The End

Today, we arrived in Virginia.  Not to our final destination, but I'm now in my home state.  Yay!  One more day of driving and we'll be checking into our temporary quarters where we can stay put until I figure out where my permanent residence will be.  My house in Reston is rented out so I'll have to look for another place.  I can rent until the tenant's lease is up, but I am leaning towards buying.  Regardless of where I end up, I'll probably continue my blogging on http://dancingnomad3-reston07.blogspot.com/ where I was blogging before when I lived in Virginia.

Well, this will conclude my blog on my Alaskan Adventures.  It's been a great, though hard, experience.  Next time I go back to Alaska, it will be for a visit, and in summer months only :)

Good-bye, Alaska!

Doggy Parks

Selby Farms Park

From Albuquerque onward most of our sightseeing involved going to various doggy parks in the major cities.      The trip has been exhausting, so we hadn't really been in the mood for further sightseeing.  It was pretty neat seeing the various doggy parks since they all varied quite a bit.  Roosevelt Park in Albuquerque was dog-friendly, but it's not fenced.  There were little hills and trees all around, and no mud puddle for Millie to jump in.  It was a nice park.  In Oklahoma City we went to the Myriad Botanical Gardens hoping for a nice walk there, but the dog release area was quite small, and there's not much to see in the winter.  In North Little Rock we went to Burns Park where the dog park was full of mud puddles.  We ended up doing a walk in the River Trail instead.  Memphis had the best dog park ever at Selby Farms Park.  A section of the park there called Outback had over 100 acres of doggy space, which included trails and some lakes.  Nashville's doggy space at Centennial Park was also interesting, as there were lots of doggies in a concentrated area.  It was fun for doggy watching.  In Knoxville we stopped at Doggywood, which had a (relatively) small off-leash area, but a number of other open spaces and trails good for walking/jogging.

We really didn't do much else besides these stops for Millie.  The only other highlight was meeting up with Jen, a friend from college, in Albuquerque.  She just happened to be doing a fellowship there and I was really glad to catch up with her.

Most nights we preferred to relax and sort out administrative stuff on the internet.  Some nights I had to spend a bit of time planning for the next day's trip.  Mostly though, I've been worrying about the things I have to do over the next couple of months.  I am currently refinancing a property, and will be looking a for another when I get there.  I'm also trying to stay on top of my retirement accounts.  With Stocks peaking (tho now falling) in recent weeks, and bond bubble expecting to burst in the near future, I've been trying to figure out what to do with my money there.  Maybe it's time to start getting my hands dirty and try to hit it big with individual stocks.  Risky, but I might be able to do better than average if I do the research and stay on top of things.  Unfortunately I don't have much time for that at the moment.  Maybe once things settle down.  We'll see....

Bryce Canyon to Albuquerque

Colorado River near the dam

At the last minute we had a change in plans.  The weather forecast was calling for a winter storm (i.e. heavy snow) all day Wednesday in most parts of Arizona, including Flagstaff.  It was supposed to begin late Tuesday, with heaviest of the snow falling early Wednesday.  We would either be stuck in Flagstaff or end up driving through potentially bad conditions.  Instead of risking either, we decided to skip Flagstaff and head straight for Albuquerque, which didn't have any winter weather advisory.  It made for a very long day of driving, parts in middle of nowhere Arizona - miles from anything.  The scenery was nice but I definitely wouldn't want to be driving on these roads in bad weather.  The drive on 264 to I-40 was especially tiring.  Although, we saw one cyclist at a BLM visitor information center.  I hope he doesn't get stuck anywhere bad in the storm.

Despite the long drive, we did have couple of nice scenic stops.  The Lake Powell area was especially nice.  There are several view points around the town of page that are worth stopping.  We got a view of the Glen Canyon Dam, but somehow missed the stop for the Horseshoe bend.  That was where we were going to walk Millie, but since we missed it, she didn't get much of a walk rest of the day :(

Bryce Canyon

Today was one of the shortest drive days at 3.5 hours.  We were in Bryce Canyon around noon, and after lunch, spent the afternoon checking out the park.  The park hasn't really changed much since I was there few years ago, and there wasn't really enough snow to make the scenery any different.  Still, it was a nice break from the driving.  As for walking Millie, we couldn't really do any of the hikes since they don't allow dogs on most of the trails, which are snow or ice covered anyways.  On the way into the park though, about 14 miles out, there is the Thunder Mountain trail.  The trailhead is at the first scenic view point as you head towards the park.  We only walked around for an hour, but since there wasn't anyone around, we were able to let Millie run around off-leash.  Actually, I think the area outside of the park was a lot nicer than the park itself.  If you're going to go into the park, you really want to spend time doing some of the hikes down into the canyon.

One of the things I noticed today, a bright sunny day, is that my eyes are now more sensitive to light than it used to be after living in a dark place for two years.  I find myself wearing sunglasses a lot more than I used to.

Boise to Springville

Today was another easy drive, though the day was chilly and windy.  The scenery today was more 'white', as there was snow all around us except on the roads.  We also left at a reasonable time today so with a 5.5 hour drive, we got to Salt Lake City mid-afternoon.  This gave us time to take Millie to a nice walk at Parley Historic Nature Park.

Parley Historic Nature Park

Cascade Locks to Boise

Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area

Today's drive was an easy 6 hour drive on I-84 to Boise, Idaho.  We drove through the Columbia River Gorge scenic area in the rain, but it was still a pretty drive.  It got a bit drier about an hour or so into the drive.  No snow on the mountain pass either.  Once in Boise, we took Millie to an off-leash area in Fort Boise Park and tossed the ball around for her.  She's been a pretty good doggy these days in the car.  Maybe she's a bit stressed from the travel, I don't know.  She's not running around the hotel room like a lunatic like she did on the drive to Alaska so that is nice.  All-in-all, an easy day today.  Checked into Spring Hill Suites for the night, did couple loads of laundry ($1 for wash, $1 for dryer - not bad), caught up on e-mail, did taxes and got bummed, and now off to bed to try to get up early for a change.  Losing an hour as we move forward in time zones sucks....

I-84

Bellingham to Cascade Locks

After a hellish ride we were so glad to be off the ferry finally.  First things first we went to the Marine Park nearby to let Millie poo and eat breakfast.  She was very happy to be off the ferry too.  Then we found a off leash area near by (on 4th Street) where Millie got to run around more.  She was a usual naughty self and decided to jump in and roll around in a mud puddle just as we were about to leave.  Argh!  Good thing we carried a few towels with us for times like this.

Kaiten zushi

After leaving Bellingham we headed for Bellevue to meet with Sue & Mike at the Sushi Maru, my first kaiten zushi in the U.S.  It was pretty good!  Then a 3 hour drive to Portland to meet Maria and her friend for dinner at Tasty N Sons.  Unfortunately, I ended up asking her to come out to the ghetto of Portland because I wanted to avoid downtown traffic.  I wish I had left it to her to pick a place... oh well.  By the time we were done eating we had to head for our hotel, which was still 45 minutes away.  I didn't get to see much of Portland at all like I thought I might, so I guess I'll have to come back and check out this city again properly.

Tonight we're in Best Western Plus Cascade Locks.  I've been trying to stay in Best Western hotels where I can since they have the most pet friendly rooms.  Although a Mariott or Hilton would be nice, their pet fees ($75-100) are worth it only if you stay there a long time.  Most Best Western hotels that allow pets don't charge a pet fee, or if they do, it's only like $10 or $20 a night.  So far this hotel and the Best Western Plus Landing in Ketchikan have been really nice.  There aren't 'Plus' hotels in all the places we're going, so it won't be nice all the way, but hopefully the regular Best Westerns will be a comfortable stay.

Ketchikan to Bellingham

Ketchikan

The ferry ride from Ketchikan to Bellingham started off okay.  We watched couple of movies the first night - MIB3 and Battleship, which helped make time go by.  The rest of the 1.5 day ride didn't go so smooth....

We were on the Matanuska, a sister ship to Malaspina, the one I took from Bellingham to Juneau two years ago.  Malaspina was an old ship, but this one seemed even older, and it wasn't anywhere near as nice as Taku, the one we just took from Juneau to Ketchikan.  This didn't really matter too much though.  The main problem with the trip was that we couldn't get Millie to pee or poo for about 30 hours while on the ferry.  Since there are no port calls on this leg of the trip, we are given 15 minutes at 0815, 1415, 2015, & 0015 daily to feed and walk our dogs on the car deck.  It was quite distressing to not see her go pet call after pet call.  To make matters worse, I got like 2 hours of sleep the first night on the ferry thanks to a book I couldn't put down.  By the 18 hour mark I was worried sick about Millie, thinking how uncomfortable she might be and wondering whether she'd end up going inside the car where she has to stay the rest of the time.  Every other dog was doing their business but Millie and this one other dog.  The owner of the other dog seemed quite upset too and we kept asking each other "did your dog go?"  I'm not usually an emotional person but I was really worried sick and balled on the car deck.  The Watchman saw that I was upset and came over to reassur me that my dog is ok (she was wagging her tail) and it's not uncommon for some dogs to hold it the entire trip.  That made me feel better.  Due to the lack of sleep the first night, I spent quite a bit of time sleeping mid-day again.  Millie eventually did pee at about the 30 hour mark, but she didn't poo until after we got off the ferry.  (I stopped feeding her after the 2nd meal.)  I hope I never have to take a dog on a long haul ride again.

Ketchikan

View at Totem Bight Historic Park

With 6.5-20 inches of rain a month, Ketchikan is probably one of the rainiest places in the U.S.  Here we are though, for two nights, while we take a break from the 3 day ferry ride down to Bellingham.  Last time I was here it was a 7 hour layover on the ferry up to Juneau.  This time, there's no snow but plenty of rain.  At least this time I have a car to explore more of Ketchikan with.

Walk through the rainforest

The first place I found after getting off the ferry and checking into the hotel was Ward Lake.  There is an easy 1.3 mile loop around the lake that was perfect for walking Millie.  The trail here was well maintained and sheltered by the trees.  We walked around it twice to give Millie a good walk.  The next day, after checking out a few other places around Ketchikan (Saxman Park, Creek Street, and Totem Bight Historical Park), we ended up coming back to the Ward Lake area to try out portion of the Perseverence Trail.  It too was a well maintained trail.  It seems Juneau has too many trails to maintain and too many people using them so most of them are quite muddy.  Most trails I've found elsewhere in Southeast Alaska seem to be much better maintained.  Anyway, we didn't have much time to do the full trail, which was a shame, but we had to get back to the hotel before the evening rush for the laundry room started.

Our stay in Ketchikan is the last place where we will be in one place for two nights (aside from the upcoming ferry ride).  Here on out it'll be one night at each hotel, which will suck.  Well, tonight's our last night in Alaska for a while.  Tomorrow night we'll probably be in Canadian waters, and then onto the lower 48!

Juneau to Ketchikan

Since the movers wouldn't do a weekend pack, they came on Thursday for packing and Friday for the loading.  I knew by Friday or Saturday the house would be cleaned out, so instead of doing the full 3 day ferry ride from Juneau to Bellingham on Tuesday, I made plans to break it up by taking the Sunday ferry to Ketchikan and staying there couple nights before catching the ferry rest of the way to Bellingham.  It might seem an inconvenience to break the trip up like this, but it's actually brilliant and works great for us because then Millie wouldn't have to be cooped up in the car for 3 days straight.  You see, you can take pets on the ferry, but they have to stay in the car for the whole duration except when in port or during pet calls, which is infrequent.  Three days would be tough for any pet, but even more so for an active 2 year old lab.  Getting the chance to walk her in the middle of the trip helps a lot.

The Sunday ferry to Ketchikan has many stops in between - Hoonah, Sitka, Kake, Petersburg, Wrangell.  Since there are several port calls, there are no pet calls on this trip.  We wanted to walk Millie every chance we got, so we got up even for the late-night, middle-of-the-night, and early-morning port calls.  Getting up at 3am two nights in a row to walk Millie was not fun.  The odd schedule made it hard for us to get a good night's sleep so we ended up sleeping during the day a lot.  Lots of folks bring sleeping bags and even air mattresses to sleep in the lounges, but we had a comfy cabin to stay in, which was nice.  Unlike my Northbound trip two years ago, we had a window this time so we could enjoy the view, which was nice even though it was raining the whole time.  The facilities on Taku is similar to Malaspina (ferry from Juneau to Bellingham), so there is a cafeteria, bar, lounges, observation deck, solarium, and a theatre.  I don't think we did much else but catch bits and pieces of movies and do some reading.  All in all, that leg of the trip was mostly spent sleeping and walking the dog.

Auke Nu Trail

Today was our last day in Juneau.  We were going to catch the midnight ferry and made plans to take Millie for a very long walk so that she would be pooped out for the day and a half ferry ride to Ketchikan.  I had wanted to invite a friend or two to join us, but it was pissing rain in the morning so Brad & I decided to go just ourselves.  This way we could stay flexible and turn back if the hike turned into a disaster - and a disaster it was.

I'd been wanting to do Auke Nu trail for a while so I took us to that one.  Neither of us had any idea what to expect on that trail, although I had heard it's a muddy one in summer.  Since a lot of the snow at lower elevation has been melting, I thought it might be all muddy today, but it turned out ok - sort of.  The first quarter mile was all ice, which we got by with grippy things on our shoes.  The trail then turned to packed snow and was actually a pretty easy walk.  The trail takes you through forest and muskeg, with the occasional stream crossings over bridges.  The forest sheltered us from the rain and the views were nice.  For a while I wished I did invite my friends along.  After about 2 miles though, things took a turn for the worst.  The trail got a bit steeper and put us higher up on the mountain where we were more exposed to the elements.  It was chillier and windier, with rain turning to snow at times.  The snow up here was also not as packed, maybe because there was less people using it, so we kept pot holing here and there.  Our pace was slow going, and it seemed like it was taking forever to get to the next and final mile marker before the cabin.  Well, if there was one, we never got to that mile marker.  Brad was so fed up of hiking in those conditions by then that he wanted to turn around.  I felt like we were so close the John Muir cabin that quitting now seemed like a shame.  However, given that we had a ferry to catch that night, we couldn't really afford to do something stupid like get stranded at the cabin in a potential white out condition or get hurt.  Seems every time I go on these long hikes with Brad it turns into some sort of a disaster.  We joked about our Eagle Glacier hike we did last April, which was actually a lot worse, and how we're going to die here on the trail on our last day in Juneau. It wasn't as extreme as it sounds, but I suppose the potential for a real disaster was there.  After I agreed to call quits we took shelter under a tree so we can scarf down some lunch and started the 3 mile descent back down.  Once back, we got a good nap, a shower, and a dinner before heading to the ferry terminal.

Road Trip Grand Plan

We now have one week to go until my trip back to Virginia begins.  On Thursday the packers will come, and they will load on Friday.  I took Wednesday off to prep, so I only have two more days of work here - yipee!  We'll stay in a hotel from Thursday onward until we leave at 00:00 on Sunday on the Alaska Marine Highway System.  The trip to/from Juneau & Bellingham is typically three days, but I was able to split this up into 2 segments so we have 2 day break in Ketchikan.  This is great because Millie would go nuts stuck in a car for three days straight.  (See my post on the trip coming here.)  I don't expect there will be a whole lot to do in Ketchikan, but hope we find some nice trails to walk Millie on.

We arrive in Bellingham, WA on 2/15 and will drive 11 days straight until we get to our hotel in Herndon, VA.  The nightly stops planned as of the moment is this:


2/15/2013 Portland, OR
2/16/2013 Boise, ID
2/17/2013 Salt Lake City, UT
2/18/2013 Bryce Canyon City, UT
2/19/2013 Flagstaff, AZ
2/20/2013 Alberquerque, NM
2/21/2013 Shamrock, TX
2/22/2013 Little Rock, AR
2/23/2013 Nashville, TN
2/24/2013 Roanoke, VA

I went back and forth on what route to take and some how ended up with the above.  Unfortunately, I didn't make any plans for an extended stop anywhere.  Most of the driving days will be short though (~5 hrs), so I do hope to make good use of some mornings and afternoons to see things.  We do have a plan to stop into Bryce Canyon, Petrified National Forest, and Smokey Mountain NP.  We might throw some other things in as time permits.  I only wish more National Parks allow pets on the trails.  I don't really want to go somewhere on a road trip and have to leave Millie in the car.

In addition to seeing some sights, I found out some of my friends live near some of the places I'm stopping, so I am making plans to try to catch some of them also.  This probably means the most relaxing part of the trip will be the ferry ride, but it should be a fun road trip.

The only thing I really have to worry about now is weather.  I think I'll be fine down South but am not quite sure what I'll see around Boise and Salt Lake City.  I want to take my winter tires off now since I won't be able to switch 'em out until mid-April possibly if I drive with it.  Hopefully I'll get lucky and not hit much snow....

Top 10 Things Left Undone

I debated for a long time whether I should leave Alaska because there were things I wanted to do here that I haven't done yet.  I think I packed in quite a bit in two years, but with weather often being bad, it was hard to do much more than I did.  Here are the top 10 things I may have to come back to Alaska for:

1.  Chilkoot Trail

The breath taking views of the drive over White Pass this past fall inspired me to look into doing the Chilkoot Trail.  I was aiming to do this 4-5 day hike this coming August, but now that I am leaving Alaska, I'm not so sure I want to come back so soon.

2.  Aurora Viewing

Although Juneau does get the occasional aurora borealis, I was not so lucky to see any from my downtown home.  I did try once to go up to Chena Hot Springs but a weather cancellation of our flight led to cancellation of the whole trip.

3.  Glacier Bay National Park

The Glacier Bay National Park was a hop, skip, and a jump from Juneau; yet I did not make it.  I went on a glacier cruise of the Prince William Sound and the Tracy Arm fjord cruise in 2012, so I was putting Glacier Bay off for another year.

4.  Fishing

I was planning on getting into it last summer but it was such a crappy summer I couldn't get motivated.  I could've fished off shore, in my friend's boat, or on an organized fishing trip.  I am in the prime state for fishing and I didn't go at all (except for the one time a friend let me cast his line).

5.  Polar Bear Viewing

Well, this wasn't for lack of trying.  A big reason why I went to Barrow back in May was because I was hoping to see polar bears in the wild.  Didn't see any though....

6.  More Hikes

There are some hikes in Juneau I didn't get around to, but there were a lot more I want to do in Central Alaska.  The road trip I did in May covered a lot of ground in a short period of time, so it only gave me a taste of the various places we stopped in.  I think I got most of the 'sights' in, but there were so many places where I would have loved to spend more time and do some hikes.

7.  Katmai National Park

Katmai National Park is known as one of the best places for brown bear viewing in the world.  I saw a few brown bears in Denali, but seeing a bunch all at once would be neat too.

8.  Drive from Haines to Whitehorse

Most people do the Haines-Whitehorse-Skagway triangle but I ended up doing a Skagway to Whitehorse round trip.  It was a beautiful drive, but I hear the drive from Haines is also beautiful.

9.  Train Rides

The train rides in Alaska boasts wonderful views.  White Pass & Yukon Route Summit Excursion and the Aurora Winter Train, where two I had wanted to do.

10.  More Cabin stays

Although the hike to Eagle Glacier was dreadful, I really enjoyed our stay at the cabin there.  I tried to book another cabin weekend but that got washed out by a down pour.  I didn't get around to booking anymore cabin stays so I didn't get my fill of it while here.

Top 10 Hikes in Juneau

If you've been keeping up with my posts, you'll see that most of them is about a hike or a walk I did.  I love getting out for fresh air and nice views, and Juneau is a wonderful place to do this (when weather cooperates).  Especially now that I have Millie, hiking is a great way to spend time with her and get her the exercise she and I needs.  I knew Juneau had a lot of trails right in town, so I was really excited when I first got here I told my supervisor at the time that I wasn't leaving until I hiked them all.  His response was, "Great, you'll be here a while then!"  Well, I didn't get around to hiking them all.  (Fortunately that supervisor is no longer working here to call me out on it.)  I haven't done Lemon Creek, Herbert Glacier, Mount Juneau, Mount Jumbo, Auke Nu, Spaulding Meadow, and probably some others.  I'm still hoping I might get Herbert Glacier or Auke Nu trail in before I leave, but we shall see.  Of the hikes (trails with decent elevation gain) that I have done, here are my summertime favorites, in order.

1.  Granite Creek 

This was the most beautiful hike in my opinion.  I was quite disappointed that excessive snow and cool summer prevented people from hiking it this summer.  If I ever come back to Juneau in late summer or early fall and can only do one hike, this would be the one.  If you like waterfalls, this one is for you.

2.  Eagle Crest

Although the trail is quite steep (bring poles) to the top of Eagle Crest (a downhill ski area in winter), the hike is easy since it's on a service road.  At the top of the lift you can look down on Juneau, or you can continue on back to get a view of the other side of Douglas Island, e.g. Admiralty.  I'd say this hike probably has the best water views.

3.  West Glacier

This is a nice hike in the woods with the occasional break for a view overlooking Mendenhall lake.  At the very end though, you get an awesome view overlooking the Juneau icefield.  Definitely a unique view so if you're not planning on doing a Glacier hike, at least do this one.

4.  Mount Roberts

This hike would rank higher if the first hour and half wasn't so boring.  Once you get to the top of the tram though, you start getting really nice views of the channel and the surrounds.  If you don't have a dog with you, I recommend taking the tram up and hike from there to cut out the boring muddy bits.

5.  Salmon Creek

I used to do the lower half of the trail to the power house all of the time.  This was actually probably my favorite short hike that I tried to do on a regular basis since it's on a service road and it was a good length to do even on a weeknight.  If you have more time though, the rest of the trail is also nice with a view of the reservoir at the end.

6.  East Glacier

This is also another great 'short' hike when you don't have too much time to spare.  The trail is mostly in the woods, but it's a good one for moderate exercise.

7.  Eagle Glacier

Even though the hike was a disaster, there's a variety of scenery here and a view of a glacier at the end.  People seem to recommend doing this in winter when snow is packed because the trail can be muddy in the summer.  After our experience pot holing the whole way, I can't recommend going in Spring.

8.  Perseverance

This trail is popular with locals and tourists alike, probably because it's fairly easy and a really nice trail.  It's not high on my list though because I worry too much about Millie when on this trail.  If it's not the cliff edge or the porcupines or bears, it's the fast flowing stream that ends in a huge waterfall that scares me.  She jumped into the stream once and got swept downstream a bit before she managed to get out.

9.  Dan Moller

There are really no bad trails in Juneau as it's pretty almost everywhere.  Dan Moller trail takes you through the woods and the bogs to a nice cabin up top.  I'm not a fan of planks, especially when wet, so I recommend going on a dry day.

10.  Peterson Lake

I struggled with this one a bit because it was soooooooo muddy.  I still enjoyed the hike though and the view up top is nice with the huge lake.  There's also a cabin up there so it might be nice to book it for a night or two and make a weekend of it.

My View On Gun Control

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." - The Second Amendment

In light of all the recent mass shootings, the government is now considering new gun laws and many conservatives, some of my friends included, has become very vocal against gun control.  Some even burst out in rage over it (e.g. Alex Jones).  I support gun control though, and polls show most Americans also support reasonable gun legislation.  Yet, I don't hear their support for gun control as much as I hear those of the loud minority supporting gun rights.  I don't blame people for not wanting to get into politics, as I don't particularly enjoy these debates either.  I care though, and I want my voice to be heard.  I do not want to be the silent majority anymore.  So this blog is about my thoughts on various arguments against gun control:  

It's a Constitutional right.

For starters, the Constitution is open to interpretation and I have yet to hear a detailed interpretation on it from the Supreme Court.  The Constitution does not say you are entitled to any weapon or that you should not have to do background check or register guns you own.  The Second Amendment even says "a well regulated militia", which could be interpreted to mean some oversight is actually quite within the Constitutional boundaries.  The Second Amendment also says the militia is "necessary to the security of a free State." This sounds more to me like it gives our country the right to have military power to defend ourselves from our countries.  Even if that's now how some people interpret it, the Constitution can be amended if we the people wanted.  If you have no other good reason than the Constitution for your sense of entitlement to own or carry guns, then you are just a big kid crying over the possibility of getting your toy taken away.  

We have to defend ourselves from the government tyranny.

I could understand this if we lived in a place like Iran or North Korea, or if we were back in 1776.  I know we all have a hard time trusting the politicians to do the right thing but we have processes in place that allow us to deal with it in more peaceful ways.  If you're unhappy with your politician, you can vote them out.  You can also run for office yourself.  Are you afraid that our government would turn against its citizens?  This sounds like conspiracy theory to me and it implies people in our military would oblige them.  Our men and women in armed forces uniforms are believers in our freedom and our way of life.  I find it very difficult to think that they would turn their weapons on their own people.

We have a right to protect our homes.

No one would argue you have the right to self-defense and protection of your property.  Just remember there are potential consequences of gun ownership.  I have an extended family member who committed suicide with a gun.  I also know a child who was killed in an accidental shooting in his own house.  Own one if you really want, but be sure to get responsible owner and firearms training.  Also, remember that preventing an intrusion in the first place may go a long way in keeping your home protected.  Keep your doors locked, set alarms on entry points, and don't open the door to strangers.  Even if you had a gun in the house, you may not get to it fast enough or have the ability to act under duress.

National background checks are intrusion on our privacy.

Background checks are routinely done to verify personal data for many reasons.  We use them to screen potential renters, nannies, doctors, potential employees, etc. for any information that may impact your decision. Banks often do financial background checks to determine credit worthiness before approving loans.  Insurers may verify your health records during their underwriting process.  So why is a national background check so reprehensible when it comes to owning guns?  A background check could help keep people with a history of violence or mental illness from obtaining weapons illegally.

Criminals will find ways to get guns illegally anyways.

So we have to make it easy for them?  There is a difference between someone who is determined to go shoot people and someone who will shoot people just because they can.  If a person had to jump through hoops to obtain guns they may think twice about the thought of shooting someone.

Rocks can be used as weapons.  Should we ban them too?

Every analogy I've heard compares apples to oranges.  Guns were designed to kill, and some were designed to kill many people.  Most proponents of gun control are most concerned with the latter.

We should use harsher punishment instead to deter gun violence.

Harsher punishment would probably help but is only one means to an end.  Having multiple forms of deterrence increases the likelihood decreasing gun violence.

It's the culture of violence that's the problem.

Maybe this country's obsession with guns created the culture of violence.  Could be the other way around but who's to say what came first, chicken or the egg?  Regardless, many people are supportive of reducing the culture of violence and that is certainly worth pursuing.  However, risk mitigation is not done through addressing one risk factor, but by addressing as many as possible.

It's the people who kill, not guns.

When it comes to gun violence, it is people with guns that kill.  Let's not forget guns are part of the equation. The whole exercise on gun debate is about trying to prevent people from killing with guns.  We want to keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people so help us come up with the solutions instead of passing the buck all the time and fighting every step of the way.

We have to address mental illness.

Yes, we do.  Some understandably are concerned that the discussion of mental illness will be forgotten with all the debate on gun control.  Our country does need to do more to help people with mental illness and the recent shootings have highlighted that.  It's not just the mentally ill who kills with guns though.  Some kill with guns out of rage and some by accident.  

Some of the newer assault weapons make my hunting easier.

Second Amendment does not protect anyone's right to making their sport more enjoyable or easier.

It infringes on personal liberties if I can't have certain types of guns.

We all forgo our personal liberties on a daily basis.  I don't want to walk my dog on a leash but I do for the sake of others when required or appropriate.  Some nudists might complain that having to wear clothes in public infringes on their personal liberties.  No one ever really gets to do everything they want and there are good reasons for it.  Americans unfortunately seem to have this culture of self-righteousness and disregard of what's better for the larger group.  They have this delusion that their successes were built on their own and they have to answer to no one.  I'd like to see these people go find an island to live on with no contact to outside world, and let us know how much they can do on their own.

What the Obama Administration is considering won't work.

Well, at this point they are just considering things.  If there are flaws in their proposals let's address them constructively.  Let's use facts, logic, and reason to collectively come up with a solution rather than let emotions and sense of entitlement to guns dictate our actions.  Our biggest obstacle to coming up with a solution are people who are obsessed with guns and their unwillingness to allow any restrictions on them.  High-capacity magazines ban, national database for background checks, and registration requirements all sound good to me.  I don't think I've heard yet how they will control secondary markets of weapons, but I have heard the need to invest in law enforcement being mentioned.  What has the NRA or other gun advocates done to reduce gun violence?

We should arm our teachers with guns.

Our already underpaid teachers should be free to focus their efforts on educating our children.  Let's not distract them by encouraging them to take up firearms and training.  Some are doing it on their own accord for fear of their lives, and that's fine.  It would be unfortunate though if the quality of education in this country suffers anymore than it already has.

We should post armed guards at schools.

Let's not forget an armed law enforcement officer at Columbine could not stop the shootings there.  Virginia Tech also had its own police department but that did not stop the tragedy there either.   Also, I don't want to see our schools, hospitals, and churches to turn into Fort Knox.

If more people carried someone could stop a shooter on a killing spree.

Maybe some people would feel safer if more law abiding citizens carry.  I, for one, would be more uncomfortable if more people started carrying.  Law abiding citizens they may be, but there's no guarantee the average Joe would be a good shot.  I'd be more concerned about getting caught in crossfire.  There are also enough people with bad tempers out there and a simple conflict could trigger rage shooting.  No amount of training is going to make everyone a good shot.  Leave the concealed carry to trained enthusiasts or professionals.

More guns is the solution.

For every other vice; such as tobacco, alcohol, junk food, etc.; we encourage people to consume less of it, or at the very least consume in moderation.  Somehow though, the NRA think this logic should not apply to guns and more people should own and carry guns.  Of course the NRA would think this because it is self-serving.  Just as gun advocates fear what would happen if people didn't have the right to bear arms, others fear more guns will lead to more shooting.  The answer is not all or nothing here.  We should aim to strike a balance and have the right amount of firearms out there.

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Well, I suppose I could go on and on but I probably got my point of view across.  I know there are people who disagree and will have their own counter arguments.  I'm not here to debate though, since I've done enough of it already and don't think I will change my mind.  I don't expect to change the minds of some people who are against gun control either.  Maybe the opinion of one person doesn't matter, but the opinion of many do.  The gun advocates are constantly making their voices heard.  I want to encourage others who feel the same way to do so too.  

Top 10 Things I Will Miss About Juneau

1.  Off-leash Dog Walking

The number one thing that I will miss most about Juneau is being able to walk Millie off-leash on trails.  Juneau is a very dog-friendly town and most people are used to dogs running around free.  The entire town is practically a large dog park.  It is heaven for dogs.  Watching Millie running around having fun makes my walks and hikes more enjoyable.  It also lets her release more of that energy in her so that she might be more calm at night.  

2.  Fresh Air

On my most recent trip home to Virginia, I distinctly noticed the smell of car exhaust and pollution when I tried to go for a jog and thought, "ugh".  Breathing clean air is like drinking clean water.  It's nice.  I also had a lot less problems with allergies here, and I got sick less often.  Not sure if it's related, but I bet the fresh air helps.

3.  Numerous Trails

Over the course of the years my interest in hiking grew, and I've always dreamed of living somewhere where I can hike all the time.  Well, this place let me tick that off of my bucket list.  There are many trails here of varying lengths and difficulty, all within a 30-40 minute drive, most within 5 or walking distance.  The trails can at times be muddy and weather isn't always cooperative, but I've had some of my best hikes here when conditions are good.  (I will try to do post on my favorite trails soon.)

4.  Low Population

There are about 30,000 people living in Juneau.  This means that there's hardly any traffic, lines, or crowds to contend with on a regular basis.  Having only ever lived in big cities, I appreciated this a whole lot.  I will miss it when I move back to Virginia. 

5.  Glaciers

There aren't any glaciers on the East Coast, so having Mendenhall Glacier right in your town that you can drive up to see is really neat.  I never tired of visiting it.  There are also a number of hiking trails in the area such as the East Glacier Trail and West Glacier Trail.  If you're up for a fairly long hike, there are also Herbert Glacier and Eagle glacier.

6.  Waterfalls

Since Juneau sits in the middle of a rainforest, there is no shortage of waterfalls here.  A lot of the trails in Juneau have some sort of a waterfall along the way.  Probably the largest and most accessible is Nugget falls right next to Mendenhall Glacier.  Granite Creek is also a great trail for lots of waterfalls.  You will also see lots of waterfalls in the Tracy Arm Fjords, though you'll need a boat or go on a day tour.

7.  Snow

Alaska gets quite a bit of snow as you can imagine, and it's a winter wonderland here when it does.  Walking in, driving in, and shoveling snow isn't fun, but snowshoe, skiing, and snowboarding is!  If you're lucky enough to have a snowmobile you can do that here too.  It also makes everything really beautiful.

8.  Cabins

There are a lot of Forest Service and State cabins all over Alaska.  Juneau has its fair share of them, and some accessible by hiking.  These cabins let you stay out in the wilderness and relax.  I only stayed in a cabin once (a Forest Service one), but I have visited a few on my hikes.  All were really nice cabins and a great place to warm up or have lunch while on a hike.  

9.  Long Summer Days

On the longest day of the year, Juneau gets about 18 hours of day light.  There's no worrying about getting back from a hike before dark, and you can still do nice long walks in the evening after work.  Another thing I like about the summers here is that it's not so hot.  Not looking forward to 90 degrees summer in Virginia....

10.  Ferries

Don't spend thousands of dollars on an Alaska cruise.  If you want to see the Inside Passage, I highly recommend taking a trip on the Alaska Marine Highway System.  It's much cheaper and the views are the same.  They're also quite comfy and pleasant to travel.  You can even take your car and pets onto the ferries.  See also my post on Ten Reasons Why Ferries Are Better Than Planes.

Honorable Mentions

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines became my favorite US airline after moving to Alaska.  They're the only airline in and out of Juneau, but I didn't mind it so much.  Yeah, the prices were slightly higher on the airline, but I thought some of the perks they offered were pretty good.  If you're an Alaska resident, you can become a Club 49 member and not pay any baggage fee for the first two luggage.  Since going anywhere from Alaska is a long ways away, you can also rack up mileage easily by sticking to the airline.  You can earn even more miles by getting their credit card.  The goal to MVP (first elite status) is only 20,000 miles so easily achievable.  You can also fly one way within in Alaska for only 7,500 miles.

My Office

It's not a Juneau thing, but it is something I will miss.  I had it pretty good in terms of my office here.  My commute was a 3 block walk.  I also had my own office with a beautiful view of the channel.  (I saw several nice sunrises from office window.)  I won't get either in my next job, and it's not likely I will in any future jobs.

Dressing Like a Bum

You don't see many (or any) people in Juneau trying to make a fashion statement.  Given the wet, yucky weather here, people tend to dress practically.  This usually means something waterproof with Extra Tufs (Alaskan wellies).  Attire in the office can be described as "Alaskan casual", and I wore jeans & boots to work just about every day.  With my primary activity here being walking or hiking, my weekend attire was always something comfortable too.  I've never been one to dress too nicely, so it was nice not having to feel self-conscious.  I could walk into a restaurant with hat hair and not worry about what other people think since there's bound to be someone else with the same.

Saving Money

Although the cost of living is high here, I didn't really have anything to spend it on here so I was able to save a bit.  It's not like there's a lot of restaurants to go eat out at or bunch of places to shop.  Money really only got spent on necessities here.  Being able to dress very casually here also saved me money since I didn't have to buy any fancy clothes.  Alaska also has a really high COLA, which I will miss dearly....

Top 10 Things I Won't Miss About Juneau

My adventure in Alaska didn't come without a price.  Here are the top 10 things about living here that I didn't like:

1.  Rain

When I first arrived in Juneau in February 2011, it was all sun and blue skies.  It eventually started raining here and there, and after August 2011, it didn't stop raining.  I'm not kidding.  I think it rained every day in August that year, most of the days Sep-Nov.  It rained all of December 2011, and most of January 2012.  It wasn't a good Spring in 2012 and the summer sucked as well.  It wasn't until later in the summer this year and the fall when we started seeing more clear skies.  By then though, summer was over.  There's lots to do outdoors here, but a rain literally puts a damper on your plans.  I've gotten used to walking Millie in the rain, but it doesn't really encourage you to get out and do long hikes.  Not to mention it's depressing....

2.  Ice

This is Alaska so naturally you get a lot of snow and cold weather.  The climate in Juneau is fairly temperate for Alaska though, so there are warm days that melt the snow, and when it gets cold again, it all turns to ice.  The roads and sidewalks often turn into one big skating rink.  While I'm fortunate that I have a short walk to work, it's not easy walking to work on ice.  Wearing snow trax is recommended for bad days.  Oh, and if it's not ice, it's a big slush of snow and runoff so wellies are handy here too.

3.  Housing Situation

Everything is expensive in Alaska, and housing especially so in Juneau.  For a dog friendly town, it is especially difficult to find a place to rent if you have a dog.  I got lucky that I found a 3BR/2BA place with a fenced yard close to work, but it wasn't without a price.  Rent was an arm and a leg, and it was an old house with several problems.  It's drafty so oil bill this winter is so far running quite high too.

4.  Isolation

There are no roads going in and out of Juneau so you're only way in or out is by ferry or air.  The only connecting airports you can get to from Juneau is Seattle and Anchorage, and you can get there only on Alaska Air.  While Alaska Air is a nice airline, it's not cheap to get out.  A flight to Seattle will run you about $600 unless you find a deal (they do have 'em often).  The good news is you can rack up miles easily since getting anywhere is a long flight.

5.  Lack of Social Life

I found it really difficult to make friends in Juneau.  My next door neighbor hosts a ladies night every month, but after two months of hearing these ladies talk about nothing but their kids, I got tired of going to them.  Two of the three people I hung out with the most I met on the ferry coming here.  The third I met at work.  This isn't to say I didn't have opportunities to get out and do more or make new friends, but it's definitely been slow going, and it was harder for me to want to get out and about in crappy weather.

6.  Lack of Dining Options

It seems every other restaurant here is a Chinese restaurant.  There's no real Japanese restaurant and the only fast food choices in town is 1 McDonald's and 2 Subways.  I don't like Subways.  There's couple of Mexican places, a popular Thai place, couple of seafood places, and some others.  After a while you get sick of eating the same food all the time.

7.  Mud

Since it rains so much in Juneau, the trails here are often muddy.  Waterproof hiking boots are a must, and some even hike in Extra Tufs (Alaskan wellies).  I need my ankle and arch support so I stuck with boots, but it was definitely hard and not fun trying to navigate around deep muddy areas that were common on the trails.

8.  Cold Temperatures

Duh... you live in Alaska so it's going to be cold.  Well, what I didn't expect was for my house to be so darn cold.  With thermostat set to 64 on average and the temperature in the house actually hovering a bit lower than that, the cold gets old.  I usually feel warmer when I'm outdoors bundled up and walking the dog.  Yeah, cranking up the thermostat helps, as does a space heater.  But did I mention what my oil bill was last month?

9.  Berms

I have street parking and whenever it snows I have to dig my car out.  That wouldn't be so bad on its own but when the snow plows come through, they often leave a berm of snow right up against the cars parked on the street.  It's a good work out, but I'm just not cut out for it and often end up with back pain :(

10.  Wild Animals

I love hiking, but it's not so nice having to hike while worrying about whether there's going to be a bear around the next corner.  Bears are often seen running down the street in my neighborhood too.  Then there are the porcupines Millie have had a few encounters with.  And the wolves... I hear they are making a come back up near the Salmon Creek Reservoir.

Happy New Year 2013!

Well, another year gone and boy am I glad because I have high hopes for 2013.  I was recently offered couple of jobs back in Virginia.  After all of the debating I did this past year on whether I really do want to move back, I finally decided that I do.  It helped that the job I took was about as good as it could get.  For starters, it's with the same agency (though different job), it's a promotion, it comes with relocation, and it's in an ideal location.  Most government jobs in Northern Virginia are either in DC or immediate surrounds of DC.  I didn't want to be that close to DC.  Where I'm going is actually really close to where I used to live, so I have many friends in the area.  It is also in the suburbs enough that it is more affordable and less congested.  I could probably afford a house with a yard for Millie. If I was ever going to take a job back there, this had to be it.

Although I will miss some things about Alaska, there's a lot I am looking forward to - shows, concerts, sunshine, more time with friends & family, traveling, etc.  I am really excited about moving back now!