Bottle Blonde. I just dyed my hair this morning. 

A sailer in his element-- a very messy boat cabin 

Grandma on the way back from the tour. Happy traveller! 

The Lodge at Bartlet Cove. The buildings are connected only by these elevated wooden walkways. 

A whale blows at the surface on Grandma's tour 

Seeing sea lions on Grandma Bev's tour on the way to Bartlet Cove. 

Grandma and Michael having a drink and lunch at The Imperial Bar and Grill 

Goldcreek-- the spot where they first discovered gold in Juneau 

Playin' horseshoes with my bro in the big backyard of the Salmon Bake restaurant. 

Juneau-- Cruiseville, U.S.A. 

Veiw in Sitka from the spot where Alaska was officially handed over to the U.S. 

Organ player at the concert in the State Office Building 

I found a place to stay here. Well, actually Grandma Bev did. She asked everyone she met, I think, if they had an extra room I could rent, until she found a lady who did. Her name is Tina Seer and she works at the front desk here at the Prospector at night. She and her husband have a two-bedroom apartment with one bath, so we will have to share a bathroom, but I'll get me a little shower caddy and keep my stuff out of the way. It's much better than using friends' showers or paying $5 to use the one at The Alaskan Hotel.

Tina Seer has two children in their 20's and she's been a foster mom for several more. She says there're young people all over town who call her mom, so at least she knows what it's like to live with young people. The only rules are no alcohol, no overnight friends, keep my stuff in the bathroom tidy, and buy my own food and snacks. I can deal with that--working so much at the Silverbow, I'm getting accustomed to just eating there anyway.

I'm officially out of training at the Silverbow now and can take home my share of the tips, which so far has averaged $11.50 a day for three days. Not great, but hey, it's cash. I'll be able to do catering really soon. I'm excited about that. I really want to cater a wedding or a barmitzfa. That would be super-fun.

I saw a play last night, Columbinus, and it was amazing. Really powerful. It was about the events and people at Columbine High School. It kinda helps me understand how things could have happened there like they did. Shout out to Karl Miller, a lead in the play from Washington, D.C. Your troupe is superb.

Veiw Karl's Alaskan Adventure at

www.tundratastic.blogspot.com

and get another visitor's perspective.

Today is Memorial Day and I have off, so I'm gonna go socialize with Grandma.

Days eight and nine

Wow. I guess it's a good sign that I've been forgetting to blog because that means I've settled in to the town and I've gotten busy with my job.

Today is thursday. I worked from 6:30am to 2:30am and just got home. Tonight I'll see Star Wars III with some people from the Silverbow, so I guess that means I'm making friends.

Grandma Bev left this morning to go on a boat tour called "Glacial Bay Tours". She'll return this evening and tell me all about her adventures.

Yesterday, I spent about 1 1/2 hours after work at this cute little new and used bookstore called Rainy Day Books. I met a guy who works there previously, so I wanted to check it out. It's pretty neat and they have a wide variety. I talked to a young Polish man also visiting the bookstore and he told me that I don't sound like Americans he's met from the other states. I guess that means I have a southern accent.

Grandma and I had dinner at the Red Dog Saloon again. There was a different entertainer there this time--a guitar player--though he played many of the same sing-alongs as the piano player. Thier food is so good and it's such a fun place. I get a kick out of watching the cruisers react to the entertainer. They hee-haw over every stupid joke. I was probably the same when we first went.

The sad thing is that both entertainers have a distinct air of boredness about them. I guess they get tired of the same thing every day but with new people.

I thought I might need an evening job eventually, so I picked up an application. Don't know if they hire part time. We'll see.

I just realized that I smell like sour cream cheese. I'm going to hop in the shower now.

Day six

Sunday

In the morning, I headed off to work at the Silverbow for my first day of training. I was running a little late, literally; I was afraid of being late so I ran to work. I tried really hard to slow my breath and look relaxed when I got there--easier said than done--but Summer didn't say anything and introduced me to Anne who trained me, and to Abe. Abe seems to do most of the expresso making. Another girl named Liz is little and cute with great style, but she seems to do the least work. Even during the busiest time of day, Anne had to call her several times away from peeling carrots to help with customers. Anne is very knowledgable and courteous, even when customers are super rude like I saw some act yesterday.

I got off work at noon just as Michael was starting. He went with Jill, the owner, to buy flowers to plant in the garden (using the term loosely--I haven't seen any garden in Juneau yet).

All this time, Grandma Bev had been piddling around downtown, so she was gone when I got back. I took a nap. She returned with a Hematite ring for me and two sets of amber earrings, one for me and one for her.

The ring was a little small for my ring finger, so we went back downtown to exchange it and had pizza sitting on the dock watching floater planes take off and land. There were a few men playing bluegrass (minus the banjo), so we listened to them awhile. They were just a few buddies getting together to play, but they were really very good and I couldn't help but wish Jason was here with his banjo to join in. He plays so well.

Grandma and I got a couple pictures of a cruise ship with the mountains in the background. With all the cruise ships here, we hadn't gotten a picture of one yet.

Now to begin our Monday!

Day Five

Saturday

Went last night to have a drink with Michael. We went to a place called "The Alaskan" where I met some of Michael's friends and acquaintances. A blues/jazz band was playing--they were pretty good--and we played pool two on two with some kids I met there. Michael and I took the long way home, talking along the way.

This morning we got up at 6:30 to catch a bus and a plane to Sitka. It's a beautiful town snuggled in mountains and seashore. Lots and lots of little islands dot the coastline.

We went up to the site where the ceremony took place to officially transfer Alaska from Russia to the US. It was also the site of an old Russian mansion, but that was burned down long ago.

It's funny, during the land trading ceremony, the Russians were supposed to lower their flag and the US raise thiers and there would be a gun salute and a cannon salute. When the Russians tried to lower thier flag, it got stuck, so they hoisted up a soldier to get it down, but the soldier lost his grip and the flag floated down and landed on the salute rifles, then it landed on the ground. The audience was shocked and didn't know what to do, but they raised the US flag anyway and fired the cannons to complete the ceremony. I can just imagine how funny it would be to have that big important official ceremony and something go so drastically wrong like that.

Legally, that hill and the surrounding area (the town of Sitka, I guess) was the only land that the Natives actually sold to Russia. Russia got the little land area by the sea in exchange for a big engraved medallion, so technically, that could be the only piece of land the US actually legally obtained.

We also toured the house of Bishop Innocent of Moscow, the first known missionary to learn the Aleutian language and then translate the Bible into that language. Before him, the language was only oral, but he invented a way to write it. Of course, he converted lots of Natives as well.

Those are the hightlights, folks.

Day four

Friday

This morning, Grandma and I went to the visitor's center at centennial hall. There was a store kinda thing in the building and I bought a little skinny wallet for $5. It's all leather and pink with an India-style rose engraved on both sides. I needed a skinnier wallet and it's really pretty. Grandma Bev found a red woven hat with a wide brim that she went back and bought later today. She likes it because it stays on her head even in the wind.

Then we went to the State Office building. We went just because someone said there was a mail drop box on the 8th floor, but actually a few minutes after we arrived, there was an organ concert. It was really great. The organ was made in 1923 for a theater and moved to the building in '77. The man was great. He used both feet and both hands all at once, everything going in different directions, opening and closing the flaps, playing percussion, and doing the keyboard all at once. He played Phantom of the Opera, Bach, Star Wars, The Entertainer, some circus/carnival stuff, Josh Groban's song "You Raise Me Up," and more.

Before the concert, we met a state representative's wife and the state representative. The name was Bob Flynn, I think.

Grandma got a picture of the governor's mansion from the 8th floor of the state building before we left.

We ate at McDonald's, then Grandma went wandering and I went to the youth hostel to see if I could stay there for the summer. I found out that a person can only stay for up to 7 days during a 3 month period, so I can't stay there, but the woman there suggested that I post a flyer at a grocery store offering to house sit, so that's what I did! I made a flyer and Grandma and I walked over to the grocery store and posted it. As soon as we returned, someone called about the ad, but she was confused--she thought I needed a housesitter and she was offering her services. Oh well.

Day three

Thursday

Michael met Grandma Bev and me at the Prospector Hotel, then we all took a bus over to Michael's boat. It's a neat little boat with two cabins--the kitchenette, toilet, and couch in one cabin, just a bed and some storage space in the other. Michael seems pretty satisfied there. He offered me whichever cabin I like, which is nice, but there's no electricity. And no shower.

The harbor he's docked in right now has a great view, of course there's not really a poor view in Alaska.

We ate at a great pizza joint called "The Island Pub" and had some Alaska brewed beer. The pizza was (1) barbeque chicken pizza and (2) pepperoni and sausage pizza.

Back at the hotel, I attended a TAM class to get my TAM card. It's an alcohol management training course so that I can serve champagne and wine when I help with catering stuff, like at weddings, for the Silverbow.

Mendenhall Glacier 

This entertainer is crazy! 

Lunch at the Red Dog 

The tram 

From the tram station 

Veiw our first lunch 

A floater plane 

Grandma Bev and me at Mt. Roberts 

Day Two

First thing, we went down to breakfast, which we thought was included with our stay. Breakfast was in the restaurant where menus with prices were handed to us. Neither the waitress nor the girl at the desk know anything about an included breakfast. After ordering our food, Grandma Bev goes up to her room to get the information about the room and shows it to the girl at the front desk. Eventually, the manager reminds everyone that with the "Great rate" program, one breakfast per room is included per nightly stay, so Grandma Bev's breakfast is free and mine is not. We decide to share a breakfast from now on.

So, on to the interesting stuff: We walked down to the tram station where we purchased tickets to go on the tram. The tram is a transport car that has one station at the bottom of Mt. Roberts, one station at the top of the mountain, and a couple of lines stretching from the bottom to the top which the car hangs off of, like a ski lift.

We got a little stamp on our wrists that would let us come back to the tram any time that day until it closed. The first one was crowded so we waited for the next one. Going up the tram was so cool. Grandma Bev was a little scared to get on it, but we did it. The view was so cool, the ride was smooth, and I don't think she was scared anymore once we got going.

The top tram station poked out into the air to give a wonderful view of the city and surrounding mountains. The sky is so blue and the mountains all green except snowy spots streaked here and there at the top. Words can't really describe it, so I'll try to figure out how to put pictures on this thing.

We walked out behind the station where there was a couple of gift shops and other buildings.
We got to see a bald eagle in captivity and there was a lady there telling all about him. His name is Justice and he is blind in his right eye so he can never fly again and it's not safe to release him into the wild. Actually, it's illegal to. Any bald eagle found that is injured must be taken in to be rehabilitated, or if the injury prohibits total rehabilitation, the eagle must be kept in captivity for the remainder of its life or euthenized. I guess the US government takes its national bird seriously.

Male eagles are smaller than females and an eagle gets its white head at four to five years of age. Eagles seem to mate for life, though it is unsure whether they are returning to the mate time after time, or if the successful nesting site is the bigger draw. Eagles are born two at a time, and usually the firstborn will be the stronger and will either push the weaker sibling out of the nest or eat all of its food so that it starves. Its called fraternicide.

So enough with the nature lesson. We walked up the trail together a little ways and took pictures at the observation decks. I continued on up the trail and Grandma decided to go back down the way we came. At the highest elevated point in the trail, snow thickly covered the path, so someone had carved stairs into the snow so that a person could walk up and down it like a stairway, but it was the slickest stairway I'd ever walked on. I had to dig my fingers into the snow on the right of me as a made my way or I would have tumbled down the steep mountainside to the left of me. It's probably good Grandma didn't come with me; I don't think she would have made it.

On the other side of the snowy spot is a gorgeous view of the mountains close and far off with the sea water running between the mountains like a river (but it's not a river). The far off snow capped peaks were a little hazy. The water was blue and sparkly. Not a living soul was in sight. I was there alone with the mountains and the great big sky. I let out a primitive call, "Waaaaahoooooo!" and a dog or something hollered back at me in much the same tone. Feeling braver and that I could be louder, I let out another one, "WAAAAAAHOOOO!" and a few birds cawed back at me. I sat there on a step on the path listening to the wind rustling through the trees and no other sound. If it wasn't for the meticulously carved pathway and the wood inserted for stairsteps, I'd swear I was the only person who'd ever been to that spot. Back down the mountain I strode, pausing to listen to a running stream (unfortunately decorated with two cigerette butts on the bank), and came to find Grandma Bev.

Back at the buildings, we watched a video about the Mendenhall Glacier. Lots of good scenery in that video, but I about fell asleep.

In another building, we watched a documentary about the Alaskan Natives, who seem to be just like our Native Americans on the mainland except they didn't have the Trail of Tears and no one has menioned that they've been mass mudered like ours were. There isn't an Alaskan Battle at Wounded Knee as far as I can tell. Thank God. Before the film, a Native talked to us and taught us some of thier language. That was cool.

There are two tribes of the Glitcan-- something: the Eagle clan and the Raven clan. Ravens marry Eagles and vice versa, so the two clans are seperate, but interconnected. A child takes the clan of his or her mother.

Back at the tram hanger, as Grandma Bev and I were waiting for our ride down when I spotted a bald eagle flying below. I showed her, then a couple minutes later, someone saw another (or the same one) on the other side of the hanger (I'm just calling it a hanger because it hangs in the air). It was so cool! We had eagles soaring below us.

We had lunch at the world famous Red Dog Saloon. There were stuffed real animals all over the walls--bears and goats and moose. The bears were poised in funny positions, like one was climbing up a pole after a man, shown by a stuffed pair of jeans and tennis shoes hanging from the ceiling. The longer you looked around that place, the more you saw.

The food was good, too. Grandma adds, "They had super good barbeque". I ordered potato skins and we shared plates.

The entertainment was the best. There was a piano player dressed like he's from 1890 and he was quite a character. He made fun of people just walking in, paused in the middle of familiar songs so the audience would fill in the words (They were old songs; I didn't know the words, but Grandma Bev did). The only negative thing was that he cussed a whole lot, but the audience always laughed when he did, so I guess he was playing up his gruff character. Anyway, we did the audience participation thing and had lots of fun.

Next, to the glacier! Oh, it was breathtaking at first sight. The ice was blue and solid, but the sky was clear and the air warm, so everyone was comfortable. The Mendenhall Glacier rests between two mountains and spills down into Mendenhall Lake. After seeing some with Grandma, I took off down a trail, not knowing where it goes. After a while I figured out it went to the waterfall, so I followed the path, which was sandy and ran along the beach, all the way to the end. I was all alone, just me and this magnificent waterfall. A rock stood about 2 feet out from the shore, so I stepped over to it so that I was about four feet from the cascading river. I stood there straight and tall with my arms outstretched and my eyes closed, listening to the roar and feeling the mist on my arms and face. I felt like I could fall and fly at the same time. I felt like I was having enough fun for the 10 people in my family who really wanted to come on this trip and couldn't. I was feeling the experience for them-- not that it helps you guys, but I can tell you about it!

On the way back up to the buildings, I met two nice guys (I think they were gay). One of them spoke French almost as well as I did, so we had conversation in French. It was great and I needed the practice.

Grandma had been to the museum. It was like an airport observation tower--glass all around. They had telescopes so you could see the mountain well. One lady thought she saw a bear, but the worker there said it was a goat. She saw the video on the glacier and it was better than the one we saw at Mt. Roberts.

I saw Michael, finally. He looks great--like a tan sailer. We had a beer and played a game of pool and ate dinner at DocWater's (at the Wharf).

Day of arrival

Grandma Bev and I arrived in Juneau at around 9:30am. The view out the plane window was just breathtaking. Evergreen trees, snow peaked mountains stretching for miles and miles, large bodies of saltwater lakes dividing mountain ranges, it was all just magical and unlike anything I've ever seen. I could tell right away why Michael wanted to live here permenantly. I was already considering doing the same (but don't worry, I won't).

A nice boy named Patrick picked us up from the airport in a Prospector Hotel van. He told us about everything we passed in the car and even took us the long way back to the hotel through downtown so we would know our way around. He offered to take us anywhere in town any time he worked (otherwise he would have to work at work!).

We unpacked and walked downtown in search of lunch, which we found at The Wharf. The Wharf is one building with several mini resturaunts, bars, stores, and services inside. Don't let me fool you, it's not that big. Grandma was reluctant to eat at a bar, but the maitre'd assured us it was as much a restaurant as it was a bar, so we ate on the back patio, soaking up the sun and watching float planes land and take off right there by The Wharf's back patio. The mountains stood on the other side of the bay like they were just there for our viewing pleasure while we ate.

We then went to a tourist shop so I could buy some film, but at $12 for a 4 roll pack, I decided I'd wait and shop around, but Grandma and I both bought postcards (5 for $1) and she bought a magnet (She and Don put them on the vent hood of the stove in thier travel trailer. They get a new one for every place they've been.)

Then we stopped by the Silverbow, which is four businesses in one: a bagel shop, a hotel, a catering business, and a restaurant. We asked for Michael, but he had left for the day just before we got there (bummer!). He apparently doesn't even know we're in town yet. Everyone there spoke highly of him. They like him alot. I was going to scedule an interview for later, but Summer (a girl my age) said she could interview me right away, so I was interviewed right then and there. I asked Summer if I looked like my brother and she said, "No, not at all." I think Michael and I have the same eyes and the same big lips, like Jason too.

So, we came back and rested, then went to the Alaska Museum just right next to the hotel. It was nice, with lots of wildlife information, Native Alaskan artifacts, history of exploration and ownership of the land, and an exhibit of paintings by a famous Alaskan artist. Everything was cool, but I liked the paintings best, especially of sled dogs, and the baskets made from woven grass, but the grass was split in two to make it extra fine. According to the placard, these baskets are some of the most finely woven in all the world. It's amazing what some people can do with thier hands. It's quite a craft.

For dinner, I went to a nearby grocery store and found sandwich and snacky stuff. That'll cover a few dinners a little more cheaply, but even groceries are more expensive here. I suppose it's difficult to import everything.

Before bed, we watched "E True Hollywood Story: Doris Day," which was really interesting. She was broke through much of her life through money mismanagement, and she didn't even care that much about being a famous actress. Her final and greatest passion is animals, and she still works for animal rights today. It makes me want to watch some of her movies.

Well, goodnight. It's been a long day.