brewing Company passport is finally full of stamps. I get a free hat. I have worked hard to achieve this. I get a free hat. Yes. The Summer Ale made it a most comfortable quest.


Lido deck, Statendam. One of my favorite shots of the trip, and a totally lucky capture. Not sure what the diva kid is upset about, jeez...turn around & dig that mountain!

Part 4 here.

Alaska #2 - Juneau

Evidence of "spirited" locals, as posted across the street from the Alaska State Capital Building.


The Mt. Roberts Tramway rises approx. 1900 feet above the docks at a very steep grade. There were about five (!!!!!) cruise ships in that day. Downtown Juneau was overrun with Clean Laundry People. We hastened up the mountain for lunch & a wee hike...


We ended our day in Juneau with a visit to a magnificent Salmon Bake, with some 200 others. Screw the king crab: THIS is the ultimate Alaskan dining experience. I found this youngster looking rather concerned at the salmon on the fire. Everything was perfect. Delicious. Salmon, cornbread, beans, & beer under the insomniac skies of Alaska... One of the peak experiences of the entire trip.


After the meal, we went prowling through the nearby forest, along this stream...found this amazing tree, and a bath of deep green color that would never reproduce in photos...

Part 3 here.

Alaska trip, #1

Still docked: a portion of the Vancouver skyline as seen from the deck of our new home, the ms Statendam. Just like in DC, the old architecture stands obstinately against the new...



Atrium fountain depicting a certain lesbian intrigue (center & left mermaid hold hands proudly, while center secretly embraces right mermaid upon the hip...something happening there, albeit none of my damn business), Statendam




Saxman Native Village, Ketchikan. Tlingit totem poles just outside the Clan House.



Creek Street, Ketchikan. During gold-rush days, this was a row of brothel houses. Now, those buildings are occupied by eager shopkeepers peddling all manner of tourist flotsam.

A charming town. The lazy croak of ravens is everywhere. Their wings slap overhead like wet, black towels. There is no spot in Ketchikan beyond the gaze of a dozen ravens.

Part 2 here.

Room 211

Checking out... the fire-alarm unit on the wall of our hotel room provided some mild amusement before we finally packed up the car and raced back home. It was a magnificent time, but exhausting. Hit the road, climb the coast back north to DC and all of its more familiar evils...

Virginia: First Landing State Park

So the heat eventually drove us off the coast. In our hasty retreat, we spotted a state park -- a way into the marvelous wood... These shots were taken along the Bald Cypress trail. It was still freakishly hot, and this was a much swampier sort of wood than I'm used to, but trees are trees, and that calming maternal vibe came to the rescue. We'd all but forgotten about the hoarde of Elvis...

VA Beach 2

Further lurking in Virginia Beach... couldn't figure out WHAT THE HELL was being implied by the "no cursing" signs. Also found a lovely pigeon having a rest within the gaping maw of death, and who can refuse a self-indulgent self-portrait within the reflective flesh of a beachfront telescope? By now, sunburn-related dementia is creeping through the brain... must find forest... shade... shade... gatorade...

VA Beach 1: Cancer of the Elvis

Weirdness. After all the wedding-related business, we had an extra day before returning to DC. We walked a bit along the Virginia Beach boardwalk before retreating to the woods for some quiet & shade. The woods were a magnificent thing, but that's a later post.


First, we need to clear the air from all this Elvis. SOMEONE PLEASE explain to me the connection between Virginia Beach and Elvis.


We reached the beach just in time for an obscene parade of Elvisian Effigies, both human and inflatable. I felt I had gone magnificently insane.

At the reception

Chesapeake, Virginia, at the reception following the wedding of a nephew-in-law. A very pleasant time, and a welcome change of scenery.


Huge turnout at the wedding & reception...gobs of people. I knew almost none of them. Least of all, the fellow facing the camera (above), but when the lights are creating such insane hairlos (halos of the hair), some innocent bystanders must be sacrificed.



And here, we discover how well "JUST HITCHED" adheres to an auto chassis. The entire vehicle resembled a sadly sunken souffle by the time the happy couple emerged from the dance-floor. Cheers to Chris & Marybeth...