Fireworks at 11:59PM

Juneauites take the Fourth of July very seriously.  Our traditional fireworks celebration begins on July 3 at 11:59pm instead of July 4th as generally done in the Lower 48.  It's held at midnight because that's usually the only time it is dark enough in Southeast Alaska to see the fireworks in the night sky. It's a unique part of life in Alaska, kinda like playing baseball at midnight.

2013 was my first year viewing the festivities from downtown Juneau; in previous years I've watched the fireworks from Douglas Island, which offers a whole other view, with a panorama of downtown Juneau.  Each year, a barge is floated out to the Gastineau Channel, between downtown Juneau and Douglas Island, and the waterway is popular with fishing boats, skiffs, and cruise ships. 

The Juneau area is notorious for fog and rain, but that didn't stop the party.  The fireworks schedule wasn't deterred by the rainy evening.  Fireworks were fairly visible in the night sky, and the reflection on the water of the boats, massive cruise ships, and colorful fireworks was remarkable and breathtaking.

Hope you enjoy my photos and videos of this spectacular evening.  Be sure to listen to the boats and ships blaring their horns in minute 3:08 of my video below!

Life Begins at 30

It's hard to believe I turned 30 three months ago.  Feeling eternally young, I never thought that day would come.  But that day came - and went - and my 30th year has been spectacular so far!  

Robert Frost said, "Time and Tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty."  I couldn't agree more.

Here's to 30 and thriving! 

Balloons, coffee, and cards at my office.  A wonderful way to start the day. 

An array of goodies on the bar.

Deconstructed avocado and bacon wrapped scallops.  Ah-mazing!

Baked Brie en Croute.

Becky's Famous Rum Cake + Häagen-Dazs + Chai Cream Liqueur = decadence

With my sweet neighbor, Mary.

With my bestie, Mary.  Love this lady!

Battle of the Sexes!  We ladies won - of course!

Sonny Bunny tolerates my embrace.

8th Annual Island Pub Pizza Recipe Contest

One of my all-time favorite restaurants in Juneau is The Island Pub, located not far from my home on Douglas Island.  Perhaps my heart has a soft spot for this place because it was the first restaurant I dined at after moving to Juneau in February 2009. 

If you ever have the pleasure of visiting this hot spot for a meal, you'll notice a few special pizzas on their menu, special because they're past winners of the Island Pub Pizza Contest.

This year marks my third time serving as an official pizza recipe judge.  Basically, this involves putting my taste buds to work and scoring 12 different slices of pizza.  Yes, I said TWELVE.  And yes, I'm still stuffed.

This year's top three pizza recipes were: 

#1. South Douglas Fisch Slap (Alfredo sauce, Asiago cheese, red onion, smoked salmon, capers, and spinach)

#2. Fredo-Town (Alfredo sauce, parmesan and mozarella cheese, raw garlic, Italian sausage, bacon, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach) 

#3. Mother Lode (Alfredo sauce, house cheese, Asiago cheese, roasted garlic, Italian sausage, artichoke heats, Crimini mushrooms, pine nuts, and Canadian bacon)

If you find yourself visiting Juneau, I highly recommend a stop at The Island Pub.  Try their steak sandwich, their Napolitano Alfredo pizza (a 2005 pizza contest winner and menu mainstay) , or any of their other gourmet speciality pizzas.  You won't be disappointed!

Doling out the pizza, one slice at a time.

If a judge only takes nibbles of their judging portions, this is what their plate will look like at the end.  I am not one to take nibbles.​

​Here's a snapshot of the score sheet of the judge next to me.  This young judge was beyond adorable.  And I agreed with her rankings most of the time.  Some slices were way too "spisey" and we didn't care for the "unuens"!

​Smoked salmon on a pizza?!  Yes, please.

Mimosas + pizza = a winning combination.​