Go North, Young Man – An Alaskan Adventure
View of the Gastineau channel from the Mount Roberts trail to Father Brown Cross.
I’ve always been curious to visit Alaska. The vast landscapes, the remarkable wildlife, the mix of cultures thriving in a hostile climate. So, when my friend David invited us to come to his home in Juneau for a visit, I was elated.
For me there’s nothing better than going to a new and interesting place and having the support of locals to show us around. David, Mary Alice, and Angie made us feel at home in the beautiful seaside city of Juneau while showing us some of their favorite spots. We hiked to Boy Scout beach where I picked nagune berries so full of flavor I thought my mouth would gush with juice like in a candy commercial.
The tag line would be something like, nagoonberry! Impossible to export, impossible to compare.
We tasted other summer flavors — wild blueberries and raspberries made into pies and jams. Fresh fish from the nearby ocean. And fresh-baked goodies from David’s health food store called Rainbow Foods.
Rainbow Foods, David’s livelihood for decades, is hipper than Whole Foods and as friendly as Cheers. It’s built in an old church. Thanks to David getting the word out, the basement of the building became the site for a Friday night seminar about spirituality. About 15 people shared experiences from their own journeys, I shared mine, and we concluded with a Luxor meditation from John-Roger.
Juneau, the city that receives around 300 days of rainfall each year offered us sunshine every day of our visit. But warmer than the weather were the good times we shared with our hosts. On David and Mary Alice’s 45th anniversary we went whale watching and were treated to out of the water flights from a mama whale and a pod of some six or seven more sedate whales enjoying the water near the boat.
It’s impossible to convey all that we experienced in such a short time, but the feeling of having everything fit into place and being totally looked after inspired me to record a little Diddy about being safe in an unknown land. Want to hear it? Here it goes!
There Are No Snakes in Alaska
Some friends I had never met
Stay warm through the cold and wet
And when I finally got to them
It was worth every mile spent
sun shone on the eagle’s head
And the berries blue and red
Never tasted so sweet
Someone explained to me
There are no snakes in Alaska
There are no snakes in Alaska
At the rainbow we broke bread
And another person said
Thank you for a place like this
Reminds me that magic exists
In a moment whales can fly
From the water where they hide
underneath a fairy tree
Things became so clear to me
There are no snakes in Alaska
Now if anyone should ask ya
There are no snakes in Alaska
Just a lot of bears
Love the song Matt and thanks for your kind words! I like to think you brought the sunshine with you, just as you bring the Light wherever you go. I hope you can come again. There’s lots more to see here.