The Journal
Stories, field notes and guidance for seeing Alaska more clearly.
ALASKA EXPLAINED
Why Is There No Road to Juneau?
It’s one of the first questions most visitors ask. The answer begins with mountains, oceans and a frontier that shaped the way Southeast Alaska Connects.
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Explore Alaska by destination through thoughtful guides, local insight, and stories shaped by time spent here. Start with the place calling you north.
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Latest Stories
Field Note: An October Walk at Mendenhall: A Bear, Frost, and Nugget Falls
I went to Mendenhall to photograph Nugget Falls, but a bear crossing the road was my first surprise. Frost along the trail, the last yellow leaves, and fresh snow on the mountains kept me stopping. It was a little glimpse of Juneau between fall and winter, and plenty to notice before reaching the waterfall.
Field Note: Juneau in October - When the Town Grows Quiet
As Juneau grows quieter in October, other sounds come forward. On a walk through the woods, I hear water where summer was quiet, watch clouds move through the mountains, and catch the beat of a bald eagle’s wings overhead.
Field Note: Early September at Mendenhall Glacier
Just after Labor Day, Juneau begins to feel different. A quiet morning at Mendenhall Glacier, with fewer visitors, no salmon and no bears, revealed the subtle weight of Alaska’s changing season.
Alaska Field Note: On the Edge of the Cooler Season
Late August in Southeast Alaska feels like standing between seasons. Summer has not disappeared, but the light has begun to change, the air carries a little more coolness, and signs of what comes next are starting to appear across the landscape.
Late July in Southeast Alaska: Fireweed, Berries & Salmon
As July begins to give way to August, Southeast Alaska reveals the shift in small ways: fading lupine, climbing fireweed, ripening berries, cooler air and the gradual return of salmon and wildlife. Around Juneau, summer is still here but the landscape has already begun preparing for what comes next.
Field Note: The Week Alaska Tipped Into Summer
A summer field note from Juneau to Kodiak, where lupine, bears and lingering evening light marked the moment Alaska tipped fully into summer.
Field Notes from Juneau: Early June, Blue Breaks, Wet Trails, and Quiet Water
Early June in Juneau is lush, wet, reflective, and still holding snow in the mountains. This field note shares what I noticed this week, from moody trails and quiet water to sudden blue breaks, plus practical advice for visitors arriving in Southeast Alaska now.
Field Note: The Kind of Alaska You Can’t Schedule
A quiet spring field note from the water near Juneau, Alaska, passing Boy Scout Beach, watching the ferry head toward Skagway, seeing sea lions and a distant humpback, and remembering why some of the best Alaska moments cannot be scheduled.