The Joys of Juneau

It could only happen to me (Ethan Stranger Myself). I’ve been blogging for quite a while & while I’ve shared a fictional origin of myself (read more of my “The Strange Untold Origin of Ethan Stranger” Post), I’ve never really shared my real birthplace… which happens to be none other than the Capital of Alaska - Juneau (however my Parents & I soon moved down to a suburb of Austin (TX). Curiously, nowadays it has a population that is out-of-control, while Juneau, on the other hand, is more slow-growing (imagine a small chunk of NYC dumped in a forest, that’s one way to describe Juneau for you tourists). So allow me, Ethan Stranger, to explain my most recent trip to my hometown. 

Some of you might’ve noticed that I’ve been away for a while! As some of you might’ve read in one of my latest posts, I was out of town, enjoying the wonders of my birthplace, and felt that I needed some time-out to recharge my batteries. Now that that’s done, I’m ready to roll!

This past summer I spent the entire month of July in my hometown of Juneau, mainly to pay respects to my Late Grandpa (read more on my “World's Greatest Grandpa Post”), it was also a chance to visit my birth home, especially revisiting the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area (Picture, Center Below).  I’m sad that I never got a chance to see Romeo. Watch this clip to learn who Romeo was: 

The original plan was for me & my parents to go to Juneau back in the summer of 2020, however, due to the CoronaVirus pandemic, those plans were shattered & I missed my last chance to see my Grandpa (in person) before he passed away back in March of this year while I was stuck in Denton, TX and my parents were in Hyderabad, India. I can’t say that it was easy to accept this hardship, but what choice did I have? I remember feeling many tangled-up emotions at the time, especially guilt as I was not able to go and say my goodbyes or keep my Grandma company - now those feelings have gone away, but, oh boy, it sure was a hard time.

 

While rejoicing in being in my hometown again, this visit will forever be memorable because I was finally reunited with my Aunt & Uncle (on my Dad’s side of the family) whom I hadn’t seen for many, many, years (Picture, 2nd Left Corner). Unfortunately, my other cousins couldn’t make it, both of whom I’ve also haven’t seen in a long time. We were also just in time for Juneau’s 4th of July Parade, watch here for more parade excitement: 

Another great aspect about Juneau is the unique wildlife that can’t be found in Cedar Park, TX. Juneau is one of those rare places where Man & Nature have managed to work out a balance where we (the People) can observe nature without disturbing it, the only other place I know where Man & Nature interact in such harmony is the Galapagos Islands, but that’s a whole other story for another time.  I think that finding balance is an important aspect of life on Earth because I enjoy observing Nature & I would just hate to see my Hometown (and all of its natural beauty destroyed).

The Pictures: Top (Left to Right) (Sea Lions, Crab, Black Tailed-Deer Doe, Banana Slug & A Flock of Mallard Ducks)

The Pictures: Bottom (Left to Right) (Willow Ptarmigan, Humpback Whale, Black Bear, Bald Eagle & Steller's Jay)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, for those you’ve exited from cruise ships off the Juneau Harbor, don’t forget to meet & greet “The Official Greeter of Juneau, AK, Patsy Ann”, a bull terrier born deaf with the ability to known Cruise Ships were approaching the docks before coming into sight (watch this for more info): 

Sometime later (while in Juneau) we departed for Sitka, AK to pay our condolences to my Late Grandpa. It was a sad/dark day for my family and for the first time I saw my Aunt cry. I’m glad we were able to have this family moment of closure, it really helped me process the entire situation.

However, our time was short. We only came to visit my Grandpa’s resting place, so we had to make the best of it. Who knows when I will visit Sitka again, but since this is my Grandpa’s resting place there will always be a good reason to go back there. Count on it. 

Besides, judging by these pictures, you can tell that I (Ethan Stranger) had a great time while being there.

Sitka is also known for having many totem poles no matter where you go (due to the Tlingit Tribe).

In the past, I have been to other parts of Alaska. I briefly stayed at the Anchorage airport once & back in 2015, my Mom, my cousin & I went to Skagway (which is a bit North of Juneau) by ferry & spent a couple of days there & even took a train to Whitehorse, Canada. Let me tell you something, Skagway is completely different from Juneau (especially the setting). It looks like God (with his giant hand) took a large part of the Old West & just dumped it in a forest. In my opinion, that’s the best way to describe Skagway. You wouldn’t find anything like it in modern-day Texas, despite Texas is known for its well-known history of Cowboys & country-style. 

Following our trip to Sitka, my Uncle (Picture, Left) & Aunt departed for Oregon, while my parents and I stayed a little bit longer (Picture, Center) to keep my Grandma company (and to help around her newly-established condo). We enjoyed playing scrabble, watching Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune.

It was too bad we didn’t go to Bullwinkles (Picture, below), but my Grandma told me that Bullwinkles had gotten too expensive. I enjoyed the Pad Thai at “Chan’s Thai Kitchen” (despite its brief closure during the Corona-Pandemic before it’s reopening). So it just goes to show you that Juneau has changed, but not as much as Cedar Park, TX.   

Finally, it was time for us to depart for Hyderabad. It was sad to leave my Grandma, but I hope that we’ll see each other again very soon. This Juneau trip was completely different from those in the past. While I enjoyed the company of my Grandma, my Uncle & Aunt, things were different without my Grandpa. I really missed the joys we had shared, especially when it came to fishing & nature hikes, but my Grandpa would’ve wanted me to enjoy my time in Juneau, surrounded by my loved ones, and some of Grandpa’s friends (as well as enjoying the beauty that my hometown has to offer). 

For the (near) future, I wouldn’t mind living back in my birthplace (after all, the Simpsons Movie, did say Alaska: A Fresh Start & as a born Alaskan, I agree with that, besides there’s hardly anything left for me in Texas (ain’t that true SpongeBob SquarePants).

So for all you tourists, feel free to visit Juneau anytime & enjoy its beauty & wonder (like I did).

(Ethan Stranger Signs Off)