Capturing the Moment

  One of my favorite photos from the trip. Three horned puffins, all in different phases of taking off from the rocky ledge. Sanak Island. Taken from a kayak. The great thing about expedition cruising, and one of the things that makes it so different than normal cruising, is that you can change your itinerary to explore new places and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. We have been running this Aleutian Islands itinerary up here in the wilds of Alaska all summer, and each trip we try to discover new places. The trip takes us from Dutch Harbor in the Aluetians, all the way to Seward, Alaska over the course of 10 days. Usually we get to explore two different islands in the Aleutian chain, before heading east towards the outer bays of the Alaskan peninsula, Katmai, and Kodiak. However, this trip I wanted to delve deeper into the Aleutian Islands, so my plan, weather dependent, was to explore five different Aleutian Islands. It was bold...but we made it happen!...

  Carl E. Moses boat harbor in Unalaska. After nine days exploring Kenai Fjords, Kodiak Island, Katmai National Park, and the wild Alaskan Peninsula, we have made it to our final destination of Dutch Harbor, out in the Aleutian Island chain. These islands stretch from the Alaskan peninsula all the way to Kamchatka, Russia. We had a few rough nights early on, but then the weather turned beautiful and we found some amazing spots. Wide Bay and Kukak Bay provided some incredible bear encounters, Unga Island was perhaps the biggest surprise with kayaking through sea arches and exploring the ghost village. And finding a hidden cove after driving the small boat through a sea arch in Akutan was very memorable. But now it was time to explore this bustling city, out on the edge of the world. This is where the North Pacific Ocean meets the cold Bering Sea. People call it the "Cradle of Storms", and it came to fame recently with the popular reality TV series called 'The Deadliest Cat...

  Even on misty rainy days Lanikai can have its own batch of sunshine. The weather turned beautiful and sunny as soon as we started the hike.    The pillbox hike heads into the brush back behind the luxurious neighborhood of Lanikai. A bright pink sign tells you that you are on the right path. After a steep climb the hike emerges on the open ridge line. Beautiful views of Lanikai beach and the offshore islands greet you at each new stopping point. It's important to keep an eye on the trail though as a false step could lead to long tumble down the mountain.   Three old military pillboxes are set on the high points of the ridge. Colorful graffiti lines the concrete structures. It provides a lot of color to an already colorful scene. I've taken a picture of Heidi sitting on top of this structure before but the lighting today was perfect.   We continued on past the second pillbox where the ridge line turns away from the coast and heads back towards enchan...