Insta-Lately: Fall in Juneau Edition

Juneau has been rainy and incredibly October-like these days.  The leaves are red, the wind is howling, and the days are growing shorter.  Fall could not be any more amazing.  I've been snapping lots of pictures lately to capture everything I love about this season.  Here are a few of my favorites from this beautiful month.  Enjoy :)

Fallen leaves in the Gastineau Channel. 

Sunset on downtown Juneau. 

Rainy days in the woods. 

Sunset skies and falling leaves. 

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
--L.M. Montgomery

Questions: 
What is your favorite month?
What do you love about October? 

Things To Do In Juneau: Hangar On The Wharf

Hangar on the Wharf is a local eatery in Juneau.  However, the building known as the "wharf" also houses tour companies, fishing adventures, and is the location of both the sea-plane and cruise ship docks.  This can be a beautiful area to stroll in on a pleasant day…

As you can see, when went there this weekend it was not-so-plesant.  That's Juneau for you... it is a rainforest so the rainy weather is pretty typical.  Personally, I don't mind the rain and find it to be just as beautiful in the fog and drizzle.

Back to the Hangar.  We enjoy eating here occasionally.  The prices are a little spend-y compared to other Juneau restaurants. As a vegetarian they do have a few (3-4) good options but they definitely don't cater specifically to "our crowd."

At the Hangar you will definitely be paying for the atmosphere and location.  The restaurant is right on the water and has incredible views.  During the summer you are up-close and personal with the cruise ships and throughout the year you can watch the sea planes dip into the water while you dine.  I recommend trying this place out if you are in town.  It's quite beautiful and has that Alaskan-vibe.  Plus, when you finish eating you can walk down the hall and book a flight to the glacier! Woo!

Questions:
Do you enjoy going out to eat on vacation? 
What is your favorite restaurant? 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

It's no secret that I am in love with Fall.  In fact, I did an entire blog entry about my favorite season (you can read it here).  One of my favorite things is eating/drinking pumpkin-flavored goodies.  This weekend Cody and I enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning and I decided to tryout a recipe I saw for homemade pumpkin spice lattes.  There was no choice…I had to do it.

Ingredients:

1cup milk

1tbs sugar

1tbs pumpkin puree 

 1/2tsp vanilla

brewed coffee

cinnamon

nutmeg

Directions:  Heat 1/2cup of milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, and spices on medium heat. Bring to a simmer and hold at this temperature for 5minutes while occasionally whisking.  Then, whisk in remaining 1/2cup of milk.

I used this as more of a creamer for my coffee.  The website that the original recipe came from included a few more steps (but, hey, I'm a little lazy).  My coffee was amazing! I definitely recommend it.  Plop a little whipped cream on top and enjoy!

Questions:
How do you feel about pumpkin-flavored goodies? 
Do you make coffee at home or get it to-go?

Things To Do In Juneau: Sandy Beach

Well, I have not been blogging much lately…whoops!! In an effort to re-immerse myself in blogging and the blog-community I am hoping to tackle this weekly (or bi-weekly) series.  I want to take some time over the next few months to give a little insight into some of Juneau's best places to visit/things to do in the community.  To start off I want to introduce all of you to…

Sandy Beach! This lovely beach is also known as Savikko Park.  It is located on Douglas Island and is owned by the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ).  You can look at more of the "technical" stuff about the beach/park on the CBJ website.

We love Sandy Beach for a variety of reasons.  It is a huge, lovely, all-sand beach for starters (perfection in my book).  But, the beach is also incredibly dog-friendly.  In fact, it is the closest thing to a dog park that Juneau has to offer.  Saturdays and Sundays the beach is filled with dog-owners strolling along the sandy shores while all the pups play together in the Gastineau Channel.  Our pup, Specks, is quite the fan :)

We also love to visit the historic trails located at the beach. The trails are very easy to hike and you will get the opportunity to traverse through the ruins of Treadwell Mine (a once successful mining operation in Juneau).  Signs can be found on portions of the trail describing different aspects of the mine. There is an incredible amount of history to be found on the trails (as well as the beach).

This site is accessible during all seasons! We have definitely enjoyed it at all points of the year, we even swam in the channel here during the summer!  However, when the Taku Winds blow through town, I'd steer clear.  Gusts can be pretty steady at 60mph, and on a chilly winter day…well, it isn't super pleasant.  All in all, this is a great place to go for a leisurely stroll or hike.  If you are new to town (or just visiting) you can come to Sandy Beach for free (just ask a cabbie to drop you off if you aren't sure of the locale).  Hope to see you there :)

Questions:
Are you interested in any of Juneau's attractions?
Where do you take your doggy to play?

I Love Fall

Things I LOVE about Fall: Halloween, oversized sweaters, long walks, cool nights, rainy days, bonfires, pumpkin-flavored everything, changing leaves, soups, warm beverages, apple cider, decorations….The list goes on and on.

Fall is my favorite season.  And, while Alaska doesn't boast the same amazing Fall colors that the Midwest is famous for, there is still beauty to be found everywhere.  The leaves are changing, the fields are turning brown, and the snow is creeping down the mountains.

There is much to be thankful for during my favorite season.  It is spectacular to see how Fall progresses here, in the 49th state.  I can't help but compare the changes to those that I experienced growing up in the heart of the Midwest.  I am not sure which place is better for celebrating this season but I do know that I love them both :)

Questions: 
What is your favorite season? Why?
What do you LOVE about Fall? 

The Seasons of Juneau

Cody and I have officially lived in Juneau through every season! We've been enjoying Alaska and all that it has to offer for an entire year.  Thinking back over the last year makes me feel a wide variety of emotions.  I am happy to be living my dreams in this incredible locale but I am also nostalgic for home occasionally and I miss my family pretty regularly.  But, being in nature and living in Alaska has opened so many doors for me both professionally and personally...I can't imagine leaving.  So, here we will stay (at least for another year).  Who knows where the world will take us next but I'd like to think that we will love it just as much as we do Juneau.  To pay a little homage to my beautiful home I wanted to show off a picture (as taken from my yard) of every season in this lovely city. Enjoy :)

December

The winter was bitterly cold and snowy! Cody and I hadn't ever endured such a long winter  (I am told by locals it was fairly mild).  The views were spectacular though.  Neither of us could imagine anything more beautiful than the snow on the mountains.  It was definitely a white Christmas for us.

April

Spring rolled around…late! This picture is from mid-Spring and happened to be one of the weeks when there wasn't snow (it had rained a ton and been in the 40's).  Realistically, we saw snow until the beginning of May.  This just happened to be a lucky (and beautiful) day!

July

Summer was long, hot, and incredible.  This was the warmest and driest summer Juneau had experienced in over twenty years.  It was in the 80's for weeks at a time and we didn't see rain for almost an entire month, which is quite the feat when you live in a rainforest.  It was the most incredible weather I have ever experienced.

September

Fall finally hit us in September.  The temperatures changed very quickly and the rain clouds rolled in to town.  I've never seen so much fog in my life (nor heard quite so many fog horns).  The tourists set sail and the town quieted considerably.  Fall has been beautiful thus far.  The leaves don't change quite as much as they do in the Midwest.  But, watching the snow creep down the mountains is pretty incredible in its own way.

Life in Juneau is pretty great right now.  I think we'll call this place home a little bit longer :)

Questions:
Where is you favorite place you've ever lived?
What did you love about it?