I remember May like it was yesterday. And it was - by far - the best month of May of my life. Maybe it was the fact that May 2015 was Juneau's driest May on record. Or maybe it was because every single day held an adventure that stirred my soul. Who knows why I loved May so much - but I sure know May loved me back tenfold.

Why was May 2015 so incredible? Well, let's see. It started out with a fun photo shoot at Eagle Beach with friends, Becky and Kerry. Not long after, I bought a roadster hybrid bicycle and spent sunny evenings exploring North Douglas Island at sunset. The Alaskan Brewing Co. rocked my socks off at their Spring Fling event, and the Sealaska Heritage Institute fixed the pit and hosted their grand opening of the Walter Soboleff Center. Cinco de Mayo didn't disappoint either, especially since Juneau had weather reminiscent of South of the Border.

I spent a wonderful weekend in Anchorage, catching up with foodie/bestie Sharon, multi-talented blogger Gretchen, and my incredibly hospitable host Cyndi. Cyndi is one of the best cooks I've ever had the pleasure of knowing - and that's saying a lot.

Back in Juneau, I hiked with old friends (Denali the Dawg) and made new friends (Sarena's precious Momma, Maggie, visited Juneau from Fairbanks). One of my closest confidants, Michelle, celebrated her 50th birthday, though she doesn't look a day over 32.

I kayaked the golden hour with award-winning nature photographer, Daniel Buck and cherished an action-packed weekend at the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) event at Echo Cove.

Temperatures were regularly in the high 70s, and I couldn't resist soaking up the sun. I spent lots o' time in and around hawbaws (harbors) - like Auke Bay, Douglas, and Harris Harbors. To round out the month, I got my sealegs aboard the S/V Arcturus while sailing with Captain Louis Hoock of Alaska Adventure Sailing. As for the ICE-ing on the cake, I took a TEMSCO helicopter up to the icy blue Mendenhall Glacier for a Sunday afternoon walkabout, a trip that never gets old.

Every summer has a story - and this has been mine. Juneau in June is back to her rainforest self, yet adventure awaits around every corner. If there's anything this month has taught me, it is this: I am ready - rain or shine.

With two amazing women, Becky and Kerry.

Representin' the blue helmet on North Douglas Island.

Cheslea and Aileen rocking the sombreros.

Happy Cinco de Mayo from McKenzie and Candice (photobomb by Sonny Bunny).

Sharon in Anchorage with her tempura fried green tea ice cream.  Yummo! — Sharon in Anchorage with her tempura fried green tea ice cream. Yummo!

With Cyndi, the hostest with the mostest.

Sunset somewhere between Anchorage and Juneau.

Proof I'm not making up this temperature thing.

TEMSCO helicopter on Mendenhall Glacier.

At the helm of the S/V Arcturus. — At the helm of the *S/V Arcturus*.

At the bow of the S/V Arcturus. — At the bow of the *S/V Arcturus*.

It's that time again, folks. Cruise ship season, Juneau's bread and butter. Time to roll out the red carpet for nearly one million visitors coming to our fair city from all around the world.

Today, we welcomed our first two cruise ships of the year - Holland America's Westerdam and Celebrity Cruise Line's Solstice. The MS Westerdam measures in at 833 feet long, and the MS Solstice is a whopping 1,033 feet in length. Simply put, the presence of these massive ships cruising down Juneau's Gastineau Channel is a sight not hard to miss.

For me, it's always a delight watching boats - large or small - as they dock downtown. But on a bright and sunny day like today, with temperatures reaching 60+ Fahrenheit, I was especially excited for our first round of new visitors. Tourists certainly got a treat today with perfect weather, calm seas, and golden sunlight.

Here are just a few snapshots from this spectacular day.

May Delight

That Time Again

Juneau's First Cruise Ship of 2014

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