Alaska Cruise: Part 3

You know how sometimes returning from vacation can send you into a funk? Because reality. And dishes. And 108 degree heat.

Well, we've been back for a week, and I'm still on a high. I think it's safe to say that this upswing in my mood is more than just residual vacation bliss, and is, in fact, a chemical shift. I haven't felt this effortlessly happy since... wow. Since I very first went on anti-depressants. I'll have to do a more in-depth post on all of that, but for now, suffice it to say that I feel good.

Next up in our tour de Alaska: Skagway.

Right off the boat, we found two of our favorite things-- a VW Bus for him, and two beautiful wooden kayaks for her. :)

Skagway is an Alaskan gold-rush town. It had that cool frontier/railroad vibe, and of course J was obsessed with the train history. The building above had the date 1899 on it. I have no idea what it was used for, but the decorated facade was certainly interesting.

J loved all the train stuff. Apparently, this is how one clears snow off of train tracks in Alaska:

Part of our group had booked a fishing trip while the rest of us took a bus up to the Canadian border and the Yukon. It wasn't as adventurous as striking out on our own, but we did get to hike to a waterfall:

 Photograph some amazing scenery:

Watch a black bear fresh out of hibernation:

And sing "Silver and Gold" in front of the Yukon sign:

Honestly, it was incredibly beautiful. All the lakes and rivers had an iridescent blue-green quality due to the silt in the glacier runoff. The trees at the highest altitudes were two hundred years old, and yet only came up to my waist since they grow in such harsh conditions. And the mountains!

 I had to keep saying it: "Now that's a mountain!" Even though J gave me this look every time I did:

Worth it.