the Alaskan

This photo is from the Alaskan's website. It's very cute from the front, and has awesome woodwork inside. The Alaskan hotel opened in 1913. It's been renovated, but the back entrance reveals the underpinnings, I guess you could say.

This first photo is of the parking lot, with the stairways down to the back entrance that I used. The hotel is the grayish building on the right.

These are the awesome and relatively safe-feeling stairs that access an apartment building and the hotel. They were more intimidating when I first arrived at 10pm on Thursday, but no big deal in the daylight. And once I got the code to open the door figured out.

I liked the Alaskan-- because it's right downtown, easy to walk all over. It's a little loud at night-- but just a dull roar. It only kept me up when I woke up at 2am on Friday night, and by 2:40 they were closing up the bar and the band had stopped playing.

I'm thinking I will either visit the Prospector next time or go back to the lovely Silverbow.

Juneau, the first day

These photos are on Facebook, but Mom can't get to Facebook. Yet. This is the view from the tram up to Mt Roberts. You can see the cruise ship in town, it dwarfs the city.

Here's me at the top of the peak!

This is my obligatory glacier pic. Mendenhall was looking good-- with lots of ice chunks in the river this year. More than I usually have seen.

Fourth photo down is a photo of GLACIER ice. Iphone didn't really do it justice, but it was filled with tiny cracks and crystalline looking edges.
Last photo is the walkway up to Thunder Mountain HS. I like the way the walkway echoes the idea of a river leading up to the school. They are doing a yearbook at this school this year, which is great! I was worried, but there are two enthusiastic girls who will do a good job.

fun sunday

It's beautiful in Portland this weekend! Anne and Alex entertained me before my workshop begins this evening. We toured the city, spent two hours in the Forestry Museum at Washington Park, visited Powell's books and the Deschutes Brewery, and shopped at Target. The kids just left for Seattle, and I'm nearly ready to go check out the green cities exhibitions.

The Forestry Museum today was super interesting.

We learned about northwest forests, and world forests. We guided a parachute to a landing in a forest fire, and cut down trees using a big logging machine, and looked at types of wood. Mom and Dad would have liked that part for sure.

Time for me to go learn!

east coast travelers

Here we are living it up at the Capitol! I cannot imagine how it would have been to see the entire place filled with people for the inauguration. Jeff was not impressed with our Capitol tour- I agreed that it has been better. There's something to be said for meeting with congressional staffers and getting the tour from them. The new Capitol Visitor Center is pretty impressive, though. Go tax dollars, go!

snowed in but not for much longer

Apparently we got five inches in Mukilteo. I believe it-- the piles weighing down the bushes out the dining room window have definitely grown. I'm excited to get out and about. Marko called around to find the only brunch place open: Scott's. YUM.

I think we'll cancel restaurant night-- Anne and Alex are sledding down hills near their house, probably not a good idea to have them drive on the same hills.

It is officially colder in Greeley than here-- 12 degrees versus 28.

snow drifts

We have snow drifts! Sort of. It would be interesting to open any of the garage doors right now. My lights flickered-- I immediately plugged my iphone in. It's charged almost fully, but if I end up playing sim city for hours of entertainment in the dark, I need to make sure there's a full charge.
It's a tad windier now, from my armchair viewpoint. I went out and tried to make a snowman earlier. Snow is too light and doesn't stick. I used to hate that kind of snow when I was little.
Well, I'll get back to my DVR until I'm tired enough to sleep.

WDW pics

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