Out the Road

Hello everyone! Good news- the rain's cleared up a bit! That means I can go on another little adventure! I've got on my nice warm Bud Light beanie (thanks dad!) and I'm ready to go!

Here in Juneau, there is only one highway that extends throughout the entire town. It's about 40 miles long, and at each side reads a big yellow sign that says "END". You can't drive in or out of Juneau, so the only ways in are by plane or boat.

Well, today I had some free time and decided to take a drive with a friend "out the road". That's what the locals refer to the road that extends out past Auke Bay. Here are some pictures I took along the way.

The 4-lane highway that goes through town soon narrows past Auke Bay into a 2-lane highway that stretches onward through the forest.

Our first stop was at the shrine to St. Theresa. There is a small Catholic church and a few statues located in a secluded area by the shore.

I took this picture of a cross that overlooks the sea.

Our next stop was Sunshine Cove.

The pretty magenta flower that you're seeing is called fireweed.

The name fireweed is derived by its ability to quickly colonize freshly burned areas. Seeds from the plants remain viable in the ground for many years, even when larger trees start to out-compete them. If a fire rushes through the mountainsides and destroys all the larger trees, the fireweed seeds that have survived underground will then quickly spring up and cover the mountains once more. There is a lot of fireweed in Juneau, and it starts to bloom mid to late summer. Soon it will go to seed, turning into little floating cotton puffs. This is a sure sign that summer is about to end. "When fireweed turns to cotton, summer will soon be forgotten."

This busy little bee works on gathering nectar from the plants. The nectar from fireweed is used to create many different products here in Juneau. In the local shops, you can purchase fireweed honey, jam, jelly, candy, and even ice cream!

The next stop was Echo Cove!

And here are some photos along the roadside of Eagle Beach. I did see some eagles, but they were quickly chased off by a group of gulls. Eagles can be push-overs sometimes.

When you reach the end of the road, this is what you'll find:

 

There's the END sign, bullet holes and all! I suppose that shooting the sign is something that locals here do for fun..Well, guess that's as far as I can go for today! Maybe I'll visit the other END sign tomorrow!