Our Guide to Juneau - Sandy Beach

We're doing a short little series on our favorite places here in Juneau! So many times up at the tram, we are asked where the locals go, or where the prettiest spots are. 

Well, here are your questions answered! Our favorite places to go to, and the places we think you've just gotta see while you're here!

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Sandy beach got it's name by being the only sandy beach in Juneau. However, it's not a natural beach! It was made from the mine tailings that poured out of the two large mines in downtown Juneau. 
Because of the rich mining history, there's buildings and old mine ruins all over the beach, just waiting to be explored! If you're trip or cruise takes you to Juneau, we think this should be on your list of places to visit.

Not only is the long beach lovely to walk along, there are easy trails to follow with maps and placards to lead and show you Juneau's rich mining history.

The trails are all well kept and often walked by locals as well. 

We recommend bringing some boots if it's been raining though (some parts can get muddy!).

Here are some ruins from the Treadwell Mine, a huge mining operation once run here. We made a music video in this building for our song 'Hardrock Gold' that Paul wrote (you can see it on our newest Alaska Odyssey DVD).

Old bricks are everywhere along the paths from old buildings that once stood where the forest now grows. 

Old pieces of plates can still be found on the shore of the beach from a messhall that once was built there.

Old buildings tower among the trees.

These were once the places where men worked and worked to find gold.

Posts from long-gone docks stick out of the sandy shore. And the familiar little house, once on a dock itself, stands alone. You'll see this little spot often in artwork done of Juneau. 

If you're crazy enough, you can swim in the water with the local children. When we took these pictures, even though the sun was out, no one was seen in the water. It wasn't quite warm enough yet...

A beautiful spot indeed!

We hope you agree with us that this spot must not be missed if you ever have the pleasure of coming up to Juneau. 

It's one of our favorite places to explore!

Boardwalk To The Cliffs

What do you do when you get off early from practicing and you can actually see the sun?

Why you go on a hike of course!

But not just any hike, oh no!

You want to go somewhere were you will be greeted with lovely views.

And that's just what Quinn and I did!

The trail itself was a boardwalk, hidden from the road. I hadn't even known about the trail (which I don't believe has a name) until a friend showed it to me.

All along the path we were greeted with pretty views of the ocean through the trees, but we were headed to something much better!

Small patches of snow were nestled in among the blueberry bushes that were showing off their bright pink buds and the three leafed dogwood plant that was just starting to sprout in the moss.

It even started snowing a bit while we hiked! Not enough to make us turn around and head for home, though...we're true Alaskans. 

When we finally reached our destination, the view was amazing! The sunset shown bright right in front of us, while off to the west, large rain clouds poured on the mountain tops. 

Three seals played in the water below the steep, rocky cliffs. It was hard to get a good photo of them, but you can see one of them here in these photos.

We put a short video together to capture the cliffs and view we saw from them so that we could share the experience with you.

We hope you enjoy it:

'In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. 

The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.'

Psalm 95:4-5

A Boy And His Boat

One Sunday afternoon, Quinn and I were returning from church and spending time with my family when we saw how pretty it had gotten outside! 

The sun was out, the birds were singing, and it was even warm enough to open the sun roof in the car as we drove. We decided that something needed to be done down on the flats, as they were bathed in sunlight and the high tide was beautiful. 

Quinn suggested swimming, but it was a bit too cold for that (sorry Quinn). And after thinking a bit more I got the idea: we would get a little boat and paddle around in the sea!

But first we had to get the little boat down to the flats where the ocean was waiting for us!

We borrowed Melissa's garden cart (which Quinn tells me he borrowed quite a lot as a child for rides down the steep driveway) and set to work taking the boat down the road.

Of course Cedar came along with us (she was lucky, she had just gotten back from a walk with Paul and Melissa), but she was no help - and neither was I really - when we got to the tree line and the teeny-tiny trail our cart and boat needed to get through.

Quinn did a marvelous job getting the boat down the trail. And soon we were looking at the ocean!

Don't worry, we're not using THIS boat. 

Quinn put his little boat in the water and I carefully (with some screaming and flailing about) got in... 

It wasn't long before we had set sail, caring only about soaking up the sunshine!

Soon Cedar had jumped in and paddled after us. She probably would have been very happy to jump in the boat, but we wouldn't let her (we didn't want to get as wet as she was...). 

We took pity on poor Cedar though and stopped at an island (which isn't an island at low tide) and tied the boat up. Cedar was happy to have somewhere to walk around.

Quinn was happy to have a dry place to stretch out in the sun.

As we sat on the island I told Quinn that we should name it! Quinn replied that he and his friends had named it when they were children: One Tree Island. I looked over. "But Quinn, there's two trees." He laughed, "Well there must not have been when we were little!"

Sadly, the wind picked up and chilled us, so off we went back home again!

We had so much fun paddling around that we promised to do it again very soon. I would like to get an old fashioned wooden row boat, but Quinn fears it would be too heavy to bring down to the flats! 

Can you spy the strange creature in the water? Any guesses what it is?                                                                        It's the Loch Ness Cedar!

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."

Job 12:7-10

The Great Eagle Rescue

It was early.

Really early...

And I had made Quinn get out of bed.

He wasn't the happiest.

But it was a lovely morning! It seemed like every bird was singing in chorus with one another as we walked with Cedar along the flats right outside our home. 

The sky was a brilliant light blue, the tide was low (but slowly coming in) and the sand under our boots reminded us of the summer fun that was soon to come. 

Little did we know that our quiet walk would turn adventurous in just a short while...

After fifteen or twenty minutes of walking, we were greeted with a shock: what seemed to be a lifeless eagle was laying face-down on the beach. Upon our approach however, the eagle jumped to life, but couldn't lift it's head off the ground or get it's wings beating fast enough to take off.

It was heart-breaking to see the poor creature like this.

Immediately Quinn took out his phone and called our local raptor center. They quickly called us back and said they would be on they're way once hearing where we were located. 

But there was a problem: Cedar. We had to hold her back, the silly dog wanted to eat the dying eagle! Whenever the eagle would move or try to fly away, Cedar would try to run after it. Quinn, thankfully, kept a good grip on her collar and she never got close enough to hurt it.

After forty-five minutes of waiting, Quinn ran off to the trail we use to get to the beach to meet up with the ladies from the raptor center, while I stayed with the eagle and held Cedar back from trying to eat him.

Once they arrived, we watched as they carefully wrapped a big sheet over the eagle. And very slowly (with careful watch on Cedar) we walked them back to the road.

The two ladies explained that a euthanized dog had been dumped on a road not to far from us and the eagles in the area had been feeding on it. Because of the poisons in the dog, the eagles were getting sick. Ours had been the second report in two days of an injured eagle found in the area. 

We were so happy to help the raptor center! To see such a majestic creature up close was exciting.

But the best feeling ever came in helping the eagle. We hope it has a speedy recovery and is released again soon!

UPDATE:

   We have heard back from the raptor center! Two days after we helped take in the eagle (who wasn't able to fly or stand), they have reported he can now stand up and perch all on his own! They reported he was doing much better and that they would be transferring him to Sitka where he could get better care. Sadly, we probably wont hear anything once he goes to Sitka, but it's good knowing he's already doing so much better!