Alaska: the scenery

Alaska was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

my whole life i've thought of beautiful scenery as sunny beaches, white sand, hot rain forests, powdery slopes, and humid harbors.

this trip changed my perspective for the better.

mountains constantly covered by mysterious fog surrounded us everywhere we turned,

complimented by damp and chilled rain forests filled with coniferous pines.

the rustic history of the native Alaskan indians added an atmosphere of peculiar and mysterious history, hidden in the stories of totem poles and the wildlife of the forest.

and as i'm writing this i'm realizing how lame i sound.

cheeeeeeeeee-sy.

to be frank: alaska rocked scenery-wise.

i loved the small towns filled with multi-colored buildings and shops,

and the harbors that were filled with dark, cold water and trading and fishing boats.

it was certainly not warm by any means,

but i still felt as though i was in an exotic, completely different world than any one i had ever been to before.

Lake Union, Seattle

Ketchikan, Alaska

The Alaska Fish House

Totem Poles in downtown Ketchikan

Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

The Trail to Reid Falls, Skagway, Alaska

Reid Falls, Skagway, Alaska

The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia

Butchart Gardens in B.C. was filled with 50 acres of roses, hydrangeas, hyacinth, peonies, japanese maples, lily pads, and all sorts of foliage.

more than i had ever seen in one place.

the aromas and colors completely enticed us as we walked through the mazes of flowers.

i wish we could have spent all day at the gardens exploring.

Pike St., Seattle, Washington

my toes at the Pike Place Market, Seattle

Seattle Skyline from the top of the Space Needle, Seattle, Washington

Seattle quickly became one of my favorite cities.

all walks of life and eclectic tastes filled the city, and i soon found myself in awe of the huge, modern buildings and the rolling hills that filled downtown. 

we were blessed with days of sunny skies as we explored Pike Place Market,

and being surrounded by beautiful harbors didn't hurt.

if you're not sick of hearing about our trip yet,

you're in luck.

i still have one more post to finish up our trip.

and if you are sick of it...

well. hang in there.