Lavender Shortbread: Days 16-19

Today can best be summed up with the phrase “adorable railroad town with scrumptious lavender shortbread.”  Or in other words, Skagway.

But hold up!  I’ve got several days of exploring Alaska to share, and Skagway comes last.  First, there was Ketchikan.

As I promised you guys, I indeed went hiking in Ketchikan this week, having thoroughly explored the town last week.  It was so nice to get off the ship and throw myself into the gorgeous forests of Alaska.  Trees, dirt, fresh air…I was in heaven.  Admittedly, it was quite the adventure (and workout!) just to FIND the Deer Mountain trailhead.  But I felt so invigorated, and I couldn’t wait to dig into such a beautiful mountainside.

Can you see that even my jacket is soaked through?  That smile won’t last much longer.

I have to say, I tried so hard to be positive and to embrace the rain as part of the delight of being outside.   And to some extent, it worked, since I didn’t become a grumpy steam engine of discontent until a mere ten minutes away from the ship.  But I was soaked, cold, and hungry.  (60 degrees is lovely until you’re dripping wet.)  I have never been so glad to peel off those wet clothes and drown my misery in a hot shower and a bowl of Ramen noodles.

Don’t worry – I definitely plan to go hiking again. However, I have a feeling I’ll be more hesitant on rainy days.  I wish rain didn’t affect my enjoyment of hiking!  But being cold and wet is just too much for pathetic, suburban me.

Mount Juneau

In fact, I hope to go hiking in Juneau next week.  I finally got off the boat in Alaska’s quaint little capital city, and while I can’t speak very highly of the architecture (the government buildings kinda said “community college” to me), I can gush about the mountains surrounding it!  Juneau Mountain (above) is just breathtaking, with lots of dramatic waterfalls cascading down its lush green sides.  The city did a beautiful job with its landscaping, too; lots of brightly colored wildflowers complement the dark green backdrop of its mountainous setting.

We’ve got two sea days ahead of us, which will hopefully be filled with plenty of exercise (the food, oh the food!).  I’d put my money on indulgent amounts of reading instead, but I always like to think I’ll be virtuous.  Then on Sunday, I’ve got friends coming to sail with me next week.  I’M SO EXCITED!!!  Hopefully I’ll have more pictures with people in them next week, hehe, rather than all this nature and landscape.

Have a great weekend!

Though I am an employee of Princess Cruises, all opinions are mine only and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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