Capturing the Moment

  Growing up in Savannah, GA it was always a big deal if you saw a bald eagle. Sightings were rare and nests were a show stopper for any kind of construction project nearby. Now I am in the land of eagles, Alaska, where I sometimes see thirty or forty bald eagles at a time. Yet they still hold that same place in my heart. I stop what I do them and watch with awe and understand perfectly why they were chosen as our national symbol. The give off such a regal nature while mastering their role as the top bird-of-prey.   So instead of getting tired of seeing eagles I work on seeing more of them and learning more about them by watching and photographing them here in Alaska. Outside of Homer, Heidi and I found the perfect location for an eagle photo shoot. With nearly 20 adults and juveniles lining the beach we casually walked up and down taking pictures as we went. Different shorebirds and ocean birds were bobbing in the waves just offshore but while Heidi was trying to identify those

No salmon yet Moose just off the road in Homer  The next destination on our Alaska exploration was on the other side of the Kenai Peninsula at the little fishing town of Homer. A couple of my friends spent summers up here working on salmon fishing boats and had great stories and recommendations on where to go. Hiking Coopers Landing Our Homer Home  We stopped in Coopers Landing for a fun hike to a cascading waterfall on the Indian River, but were a little too early in the season for bear sightings. We continued on to the southwest tip of the peninsula to our air b&b place on the outskirts of Homer. I immediately fell in love with the cabin when I saw I had to walk through a greenhouse filled with colorful flowers to get to the front door. The cabin itself was painted in bright colors but what really amazed me was the inside. A huge comfortable bed, a kitchen minus the oven, a makeshift sink with a 5 gallon jug of water, and a little table and desk all made for qui

Glacier in the clouds Harding Icefield   Exploring Kenai Fjords When I was 22 years old I flew from New York to Japan in what seemed to be an ever-present sunset glow. As we chased the sun around the earth I glanced outside at a frozen land with what looked like frozen rivers running through it. 13 years later I find myself finally flying over the same frozen landscape on my way to explore the Kenai Fjords National Park in Southcentral Alaska. On this peninsula nearly 40 glaciers slowly slide down from the Harding Ice Field. If Denali is Alaska's crown jewel north of Anchorage then this must be it's crown jewel to the south. And now, after working in Alaska's inside passage I have a newfound knowledge and interest in these glaciers, icefields, flora, and fauna that encompass this amazing national park. Lazy Harbor Seal   In the icy waters surrounding the peninsula we find seals, sea lions, humpback whales, orca chasing salmon under our boat, and birds of

 Whether you are walking along the famous iditarod trail running towards Seward, exploring the quaint town itself, or stumbling across rare golden spruces in the woods, Seward is a must see for any Alaska visit. Heidi and I spent four days around the town and using it as a jumping off point for boat trips into the Kenai Fjords and hiking trips in the surrounding hills. We stayed for 3 nights at the Naughti Otter Inn, a quaint and friendly little hostel with private rooms, and we camped for a night under the nearby Exit Glacier...hoping for a moose or bear to walk through our camp at night.   Our trusty Chevy Spark rental car zipped us around and was just able to contain the few bags we had with us. It got great gas mileage though and managed the long uphill sections with only a little extra effort. The drive over from Anchorage was beautiful with hikes every ten miles so we drove back to check some of those out. We were surprised to find that many of them connect with the large