Gustavus



The Golf Course


Into the Wild I go, a day of FREEDOM from boat life. I should be signing Freedom by George Michael as my theme song of the day. Yes, freedom, peace & solitude with the smell of the crisp warm Southeast Alaskan summer air. A day to unwind & not to listen to the voice in my head go on & on about the daily stresses of life. A day to myself with my camera in hand, embracing the open possibilities that the day unfolds.  It's like a day in the life of Alexander Super Tramp going out exploring, waiting for the adventure to unfold with the characters you meet along the way & having spurts of conversations with them, even if it might be for a split second. People are very friendly here offering lifts & such, so it’s quite easy to navigate. I set off the boat bright & early at six in Bartlet Cove at Glacier Bay National Park Headquarters with a deckhand. Not much really for the first couple of hours except “setting up my office” on the couch with my MacBook to do a few things online before catching the shuttle into town.

Starfish

Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park located in Icy Strait in the northern section of Southeast Alaska. Glacier Bay National Park & the Tongass National Forest with stunning panoramic views of snow-capped mountains surround the land. The summer is the only time that I’ve visited.  I always enjoy the wildflowers in the fields & The Salmon River meanders through the town. It's my favorite spot for a good relaxing "real" Alaskan day off. A remote fishing community is the real charm here to spark your natural high.  Let’s see, there’s really not much for this remote town except that it reminds me something out of the Maine woods with one major cross roads, an airport, golf course & a ferry terminal. The town’s population is around 400 people give or take with the main source of the economy that is strongly connected to the natural surrounding resources of tourism & commercial fishing for salmon & halibut.  Not to forget that the National Park Service, governmental offices, a school, post office also have a presence in this rural community. You definitely can tell that fishing & the outdoors is the way of life in these parts. It’s really desolated out here, but absolutely beautiful.
Fresh Produce at Sunnyside Market
I quite enjoyed walking & making a few stops at the Fireweed that is a coffee shop & art gallery, the post office to send letters to the Lower 48, Sunnyside Market that is a health food store (it’s new this year & smells like heaven to uplift your spirits) & not to forget a new find, Black Dog, a taco truck that sells amazing rock fish tacos in front of the Mercantile. The beach by the ferry dock is always enjoyable to chill out on! I had a bird fly too close to me, which scared me a wee bit. There were some amazing starfish in the low tide tidal zones too. Got to love the smell of the ocean! It’s really been a day of exploration rather than work.  I always have a fun time in Gusto.




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