|
Juneau, Alaska |
Summer 2004 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Great moments in life happen when you say "yes!" to an adventure (...more)
Arts & Culture Independence Day, the Independent Way
On the 4th, residents who aren't participating in the parade, cheer on their friends and neighbors who are riding aboard colorful floats, on horseback, in marching bands, clowning around in creative costumes or carrying banners supporting their favorite political candidate or cause. Wide-eyed children scramble for the endless stream of candy emanating from gleaming fire engines whose bells and sirens herald their progress through the town. Over the bridge, in Douglas, Sandy Beach becomes an artist's canvas as castles, dragons and other magical creations emerge from the sand. At nearby Savikko Park, built on the tailings from the historic Treadwell Mine complex, the afternoon is filled with competitive events...from canine agility trials to children's field events where every participant is a winner. It's all topped off with the annual baseball showdown between the Juneau and Douglas Volunteer Fire Departments. And if your favorite team doesn't win...there's always next year! Through it all, the smell of hot dogs, barbeque and other summertime treats fills the air. In a state and a city that take pride in an independent lifestyle, this holiday among all others resonates with Alaskans who cherish life on America's Last Frontier. Related Links Inside The Next Issue: Outdoor Recreation Glacier Touring Is Out Of This World
When trying to describe the initial human response to seeing and experiencing the Juneau Icefield, Capt. Eugene Cernan, the last astronaut to walk on the moon, recalled his pre-lunar training experience near Juneau. Apparently NASA chose the icefield as one of the places on earth that "captured the emotional sensations that one might encounter while walking on the moon." The expansive views, stark beauty and the harshness of the ice and rock would have you agreeing with them. Like getting to the moon, you have to fly to get to the icefield, unless you want take a pretty vigorous hike up Mt. Juneau. Either way you get there, you'll be amazed by the abrupt transition from the lush green of the rainforest at sea level to the brilliant carpet of white perforated by gray mountain spires. Juneau's experienced glacier tour operators make the icefield easily accessible for most everyone. The price of a basic one-hour tour (around $180.00) includes the helicopter flight with a glacier landing, appropriate gear and a guide. Expanded tours that include dog sledding will cost up to $370.00 per person. "Out of this world" takes on figurative and literal meaning when it comes to glacier touring, whether you are enjoying it from above or mushing over its surface. Related Links Inside The Next Issue: |
Email this to a friend Comments/Suggestions
Email this to a friend Comments/Suggestions |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Juneau's Colorful Past July 4, 1898 -- Early Juneau Celebrates
On July 4th, mining operations ground to a halt and the constant roar of the stamp mills ceased, filling the town with a rare kind of quiet. A new kind of noise would fill the streets as Parades wound over the planked streets and past wooden storefronts decorated with American flags. Energized and enthusiastic residents competed in canoe races, ran three-legged dashes, participated in pie eating and marksmanship contests, and listened to the fire department band perform. The influx of gold prospectors and the flourishing mines in the early years formed the first wave of Fourth of July enthusiasts in Juneau. Merchants, fishermen and government workers followed the prospectors, and throughout all of the booms, the traditions of Independence Day celebration carry on today.
|
 |
|
|
|