A week in Alaska, days one & two...

Some months back, 

Scott and April said they wanted to see Alaska,

and were we interested in going with them? 

Um, yes! 

Sign me up!

We all searched the internet for the best deals 

and came up with a plan. 

April picked Sitka and away we went!

Sitka's airport is one of the top 10 scariest airports in the U.S.

and these pictures from the internet show why.

We landed quickly, 

met the most helpful car rental guy, 

and got tucked in at our airbnb. 

The next morning was low tide 

so we headed for the water. 

Salmon were jumping all over the place

and the fishermen were ready. 

We met this little boy named Daniel 

and his awesome Mom. 

It was the first day of school for Daniel's siblings 

and his mom was catching some salmon for dinner. 

His Dad was in the Coast Guard 

and away for 2 months 

so his Mom said she was doing her part, 

AND that she just really loved fishing. 

She was so much fun to talk with! 

We didn't fish but we did catch these cute little critters. 

Hunter, you'd have been in heaven. 

They were everywhere!

Daniel's Mom told us to just turn over a rock and we'd find lots. 

She was sooo right!!!

Another fisherman told us about a river 

just up from where we were at Starrigavan Bay

where salmon were headed to spawn.

They were thick!

There was a beautiful boardwalk across the river 

that meandered off into the forest 

called the Muskeg Trail so we took it and found this guy. 

They grown things big in Alaska.

As we walked, 

we picked and ate berries

(April's idea),

and passed a man jogging with his large dogs 

while carrying bear spray in his hand. 

Then we passed a tour guide with his little group of cruise ship passengers 

and he had bear spray in his hand too.

Hmmm.....we were laughing so much 

I guess we scared the bears away.

We went to Whale Point

and scared the whales away too

but it was a beautiful place. 

Did I say earlier that we scared all the bears away?

Actually, 

we didn't scare this guy or his buddies. 

He lived at the Fortress of the Bears, 

a bear sanctuary. 

His mom had been killed so he'd been rescued 

but couldn't be released. 

That was too bad because if I were a bear I think Sitka would be 

the perfect place to live.

<3