Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Kenai Fjords National Park Extended Glacier Cruise:
A full day aboard Major Marine Tours' Kenai Fjords National Park Extended Glacier Cruise turned into one of the highlights of my Alaska journey. From bubble-net feeding humpback whales and towering tidewater glaciers to puffins, sea lions, and breathtaking coastal scenery, this cruise delivered unforgettable wildlife and landscapes.
Dutch Harbor, Amaknak Island, Unalaska
After arriving in Dutch Harbor, I walked from Amaknak Island across the Iliuliuk Bridge into the City of Unalaska. Along the way I photographed bald eagles, explored World War II history, visited one of North America's oldest Russian Orthodox churches, and spent time with a local family harvesting salmon.
Potter Marsh
A slow day at Potter Marsh near Anchorage turned into an easy wildlife walk with Hooded Mergansers, Tree Swallows, Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, and a female Mallard. Later, I drove south along Turnagain Arm to Beluga Point, watched the tide move across the mudflats, and tried once again to spot Dall sheep high on the cliffs.
Drive To Anchorage
Leaving Valdez, I expected a short drive to Anchorage. Instead, the day turned into a nine-hour journey with a stop at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center, an unexpected conversation about beavers with a park ranger, colorful mountain landscapes, views of the Matanuska Glacier, and a noisy introduction to Anchorage.
Meares Glacier Tour
The day after kayaking Columbia Glacier, I returned to Prince William Sound aboard the Stan Stephens 26 Glaciers Cruise. Meares Glacier, whales, puffins, bald eagles, sea lions, waterfalls, and unforgettable conversations made this one of the highlights of my Alaska adventure.
Columbia Glacier Kayaking
Experienced a full-day excursion to Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound, including amazing kayaking among brilliant blue icebergs, harbor seals resting on floating ice, and the thunder of glacier calving. It's an unforgettable opportunity to explore one of Alaska's most spectacular—and rapidly changing—tidewater glaciers near Valdez.
Thompson Pass into Valdez
Forty miles from Valdez on the Richardson Highway — walking up to Worthington Glacier, watching helicopter pilots train long-line loads over Thompson Pass, descending through fog, ice fields, and waterfalls, and booking a kayak trip to Columbia Glacier on Prince William Sound. One of the most spectacular drives in Alaska.
Mendenhall Glacier Nugget Falls Trail
A cold, wet day in Juneau eventually led to one of Alaska's most famous landscapes. When the rain finally eased, I headed to Mendenhall Glacier and followed the trail to Nugget Falls. Along the way I photographed fog-covered mountains, learned how dramatically the glacier has retreated, met visitors from France and India, and captured one of my favorite images of the trip.
Toward Haines Through Clouds
After a quiet morning beside Kluane Lake, I headed south through Haines Junction and onto Haines Road. With clearer weather than the day before, the snow-covered mountains finally emerged from the clouds. Frequent stops for photography, vast open landscapes, and the strange experience of daylight lingering late into the evening made for a rewarding day in the Yukon.
Kluane Lake
After waking to snow and an empty Alaska Highway north of Haines Junction, I headed toward Kluane Lake, visited the surprisingly good Kluane Museum of History in Burwash Landing, discovered a touching memorial to Douglas Richard Twiss II, and spent the afternoon photographing mountains, ice, and changing weather along one of Yukon’s most dramatic landscapes.
North From Whitehorse, YT
A short drive from Whitehorse turned into a day of unexpected discoveries. I followed a side road to historic Mendenhall Landing, photographed one of the largest beaver lodges I've ever seen, explored the Kluane National Park Visitor Centre, and learned about the Southern Tutchone people. With rain, wind, and low clouds hiding the mountains, Yukon reminded me that conditions can change quickly.
Muncho Lake & Liard River Hot Springs
I continued north along the Alaska Highway into one of the most beautiful and remote sections of northern British Columbia. At Muncho Lake I photographed shifting blue lake ice before continuing to Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, where warm wetlands, dense vegetation, mineral-rich springs, and unusual tufa formations create an ecosystem unlike anywhere else along the highway.
Stone Mountain Provincial Park
The Alaska Highway north of Fort Nelson quickly transforms into something far more remote and rugged than most travelers expect. This section through Stone Mountain Provincial Park, Summit Lake, and Muncho Lake offered injured bears along the roadside, abandoned highway relics, emerald glacial lakes, lingering spring ice, mountain wildlife, and some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip so far.
Prince George
I spent the day exploring Prince George, British Columbia, from the disappointing lighting and strange mix of exhibits at The Exploration Place Museum to hours wandering Cottonwood Island Nature Park along the Fraser River. The day became less about destinations and more about conversations, wildlife photography, wood carvings hidden in the trees, and the people I met along the trails.
Quesnel, BC
After a long drive north through British Columbia, I arrived in Quesnel expecting a quiet river town and instead found something far more complicated. River trails, old industrial bridges, homeless camps, a Sikh temple rebuilt by the community, silent downtown streets, and strange moments that made me stop and think about where small towns may be headed in a rapidly changing world.
Leavenworth, Snowqualmie Falls, & Trains
An early morning walk through Leavenworth led to coffee shops, quiet streets, and unexpected conversations before continuing west to Snoqualmie Falls and the Northwest Railway Museum. Between roaring waterfalls, nurse trees, hydroelectric history, and rusting steam locomotives slowly being reclaimed by the forest, this became one of the most visually interesting days I’ve had in Washington.
Crater Lake to Painted Hills
What started as a simple morning at Crater Lake turned into a long, uncertain drive to the Painted Hills—and five hours I didn’t expect to spend there. Along the way, the landscape shifted from dense forest to high desert, the light kept changing, and the hills revealed more the longer I stayed. The day ended in a quiet pullout, surrounded by cattle and just enough silence to notice.
John Dellenback Dunes
A solo hike through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area along the John Dellenback Trail. From dense coastal forest to open sand and a quiet stretch of Pacific shoreline, this route delivers constantly changing terrain, challenging footing, and surprising solitude.
Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Fern Canyon
From towering redwoods to a hidden canyon carved by water, this day along California’s north coast delivered one unexpected moment after another. A chance encounter led to Fern Canyon, where moss-covered walls and flowing water create a surreal landscape. The day ended at Gold Bluffs Beach, watching waves glow in the setting sun.
The Founders Tree
Driving into the redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants feels like stepping into another world. In Founders Grove, massive old-growth trees rise more than 300 feet, surrounded by a forest that nearly disappeared to logging. This post follows a rainy walk through one of the most important preserved groves in Humboldt Redwoods State Park and the history behind how it was saved.