A subdued and compact delight, tucked into the folds of towering, rolling mountains; and behind them rest enormous glaciers, reminding one just how insignificant we really are, like ants on the earth…

Along the Taku, you feel the essence of frontier here, thrilling you with its freedom and its dangers…

Head up the Taku River in your flat boat, east of Juneau along the Alaska-Canada border, you might find yourself at a place known affectionately as Animal House...

After a few days of adventuring up the beautiful Taku River in Alaska and the Yukon, we took a deadhead float plane back to Juneau...

In Douglas, Alaska, they have a heart-warming Independence Day celebration that begins around midnight and then is capped by a parade through the "downtown" area...

If you travel north up Alaska Highway 7, otherwise known as Glacier Highway, out of Juneau you quickly leave the populated zone and pass a number of gorgeous beaches and walking areas. Eagle Beach and Point Bridget are two lovely spots... 

At the north end of Douglas Island near Juneau, Alaska, is Outer Point, where a short trail takes you through forested wetlands to a beach with those classic, breathtaking views that make Alaska so special...

Just east of Juneau, Alaska, along Taku Inlet are a series of mighty glaciers. Era Flightseeing took me atop one, the Norris, via helicopter; once there dogsleds took me around the awe-inspiring glacial world. The folks at Era could not have been nicer or more professional; I never felt unsafe, but we still had a blast! I definitely recommend taking a trip with them...

On the edge of downtown Douglas, Alaska, in a lush forest with a serene, rocky beach, you can find the remains of the Treadwell gold mine. What once was a thriving hub of miners, horses, and donkeys, is now a lovely hiking trail in which you come across strange metal pipes and machine pieces, concrete walls, and glory holes...

Up the Taku River east of Juneau, along the Alaska-British Columbia border, is a community of happy, tough-willed souls...