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Uncommonly Sensible

Keeping the "anal" in analytical... (While trying to remain civilized)

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Location: United States

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The land of the midnight sun...in review


OK, in an effort to parallel my previous post about what was to be my upcoming trip to Alaska, I've inserted pictures that I took myself of ones that I'd gotten off of the Internet...like the one above of the Anchorage Visitor Center, in lieu of the one in the prior post of the Anchorage skyline with mountains in the background.

Then, the following of the train I took to Denali and beyond:


It was a fairly long train; I took that shot from the back end.

And here I am, where it let me off near Denali N.P.:


I took an air tour to get this picture of the BIG mountain:


(The National Park Service buses get you no closer than 25 miles)

I found the spot where that other pipeline picture was taken:


(Go to the earlier post and see if you don't think so too)

The paddlewheeler has been replaced by a power catamaran:


(It made fairly short work of 100+ miles on the Yukon River)

I eventually made it to Skagway, where the cruise ship was.

Here's a view from my accommodations on said ship:


(Looking out at some ice floating in Glacier Bay)

Lest I forget, I got some pretty good pictures of wildlife.

If you look closely, you can see lots of big salmon here:


(Click on the picture for a larger version)

I got pretty close to this guy:


(FYI, there's no "zoom" function on my camera)

And last, but not least, a picture of a wolf:


I actually took over a thousand pictures. 170 are posted HERE.
(Along with several others from previous trips...)

16 Comments:

Blogger Marsha said...

Hey there! These are great photos Jack - my favorite -believe it or not, is the salmon. Lifetime of memories eh? I'll take a look at your entire photo album as well. Thanks for posting - glad you had this experience!

July 29, 2008 8:42 AM  
Blogger boberin said...

If I hadn't been to Alaska myself (not where you were though) I'd be even more jealous than I am.
I am happy for you and will surely check the rest of the shots.
Those ARE some mighty impressive salmon, almost as big as the ones I actually landed (and later ate, yummy!!)

July 29, 2008 8:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Jack,

Just got back from Italy/U.K./Wales. Loved your photos. Lucky you. BTW, the official "Land of the Midnight Sun" is Finland!

Blessings,

rusty

July 29, 2008 10:04 AM  
Blogger boberin said...

Only a short way into the 170 other photos you posted but already I'm impressed.
Naturally, breathtaking subject matter helps but I have to say...you certainly can frame a shot. Bravo!

July 29, 2008 10:20 AM  
Blogger Bunny said...

Very nice, my friend. I really like the moose picture...now I'm going to go to your link and look at all of the other pictures. :-)

July 29, 2008 10:34 AM  
Blogger Beerme said...

Very nice shots!
Thanks for posting them and the ones on the Whiteblaze.net site. Thanks for captioning them all, too. Lotta work but well worth it

July 29, 2008 10:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aloha Jack,

Looks like a fun trip. I especially like the wolf picture.

July 29, 2008 11:39 AM  
Blogger Hawkeye® said...

I had left-over salmon for lunch. Does that count? (:D)

Great pics Jack! Will try to go through the rest.

Best regards...

July 29, 2008 12:49 PM  
Blogger Hawkeye® said...

Well, I'm back. I went through all 170 photos and I'm truly impressed. What a great collection of awesome photos!

(I was particularly interested in "Reid Falls". That looks like a long fall. Did Harry make it out alive? Did you even bother to look for him?)

(:D) Best regards...

July 29, 2008 2:12 PM  
Blogger KWL said...

I know, don't have a heart attack!! I haven't posted here in a coons age (look that up will you?) But I had to post on this. Alaska, with the addition of all the animals you can see more facial hair and plaid shirts than anywhere on the face of this God given planet. But make no mistake, I love Alaska and everything it has to offer!!! In fact, eating some poor mans lobster from Alaska tonight (Halibut)
Later

July 29, 2008 2:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi!

I've been on vacation myself. I love the pictures. You sure do get around!

July 29, 2008 2:55 PM  
Blogger KWL said...

Ok, I couldn't wait for Camo to look it up. I appears there are a few meanings to coon and the derogatory term was not at all I was thinking of. It was the term "a very long time": Taken from
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1518.html

IN A COON'S AGE - As I said before, this expression is common among my people in the mountains of southern West Virginia. This area did not have a large slave population. Think pioneer-tromping-through- the-woods Daniel and Rebecca Boone people. Not Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler on a plantation. We didn't have slaves, we had big families. Our culture was based on farming and hunting. People had large families to share in the work. Raccoons were and are common in the area. And they are not shy creatures. So there's plenty of opportunity to observe their behavior. Naturally coons have become part of the language.

"a coon's age - Meaning 'a very long time,' a coon's age is an Americanism recorded in 1843 and probably related to the old English expression 'in a crow's age,' meaning the same. The American term is an improvement, if only because the raccoon usually lives longer -- up to 13 years in the wild - than the crow." From the "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997), Page 168.

Nuff said about that. Didn't want any bad feelings toward me though.

July 29, 2008 3:11 PM  
Blogger KA said...

you're traveling makes me writhe with envy. THankfully, you posted great pics, so i'll forgive you this one time for having an awesome time while I'm stuck at work.

July 29, 2008 9:57 PM  
Blogger camojack said...

Marsha:
I took a lot of pictures of the salmon, hoping that one or more would break the surface at the right moment. They kept breaking the surface all right, just never at the right time.

boberin:
They were pretty big salmon; there's nothing in the picture for scale, unfortunately.

I'm glad you appreciate my skills as a photographer.
(As you said, the subject matter helps)

rusty:
You'll have to tell me all about your European vacation sometime.

Bunny:
I did manage to get quite close to that moose, huh?

Beerme:
You're right, it really was a lot of work going through 1260 pictures, but well worth it since people enjoy looking at 'em.

Grant Jones:
It was a fun trip, to be sure.
(I must go back someday)

The wildlife pictures are my favorites, too.

Hawkeye(r):
Salmon is good...and also good for you.

It's too bad Harry Reid doesn't take that plunge.
(I'm sure it would have the desired effect)

KWL:
Heh, I know what a coon's age refers to. :-)

I had halibut, salmon, king crab (etc.) in abundance on the trip.

JannyMae:
I certainly do try to get around.
(I'm successful at it, too!)

Elaine:
Well kiddo, maybe once you're done with your college education you can get a cushy job too, then you can travel as well...

July 30, 2008 6:46 AM  
Blogger Just call me Shelly said...

I would leave all five pictures of my vacation a few miles down the road, but they are no where near as interesting as yours

July 30, 2008 1:50 PM  
Blogger camojack said...

Ms RightWing:
You could always post 'em at your own blog.

It wouldn't be unprecedented... ;-)

August 05, 2008 9:16 AM  

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