Before the crack of dawn on an unseasonably dry July morning, over fifteen hundred Juneauites visited the Mendenhall Glacier for the chance to appear on national television. NBC’s The TODAY Show – in their first LIVE broadcast from Alaska – featured a cadre of tourism highlights during their filming in Alaska’s Capital City.

What started with Roll Tide hecklers progressed with a little girl and her penguin making their way through the crowd. The behind-the-scenes action didn't stop there. Our obligatory selfie happened not once, twice, but three times with the ever-gracious AND gorgeous Natalie Morales. The rain held off, daylight peaked, and the morning’s festivities wrapped up with NBC’s anchor-extraordinaire petting our fur hats and playing a guessing game of “What kind of fur is it?” (Note: Mom and I were wearing fur seal and fox fur hats, respectively. Natalie guessed, "Bear??")

For more behind-the-scenes highlights, check out my Vimeo video (below) and TODAY Takes Off.

The Crowd and the Signs

The Lady in Yellow

But First, Lemme Take a #Selfie

Dressing the Part with Cozy Kuspuks and Fur Hats

Here's a big shout out to the ever-talented Karena Perry of KM Perry Photos for taking these shots of me and my Momma. Mom is wearing a traditional kuspuk made by Nita Y. Rearden, and I am wearing my favorite kuspuk made by my Mom in 2013.