Biking in Juneau

I love riding the GT commuter bike that Brooke so graciously lent me for the summer. It's been so nice to pump the 8 miles roundtrip to work on south Franklin, back to Douglas every day. Especially after being stuck behind the wheel of a bus for upwards of 12 hours.
This July, we have been super spoiled with the sunny weather. It broke to the 90's after the 4th, and since the sun breaks and breezy cloudy skies have been steadily moving towards the mid 60's and 70's.

Yesterday the rains came.

They came with a vengeance that made everyone in Juneau almost snap out of their heat drenched dream state. The 50 degree raw moisture permeated everything, and the wetness came down hard and steady.
Eventually when all the passengers were let off the coach, I returned the bus to the yard, and at around 9pm, it was time for me to get on home. The other drivers crowded into cars, jammed bikes into trunks, and waited around for the last city bus.
I yanked on my wet Marmot jacket, pulled my beanie down, put "Hard Times" by the Stanley Brothers on my ipod, and hopped on the old GT northwesterly to Douglas Island.

By the time I cleared Franklin Street I was head to two soaked. My glasses began to fog, and the speed limit on Egan drive jumped up to 40. Cars started whizzing by me splashing water all over me saturating my work pants, socks, shoes. I began to forget where the ugly potholes were as giant puddles pooled over them. I clumsily drove right into a series of deep lacerations in the new pavement, tipping me off balance. I felt my body bump against a passing pick up truck throwing me to the sidewalk side of the highway, the bike collapsing under me and to the left. I heard honking, screeching, and felt a cold hard wave of gutter water wash over me like a tsunami.

I pulled the bike over and within what seemed like a nano-second, found the sidewalk. I sat there until the shock wore off...3 miles from home. I crawled painfully back on the seat and slowly shifted down to cross over the Gastineau Channel bridge and began to climb the long graded hill to 5th street.

Today, I looked at a car to buy. If it wasn't for the rust, I would have paid cash for it immediately. My biking days are limited...Juneau summers can be fickle, we'll be lucky to get another good stretch of weather again until next year.

New Job!

well after the greatest 4th of July ever, I managed to meet the right lady. Heather Ridgway asked me to more or less, apply to the Juneau Arts and Humanities council for a new opening as a part time art instructor at the Cedar Park community center in West Juneau.

So excited and gleeful about this new opportunity! Heather is great and these kids are so much fun and so engaged in the projects so far!
It's a temporary post, but I already love working in the Juneau community and spending 3 hours of my day twice a week getting messy, painting, and watching children create! It's great!

July 4th.

July 3rd in Juneau Alaska is a pretty magical night. The law states that it's illegal to shoot fireworks on any day that's not July 4th, so the city decides to set off a gorgeous display the night of July 3rd, because it gets dark so late at night. The entire city comes to Douglas Island, or the Marine cruise ship docks downtown to watch the 15 minute display. Normally I feel ambivalent to fireworks, yet in Juneau its different. The surrounding mountains create a special kind of acoustic effect where the "boom" from the exploding fireworks is bone shakingly deep. It's unreal.

Above, me, Ally, Erin, Andrew and Jr. Kane all digest delicious prefireworks salmon, ceviche, and fruit salad before heading out on the town.

I met up with "the masters" (newly graduated Masters in Teaching students Emily Waters and Chris Bacehowski) to watch the display on the city docks at Marine Park downtown.

The next morning I somehow dragged myself of bed and into a kayak spray skirt decorated like the AK state flag (with petticoat!) and joined the Juneau power ladies to help Erin hold the banner for their kayak drill team spirit group in the July 4th Parade. Erin and I held the signage and marched through downtown as the ladies twirled their kayak paddles and danced through the throng of watching Juneauites. The entire town was out on the streets for the parade! It was great. I think I saw everyone I have ever met in town...unreal. Erin on the left, me on the right.

getting ready for the parade. The weather reached 90 degrees!!!


After the parade downtown, Erin, Andrew and I took bikes across the bridge to Douglas Island for the parade over there. We ate Polish Sausages, fry bread from local frybread genius Garfield, and settled down at Island Pub for a still and spicy bloody mary.

Later after snacks and drinks I joined a boat party which transitioned to a house party on Douglas...met a bunch of great people, and biked home after the longest, funnest, and more tiring day ever. whew! The Juneau love affair continues....

My "For Now" Home...

My chair. Scott and Brooke's living room. I watch the mountains and the cruise ships sail into the Gastineau Channel. NPR IS ALWAYS ON!


Vince and I head downtown after a brother sister slumber partay!
Me in front of the apartment....LOVE IT!

Dinner with Good Friends

Julie Jackson, Erin Hason, Me, and Andrew Heist.

Erin and Andrew, the anchors of my Alaska family, invited me over to their amazing home to eat freshly killed salmon, cauliflower puree, and a gorgeous salad with greens from their garden.
They also introduced me to Julie, Andrew's dispatch partner who is an awesome gal.

We drank good wine, laughed, and enjoyed the yummy spread.
Green and Blacks current and Hazelnut chocolate topped it all off. Great first week in Juneau...love these two. I would be utterly lost without them.

Training

Today I had the pleasure of venue training with my bus cohort from the original Princess Bellingham training team: Keegan Hartman. We drove the entire stretch of road in Juneau all the way to the Aldersheim Lodge boat dock. The Chilkat Mountains hovered brightly beneath the clouds. Fishing boats floated in the distance and a light salty breeze drifted through the open windows of a 1971 GM motorcoach as we zoomed down the bumpy road.

Such a series of great moments, we pulled over into a turnoff and hung out in the sunshine which had been so absent downtown only an hour previous. I love that it can be grey and rainy in one part of town, then 45 minutes later and 20 miles north you can be bathed in the warm clear SE Alaskan sunshine at Lena point.
I hadn't been this far down the road since Caleb's garden party in 2007, and I considered this a great little reaquaintence with the part of town I rarely get to spend time in.


my Jimmy. the steering is a bit tough, but it purrs and zooms like nothing else.

HAPPY ME. in my HAPA (Holland American Princess Alaska) uniform...well kind of. I tend to mix it up a bit.

8 days in the Interior of Alaska. In Pictures.

DAY 1. MONDAY
The Silver Fox (Eric Graves) hosted a little dinner for me that was the best salmon, moose, Malbec...and lots of fun and laughs! It was the best welcome present! It really meant so much to me. He opened up his beautiful big home in Ester, AK (just 10 miles outside Fairbanks) to me and my friend Caleb. It was a great night that I will always remember...even if i did have a few too many beers! Pictured above is Kliff "Kliffy" Hopson.

Ester, AK. Casa Mojito. The quaking Aspen trees. They are gorgeous when the wind and sun hit them just right.
DAY 2. TUESDAY
I wanted to get out of Fairbanks and get to the water. I went to Chena River and stuck my toes in and just enjoyed the beauty of my surroundings. This little adventure outside town was one of my favorite highlights of the trip :)

DAY 3. WEDNESDAY.
After a gorgeous drive down south through the parks highway to Denali National Park, I had the chance to stay in a great cabin at mile marker 230. Friends from the neighborhood came over and we played music, laughed, drank a bit.

Me, Weebee, Jeff, and Alissa at the cabin havin' fun!


DAY 4. THURSDAY.
Salty Gravy, quite possibly the best band ever, played a show at local pizza restaurant and bar, Panorama Pizza in nearby Carlo, AK. The pizza was sooooo gooooood, and the music was amazing. I love everyone in this band. From left to right: Silas Lowe, Weebee "Becky" Ashenbrenner, Lynn Macaloon, and Andy King. This night was crazy fun, and the Denali locals were gettin' rowdy!

DAYS 5&6. CANTWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL. CANTWELL, AK.
This music festival was sadly put to an end about 10 years ago, and this was the first year it was resurrected. I saw the most amazing musicians, dear friends from all reaches of the road in in the interior (Fairbanks, Anchorage, Cantwell, Ester, Denali, Girdwood, even San Francisco) and it was a dirty, fun filled, weekend to place words on it. Jeff Kanzler and his band put on a great show, Well Strung Bluegrass, Salty Gravy, and Cold Country not to mention countless other acts all played the stage. This was a weekend I will never forget...and probably never fully remember either. Above is Andy King, Silas Lowe, and Nate MacDonald jamming at the camping site.

Trouble makers. Todd Grebe, Nate May, Me, and Chase Christie.

Well Strung Bluegrass, formally known as Contra-band.
Stefan, Todd, Angela Oudean, and the one and only Gary Markely.


late Saturday night jam. Nate May, Andy King, and Nate Williamson.

the gorgeous Kate Hamre and myself happy in beautiful Cantwell, AK.

DAY 7. SUNDAY.
What a way to recover from excess is to pile more on! Jeff Kanzler takes me to 229 Parks in Denali. This restaurant is like nothing I have ever seen or experienced. There is a small neighborhood charm and almost a magic in the air. Laura Cole and her husband Land built and established this decadent eatery and tavern where you can get something small and casual like tamales or quiche...Kaladi Brother's coffee, or good Alaskan IPA...then you can get a 5 spice duck breast over a deliciously fresh green salad. Not pictured: raw Oysters that sparkled with freshness, and a walnut salad that is still haunting me. The meal ended with a creme brule that was hands down the best I've ever had, then finished up with a key lime tart that did something to my tongue I can't even explain. After eating so much great food in Seattle, New York, and San Francisco: this meal tops them. Go to 229. it's the best food in the state....or ever. seriously. After dinner we went back to Fairbanks and to Ester where Eric opened Casa Mojito for us, again! whew what a weekend!



DAY 8. MONDAY.
The trip ended perfectly with a playdate with the Bearfoot kids and friends. We went to the local Fairbanks watering hole Marlin, then back to their host's home for an amazing dinner of halibut, stirfry, and salad. Pictured above: Chase Christie, Kate Hamre, Me, and Angela Oudean.
Love these guys, it was a time! Best week I could have spent! I will miss them dearly, but until the next festival...those are never too far away!