Three Skillets and a Daughter's Surprise

The challenge of living in Alaska, if you're not originally from here, is connecting in person with far-away family and friends.  For starters, it's ridiculously expensive to fly out of Juneau.  Secondly, if you can't get direct flights on your itinerary, it can take an entire day or longer to get to your final destination, especially if that destination is south of the Mason-Dixon line.

I recently decided to surprise my Mom, who lives thousands of miles away in Alabama.  My good friend, Yvette, took my Mom to dinner, under the guise that Yvette would soon cruise through Juneau, and it was ample opportunity for Yvette to bring up some things I had in storage. Yvette totally rocked our surprise, and I couldn't have done it without her.  Thanks, Yvette!

A big THANK YOU also goes out to the kind folks at 3 Skillets in downtown Huntsville.  They helped me orchestrate an epic surprise - complete with a quick and dim jaunt up the back stairway.  Below is the video capturing the surprise moment.   Grab your Kleenex!

It was all I could do to not run towards my Mom when I saw her park outside the restaurant. 

Mom and I at 3 Skillets. 

With my sweet and beautiful friend, Yvette.

The Trip in Which I Flail My Arms Like T-Rex

While in Washington State on vacation, I decided to take a bit of a road trip up north to a little city called Sequim (pronounced Skwim).  They say it's always sunny in Sequim, which was thankfully the case during my visit.  The city is also the Lavender Capital of North America, and you can smell its freshness in the air. 

What drew me to Sequim that day was not the lavender, but rather the Olympic Game Farm.  No, it's not a haven for retired athletes from past Olympic games.  It's home of the waving bears, a little tucked away gem where you can get face to face with wildlife.  And face to face is exactly what happened.

It took me weeks to regain my composure from my up-close-and-personal tour.  Still, I can't look at an American bison or a loaf of bread the same way again.  It was definitely a giggle-filled adventure of a lifetime!

Sleepless in Seattle

One of the awesome things about living in Juneau is the proximity to major cities like Seattle.  Since Washington State is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Juneau (read: 2 hour plane ride), I decided to make the most of my summer vacation and traveled to explore the Emerald City and much of the northern Washington coast.

Highlights from the Seattle leg of my trip were third row seats at a Seattle Mariners baseball game, perfect weather for Seafair Weekend, and of course the visual potpourri at the Pike Place Market.

Funny thing about Seattle is that despite the city being notorious for its gloomy rainy weather, I was blessed with blue skies and sunshine the entire trip. 

It was also the perfect weekend to check out Seafair and soak up the sun and sights along the Puget Sound.  The airshow, hydroplane racing, and Budweiser Clydesdales were so awesome to see first-hand.  

A visit to the Pike Place Market never disappoints.  I can't get enough of the hustle and bustle action, the fish tossing, and all the scrumptious treats.  The best part of my visit to the Market was feasting on the "Oh My God" peaches that were so amazing I literally had peach juice dripping down my hands and arms.  Messy, but oh so delicious.  And of course I had to visit the Market a second time - right before heading back to the airport - so I could bring back yummy fruit to friends in Juneau.  With the exorbitant price and lack of freshness of produce in Alaska, fruits and veggies from Washington State make excellent gifts to Alaskans and are met with open arms and big smiles.

Though sad to leave Seattle, I was blessed to have a great seat and awesome service as traveling back to Southeast Alaska on Alaska Airlines.  And best of all, the sun shone on my face as we landed in Juneau - a welcome change from the usual rainforest climate.

Juneau's Fourth of July Festivities

The Fourth of July in Juneau is a BIG DEAL.  There are so many events taking place throughout the community that it's difficult to choose how to maximize your time.  I opted to start my morning with a pancake feed hosted by the downtown fire department, then I strolled over to Egan Drive for my first time watching the Juneau parade. 

In years past, I've only gone to the parade near my home on Douglas Island, so the downtown Juneau parade was a real treat.  I wrapped up the morning with a hot dog fest at my church, Resurrection Lutheran.  After traffic subsided, I mosied back over to the island for the Douglas parade, a real slice of small-town Alaska.

The Fire Department's Pancake Feed was terrific, with 50% of proceeds benefiting the families of the fallen firefighters from Prescott, Arizona.

The sun and blue skies finally peeked through the clouds.  Such a blessing there was no rain on the parade!

The hot dog fest at my church was very well attended.  It was a nice tribute to one of the church's members, Bill Johnson, who passed away recently.   

With Pastor Sue.  She's a gem!