Juneau - 30 May 2007
I was initially quite annoyed about our Juneau stop, given that our tour had been cancelled at the last minute due to "insufficient signups", and the fact that the appropriate cruise staff had treated us so badly about it. Still, it all turned out okay - instead of going out and taking a few hundred more pictures, we just wandered the city. It turned out to be a tourist trap of the worst kind, at least in the sections that we could see; one after another you'd see stores for individual luxury goods, such as furs, perfume, jewelry, etc. This lasted until we found a bookstore, and saw a poster advertising a book signing for Michael Chabon, one of my favorite authors (author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay), later that evening! That made this particular stop one of my favorites.

Images
Our Ship
I was kindof grumpy as we were getting off, thanks to the lack of tour.
Sun Princess
I got to get a close-up shot of the ship as we were getting off, at least.
Tour Booths
Yeah, I probably could have gotten one of these, but that wasn't what I wanted, dammit!
Trolley Ride
I wasn't going on that thing, that's for sure. (Accursed fear of heights!)
Foggy Mountains
I tried to reassure myself with the idea that I wouldn't have been able to see much on the photo tour anyway.
Tolerant Beth
She was annoyed on my behalf, but still trying to humor me. *smile*
Smiley Tim
Seeing Beth can make me smile even when I'm grumpy.
Trolley Station
That's where you took those air cars up to, if you're the kind of person that can do that.
Crow
I'm not sure why this was worth a picture.
Stuffed Eagle
I was supposed to tip the eagle for taking a picture. Right!
I am not a TRASH CAN
"I am a FLOWER BED." And I am a fish!
Mailbox 251
You won't get it, don't worry.
Mr. Bear Candy Dispenser
It poops jelly beans!
Asian Mother Purse
"I got you a gift." "WHY YOU WASTE MONEY!!!"
Another Ship
I don't think I want to live in a cruise ship town.
Statue
I'm not sure what they're doing, but it's a neat statue anyway.
Sun Princess, Again
We took Beth back to the ship, because she wanted to relax rather than go to the book signing.
Sun Princess Shots
I took the opportunity to try to get some shots of the ship.
Sun Princess Shots, II
It's hard to get shots from close-up, though, without a wide-angle lens. So I gave up after a little while.
Sun Princess and Context
One more shot, as I head back out for the signing.
Mural
I'm not sure what this was supposed to mean, but I liked it.
Park Rules
"No Shooting". I liked that.
Chabon Books
The display of books was rather impressive.
Doors Open
While I was waiting for the doors to open, I noted that there would be a wet t-shirt contest at the bar across the way. Sadly, I couldn't attend that, only the signing.
Chabon Crowd
This was essentially the academic crowd from the city. I felt right at home.
Michael Chabon
There he is, the man himself.
Chabon Reading
He had a good reading style, and he didn't mind me taking pictures.
Chabon Speaking
His discussion after the reading was also quite interesting. Not that I have anything particular to say about it.
Chabon Signing
I got him to sign three books - two copies of The Yiddish Policemen's Union (one for Ray and Mel, who turned out to already have one), and one copy of The Final Solution (which I haven't yet read).
Eagle on Shed
There may be a lot of eagles in Alaska, but they're still a novelty to tourists like me.
More Mountains
It's good to get some landscape shots.
More Mountains, II
It helps underline how the place really looks, which I think is important.

[ ,,^.,^,, ] Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@killfile.org)
Last Updated: Wed, Dec 03 2008
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