At the Guvnah's House

(blogging to you today from Atlanta, Georgia)

Alaska Governor Sean Parnell and First Lady, Sandy, continued an Alaska tradition on December 11 with opening the Governor’s Mansion to visitors for a festive holiday celebration.  The annual open house welcomed more than 3,200 visitors to savor the holiday spirit and enjoy an assortment of cookies, nuts, fruit, and oodles of delectable fudge. 

This is one of my favorite events in Juneau and a big reason I enjoy living in the capital city of Alaska.  The proximity to state officials is remarkable, and I appreciate this sizable event gives Alaskans the chance to hob-nob with the Governor, First Lady, Lieutenant Governor, and Cabinet members.  It is also a neat occasion to see the inside of the home of Alaska’s top public servant.  Exploring the impeccably decorated interior and exterior really puts me in the Christmas spirit. 

According to the Juneau Empire, this event has been held since 1913, with the exception of a two year hiatus during World War II.  I first attended the Governor’s Holiday Open House in 2010, and it has become an annual tradition for me and my friends.  It is delightful to stand outside the mansion and socialize with my Juneau neighbors in freezing weather.  Being served hot cider and homemade treats by the Governor’s Cabinet members makes the low temperatures, snow, and ice more tolerable. 

This year’s event also included 24,000 cookies and 200 pounds of fudge, all locally made.  It was charming to see kiddos and adults alike, exiting the home of the Governor while hoarding plates and piles of sweet treats as they trudge back to their homes.

If you’re planning a visit to Alaska in early December, try to schedule a stop in Juneau during the Governor’s Open House.  You won’t be disappointed.  And you might, just might, get to shake hands with the Guvnah.

A rare blue-skies Juneau day, overlooking the Federal Building (left) and the Governor’s Mansion (right).

Same view as above, but at night.

 

The Governor’s Mansion is so brightly lit, you can see it a mile away.

My Christmas photo with Governor Sean Parnell, First Lady Sandy Parnell, and Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell (right to left).

A visit to the Governor’s Mansion isn’t complete without the requisite photo at the door.

December 2012 First Friday Gallery Walk

By Lower 48 standards, Juneau is a small town.  With just over 32,000 people, it’s easy for folks to stereotype this town as a boring little place with not much to do.  I don’t believe this is an accurate description, and it certainly wasn’t the case for the first Friday of this month!

A long-established monthly event in Juneau is the First Friday Gallery Walk, during which galleries and shops all over Juneau open new shows and host fun receptions throughout the evening. 

Since I hadn’t been to a First Friday event in a while, I was overly ambitious in mapping out the must-see spots.  What I didn’t plan for were the crowds.  Oh my heavens, the crowds!  So many throngs of people up and down the streets, it felt like a small cruise ship was in town.  Except these folks weren’t brandishing honkin’ lenses (for the most part) and oohing and awing about eagles overhead.  These were locals, the real deal.  And what was even more exciting was running into friends everywhere you turned.  This is the charm of life in Southeast Alaska.  This is what I love about “small-town” Juneau. 

Here are some of my favorite moments from this month’s First Friday:

Notable fiber artist and friend, Fabienne Peter-Contesse, featured her art quilts and other creations at Changing Tides on South Franklin Street in the Senate Building.  Keep in mind, this is not your great-grandmomma’s quilting projects. 

Impeccably designed and superbly orchestrated, these works of art are exactly that: legitimate pieces of ART.  I was also impressed to find unique items I can use on a daily basis: iPad cases!

To view more from this wickedly talented artist, check out Fabienne’s blog, The Conceptual Quilt.

Fabienne Peter-Contesse with her stunning water and ice-themed creations in the background.

The artist and one of her hand-stitched iPad cases.

From left: myself, Fabienne, Michelle, and Debbie during Fabienne's art gallery debut.

I simply had to own one of these hand-dyed, hand-stitched cases for my new iPad.

Another fun stop during First Friday – and frankly any day of the week for that matter – is Shoefly, the charming little shoe boutique on Seward Street for folks that love shoes beyond reason.  Shoefly even had complimentary shoe-shaped cookies by Chef Stef, and they hosted the Juneau Rollergirls as they sold their 2013 calendars and modeled Shoefly shoes. Love this place!

Top Row – The Shoefly Ladies: Jamie, Dawn Walsh (co-owner), and Cameron.  Not pictured: Sydney Mitchell (co-owner).

Bottom Row – Michelle and myself.

Window shopping takes a whole new meaning at Art Sutch Photography on Seward Street where you can usually find a massive pooch perched in the storefront window.  I suspect Luna is the most photographed dog in Juneau.  But aside from the Tibetan Mastiff, the real draw Friday night was freelance photographer Chris Miller's impressive gallery display.  I especially enjoyed his Alaska maritime photos –a la "Deadliest Catch" and very striking.

I didn’t snap shots of Chris’ photos since it just wouldn’t do it justice, but you can check out his outstanding Alaska-themed work here: http://www.csmphotos.com/ and http://csmphotos.wordpress.com/.

Luna and the Bota Box o' wine.

She's alive and friendly.

And of course, December isn’t complete without an encounter with jolly old St. Nick!

Michelle with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and The Hat.

Naughty or nice?  He had to check his list twice.

Icebergs and Snow Angels

This past weekend, Juneau was under a winter storm warning, and much of the area was blanketed by beautiful powdery snow.  My friend, Becky, and I decided to explore the Mendenhall Glacier area and put our cameras to good use.  Becky is an outstanding photographer, and I enjoy lollygagging around town with her, even if she is a Nikon fan.  ;-) 

The Mendenhall Glacier area is so enticing this time of year because the Mendenhall Lake (the body of water at the terminus of the glacier) is frozen in the winter, and it becomes an expansive playground for skiers, ice skaters, ice climbers, hikers, and other adventurers.  My favorite part is hiking out to the giant icebergs frozen into the lake.  There’s something remarkably serene yet perilous about those towering ice formations.  From the safety of the lake’s shoreline, the icebergs look the size of knots on a log.  But after trekking what seems like miles across the ice, one realizes these icebergs are massive, some the size of buses, some the size of homes. 

And this, my friends, is the moment in which I make the very clear statement: the glacier is never safe!  Glaciers are unpredictable!  Proceed with caution!   UNSAFE, I tell ya!

Becky and I naturally heeded that wisdom and after establishing a game plan of safety measures to attempt if one of us fell through the ice, we were on our way.  But it didn’t last long.  About five minutes into our hike across the ice, our steps became slushy and our boots began breaking through the surface.  Now I don’t know about you, but when I start feeling the ice crack below me when I’m walking ON A FROZEN LAKE, I start shakin’ like a hound dog poopin’ peach pits. 

We made it to land, which I might add was covered in more than a foot of snow, and both of us were without snowshoes.  It was one heckuva workout.  We started on the trail to Nugget Falls, thinking that route was a safer bet, and we were psyched to try our cameras out on the icy waterfalls.  After hiking a bit further, an enormous blue iceberg came into view, not far from an adjacent shore.  Change of plans again, and we opted for the path less traveled.  After many tentative and careful steps, we found ourselves face-to-face with a landscape of fused together icebergs. 

Each iceberg is unique, and upon closer examination, each one appears more and more breathtaking.  The shades of blue are indescribable.  “50 Shades of Grey”?  Pfftt.  These fifty shades of blue are more alluring.  The cobalt, azure, cerulean, and even Tiffany blue tones are charming, downright captivating.  I can’t get enough.  And neither can the daring souls who climb aboard those icebergs throughout the winter, positioning themselves in the nooks and crannies carved by nature, hundreds of years in the making. 

Becky and I had a blast treading carefully around these humbling formations.  On our way back, it was a chorus of laughter.  Snow angels were made, our bodies were frozen, but surprisingly not a single snowball was thrown.  It took us awhile to unthaw, but our breathless wide-eyed moments out on the ice made it all completely worth it.

Read more about the allure and danger of the Mendenhall Glacier here: http://juneauempire.com/stories/010311/loc_764726578.shtml