The Wandering Bungalow

26/10/2021

07/09/2021

Petersburg (seet-ka)

The center of Norwegian culture. Visit Sing Lee Alley the center of old Petersburg. Here among the quiet streets, you can view the best examples of Norwegian rosemaling.

Hammer Slough is a picturesque scene of the colorful Petersburg waterfront buildings. Perhaps one of the most dominant buildings is Sons of Norway Hall.

When the town was founded, abundant fish and ice were found at LeConte Glacier which inspired the building of the cannery.

To this day Petersburg is a big fishing town. You cannot reach it by cruise ships, unless they are small, only by waterway ferries, barges, vessels, and seaplanes.

Petersburg lies across Frederick Sound surrounded by alpine peaks and a jagged skyline, here you can find Devil's Thumb. To the south is Mitkof Island where there is hiking, camping, fishing, a hatchery, and a trumpeter swan observatory.

You can take day tours to LeConte Glacier by flightseeing and kayaks. There are more opportunities to kayak and hike trails closer to Petersburg.

Norwegian culture in Petersburg can be seen at its best in mid-May when the town stages the four-day Little Norway Festival, featuring Norwegian costumes, a parade, games, and dances. The highlight of the event is the wonderful seafood buffets and shrimp feeds. You’ll never indulge in shrimp, crab, and halibut that is so fresh.

07/09/2021

Wrangell

Wrangell is one of the oldest towns in Alaska. It is the only town to have existed under three flags and be ruled by four nations: Tlingit, Russia, England, and the United States.

You can experience Wrangell's early history in the Wrangell Museum and also in the totem pole. Though they are scattered around town, the best collection can be viewed on Chief Shakes Island.

Head north to view primitive rock carvings thought to be 1,000 years old at the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park.

The most popular day trip from Wrangell is to Anan Wildlife Observatory. Here you can observe the largest salmon run, and view all different species of wildlife catching and eating salmon. Just visit Tongass National Forest for details.

21/08/2021

Ketchikan

If you spend enough time in Ketchikan chances are good it will rain at least once. Local residents call it ”liquid sunshine” and umbrellas are rarely used.

The city center is best viewed from Ketchikan’s Waterfront Promenade that skirts the busy shoreline and is equipped with historical markers and whale-tail benches for visitors to rest and take in the view.

There are many things to do and see here. tours by boat, kayak, plane to see Prince of Wales Island, Annette Island, Misty Fjords Monument, see wildlife, go Charter Fishing, hiking, camping, walk the promenade, take a zip line tour, sea kayaking, and visit some sites.

Visit Dolly's House Museum. Once a brothel, now a museum to showase the 1930 era. It was named for the city's most famous madame Dolly Arthur. Museum shows her intriguing life.

Walk down the historic Creek Street, once famous as a red-light district, is now filled with art galleries, gift shops, bookstores, restaurants and is a photographer's delight.

South of Ketchikan is Saxman Native Village & Totem Park. At the heart of the park is Saxman Totem Park, home to an extensive collection of replica totems as well as a replica clan house and a carving center. Here you find several restored totem poles from abandoned villages nearby. Many visitors take an Alaska Native-led two-hour village tour that includes a Tlingit language lesson, traditional drum-and-dance performance, narrated tour of the totems, and a visit to the carving shed.

For a scenic coastal area with a lush rainforest bordering a gravel beach and rocky coastline, visit Settler's Cove State Recreation Site and walk a quarter-mile to view a waterfall from an observation deck.

Visit Southeast Alaska Discovery Center to learn about Alaska's ecosystem.

Tongass Historical Museum houses a permanent collection of local historical and Alaska Native artifacts, many dealing with Ketchikan's fishing and mining industry.

A short walk from downtown Ketchikan is Totem Heritage Center. The center was established in 1976 to preserve endangered 19th-century totem poles retrieved from uninhabited Tlingit and Haida village sites near Ketchikan.

Ketchikan is a popular stop for many Alaska adventurers. Nearby you'll find Misty Fjords National Monument, Tongass National Forest, Totem Bight State Historical Park nearby.

21/08/2021

Metlaka

Metlakatla is the only settlement of the indigenous Tsimshian people in the United States and is the only Indian reservation in Alaska.

Visitors can reach Metlakatla by ferry or plane from Ketchikan. Educational and hands-on experiences await travelers looking to explore the Tsimshian way of life, including visits to the community art center, local totem poles and a traditional longhouse. Visitors can take in song and dance performances by local Tsimshian dancers in full regalia at the longhouse, which faces Metlakatla’s boat harbor. Inside, guests can peruse old Tsimshian artifacts on display and experience the nearly extinct Sm’algyax language through tribal performances.

13/08/2021

Next up is Kake

Kake is a historical home for the Kake tribe of the Tlingits. Its known for fishing, logging, the world's largest totem pole, hiking, and kayak trips in the Tebenkof Bay Wilderness.

Tebenkof Bay Wilderness is a remote bay system composed of hundreds of islands, small inner bays, and coves. Kake serves as a departure point for ocean kayak trips into this wilderness. The return paddles is a scenic 10-day adventure noting several varieties of animals.

12/08/2021

First Up--Hyder!!

Hyder is a small town on the Eastern Fringe of Misty Fjords National Monument. They use Canadian money, Canadian schools, on Pacific Standard Time instead of Alaska Standard Time.

Popular Here are Gold Rush-Era Saloons, Salmon Glacier, and mostly the bear viewing.

You'll see pics of Glacier Inn (one of the saloons/restaurants) with the infamous $20,000 walls.

You'll head to Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site and watch brown and black bears feeding on salmon.

Traveling another 17 miles North into British Columbia, you find a viewing point of Salmon Glacier. Its the 5th Largest in Canada.

12/08/2021

First learning about the Inside Passage. There are 3 regions: Southern, Glacier Bay Area, and the Northern Region.

We’ll work from the South to the North, staying with the Southern Region. The picture gives you a list of all the cities twins and parks. We’ll slowly work through them and give you highlights!!!

06/08/2021

One of the places that’s on my list…Kenai Fjords Park

03/08/2021

Cooper Landing, Juneau Alaska

*not my photo

01/08/2021

Experience Alaska

https://youtu.be/HnzEZQ0p_Ao

Majestic landscapes. Magical wildlife. Magnificent discoveries. Adventure is at its peak in Alaska. This video is for everyone who has ever dreamed of going ...

01/08/2021

Southcentral Alaska

https://youtu.be/JkAgTHtAgpw

Southcentral Alaska is full of outdoor activites and scenic wonders.

01/08/2021

Southcentral Alaska - Things to Do

https://youtu.be/M32OWsCTwDw

Home to over half of the state's population, Southcentral Alaska is a playground of activities from world-class fishing to hiking and wildlife viewing. Set a...

01/08/2021

Alaska’s Inside Passage

https://youtu.be/RR4HddFrhZ0

Experience Alaska's Inside Passage with it's scenic coastal waterways, abundant wildlife and interesting, historical communities.

01/08/2021

Alaska’s Inside Passage - Things to Do

https://youtu.be/f0OsuKIc7fU

Shaped by the staggering force of massive glaciers millions of years ago, Alaska's Inside Passage boasts wildlife-filled fjords and lush island scenery. Lear...

01/08/2021

Alaska’s Interior

https://youtu.be/ZFOUF1aY1Sc

The Interior of Alaska is home to Fairbanks, one of the best places to see the Northern Lights, and Denali National Park.

01/08/2021

Alaska Interior-Things to Do

https://youtu.be/LygX3PpHIDA

In Alaska's heartland, you'll find everything from the continent's tallest peak, Mt. McKinley, to wide expanses of forest and tundra. It's a place you can ex...

01/08/2021

Southwest Alaska

https://youtu.be/IomLWmOnAsw

From Kodiak to the Aleutian Islands, southwest Alaska is rugged, remote and beautiful.

01/08/2021

Alaska Arctic

https://youtu.be/ssUuoBHhzrM

The northernmost region in the US is accessible primarily by air. The area includes Nome, Barrow, Kotzebue, Prudhoe Bay and the Brooks Range.

01/08/2021

Our planning will be slow as there is MUCH to go over and see and do. Here is a map sitting the different reasons of Alaska. I share so I can post inspiration videos covering each region to narrow down where we want to go. It will give you a visual.

Another piece of news- Uncruise though is perfect for us, does not fit our family dynamics. No one under 8 can go unless you charter their smallest boat. While we can fill that boat it’s also ~$210,000. Even splitting that up is hefty. It’s an average of $9300/person. Just for my family (and the Millers) it’s almost $50,000.

I’m also not sold on a cruise as there’s so much more we can experience in an in land vacation taking boat tours, train tours etc. Alaska,to me, is one of those places you go to visit and realize it may only be the one time. So you wanna do it right. We still won’t see everything, however, we can see more on land than off. I will however give us plenty of options for cruise and non cruise so we can collectively make decisions.

Be on the lookout for videos!!🥰

29/07/2021

“What can I do when they ask me to describe this land of smokes? This valley of fire and ice? How can I explain with words a thing that is beyond the bounds of word? My only reply is to close my eyes and picture those cindered spires and to simply say: put your words away, it must be seen and felt and heard.” --Chuck Ash, July 1987

Do you think that places in national parks, like the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Katmai, need to be experienced to have an impact?

NPS Photo/B. Lutes

29/07/2021

"My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature." -Claude Monet

Do you have a memory of a national park that you wish you could suspend in time?

Photo courtesy of L. Law

29/07/2021

Headed to Katmai? A little planning can go a long way. Be sure to with these tips online at www.nps.gov/articles/000/plan-like-a-park-ranger-top-10-tips-for-visiting-katmai.htm

Here are a few to get you started:

✅ Plan for flexibility. This is solid ranger advice for any outdoors adventure but especially in Katmai. Whether it’s flight delays caused by weather or a bear jam with family groups sleeping on the trail, it’s important to remain flexible.

✅ Pack your patience. Headed to Brooks Camp during the peak bear viewing season? Be sure to pack your patience. While there are several bear viewing platforms, the Falls Platform specifically has a limited capacity of 40 people. Rangers carefully manage this platform and maintain a waitlist as necessary. During the July season, wait times can often exceed an hour.

✅ Plan to disconnect. There is no cell service or internet connection within the park so be sure to plan ahead and let friends and family know you’ll have to show them the pictures later.

Been to Katmai before? Share your insider info with others in the comments.

NPS Photo/L. Law

29/07/2021

So cool!! I’d love to see him in person!!!

In Katmai, if someone were to call out “Elvis is in the house,” we’d say "okay" and go on with our work. But if a ranger puts out a radio call that “Bear 480 Otis is in the house,” we drop everything. Otis is indeed in the house. 480 Otis is one of our oldest (25 or 26 years old) and probably most beloved bear. He has been missing in action. Last year he arrived at the Brooks River on June 23rd. The latest he has ever arrived is July 17th. We were concerned. But last night at Brooks Falls, there he was, fishing for salmon. Brown bears lead challenging lives and 26 is quite an achievement, especially for a male bear. So celebrate the return of Bear 480 Otis with us!

NPS Photo/N.Boak

28/07/2021

Brotherhood Trail in Juneau

*photo by Viliame Kaulotu

28/07/2021

Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park-Coastal Brown Bear fishing

*photo from J. Hunter Photography

28/07/2021

Yukon whale watching

26/07/2021

Looks like we should shoot for June to get the most out of our trip!!! I know we may all have things we want to see, this gives the best for the majority.

Perhaps we can plan a future shorter trip for other things, for the things we will miss by going in June.

26/07/2021

To keep this page private I made the page unpublished. In order for you to see it I’ve given each of you the role of Editor. If we have others we want to add please let me know and I can add them with the role of Editor too.