*** Seattle and Maui, Coming Soon! ***

Thanks for visiting Travel Fluffy Bunny's online travel journal. She has been many places in the last few months and has a hard time keeping her entries up to date! Please check out the chapters on her Southeast Alaskan adventures and visit again soon for updates!

12. Flying Home

Departing a place where you've just spent several enlightening, memorable, and (most importantly) fun months is never easy. But it does help to have with you an overweight eagle with a lighthearted sense of humor, to help improve group morale. E'Gull used his charm to make some new friends at the terminal. ("Well lookie there! What an adorable fat eagle!")





On the plane, Fluffy found that she no longer had as much leg space on this flight as she had before. She now had a roly-poly eagle to squeeze in next to. But she was glad to have the extra company.


Fluffy reflected upon how much fun she'd had in Alaska, and when the flight attendants came down the aisle with airline credit card applications, Fluffy was slightly tempted as she looked over the form. But then her friend asked her if she had good credit and she responded brightly, "Well, I think I am well appreciated, if that's what you mean. Yes, people give me credit for things all the time. Hosting fabulous dance parties, being a good spider hunter, winning at monopoly..."

It was clear that Fluffy was probably not the best candidate for this credit card.


Since Tubby E'Gull had spent all of his life in Alaska, he was very excited to experience new parts of the world! Fluffy told him all about Colorado, and by the time they were at the airport he could barely wait to meet Rocky Mountain eagles. He might even get to know a golden eagle or two!

Fluffy, on the other hand, was more excited to look out the plane at other new places that she might get to visit someday. Peering out at the long finger inlets of British Columbia, she envisioned another kayaking trip. Or...maybe she would rent a party boat and have a Canadian-style dance party on board. She wasn't sure what "Canadian-style" meant in terms of dance parties, but she looked forward to finding out.

11. At Last, A Trip to the Famous Mendenhall Glacier

The Mendenhall Glacier is probably the top tourist destination in the Juneau area.
Since Fluffy and her travel companions had already seen plenty of glaciers, they figured that maybe they could overlook this attraction. However, after saying adieu to Gustavus and arriving to Juneau with little money but a full day and a half to spend before their flight out, the famous glacier seemed to be the perfect diversion. They hopped on one of the many $7 per person (each way) buses that runs frequently from the cruise port downtown up to the glacier, and assumed they would just walk/bus or taxi it back to the airport on their way out.


They were glad they didn't miss this place! Yes, there were many tourists. A couple Japanese tour buses had just unloaded and it almost felt like being in a foreign country. Luckily, there are a few different trails so people can disperse easily enough. Fluffy particularly enjoyed some of the bear and/or curious tourist trails that wind through the dense forests adjacent to glacier's outlying ponds.


It was a magnificent time of year to visit the Mendenhall, as the alder leaves were just starting to change color and a mysterious fall fog lingered over the chilly fresh water. Graceful icebergs drifted across the lake like abandoned swan boats in a city park. Breathing in the fresh Alaskan air, the group was glad to spend their last hours before their flight in such a peaceful place.





The peace was interrupted as they meandered across the parking lot to another trail and found an entire boardwalk scurrying with tourists in plastic ponchos trying to get an up-close photo of a black bear who had obliviously just wandered by. Feeling claustrophobic on the narrow pathway, the group decided it was a good time to check out the Visitor's Center.

Boy, was Fluffy in for a treat! She's always a fan of environmental education and interpretive exhibits, but this center really took it to the next level for a small rabbit. It was as if they had made the displays for her! She was able to climb up right next to a glacier, explore an ice cave with a climber, and -- oops! -- even fall head first into a cold crevice. She made it out just fine, and never got in trouble with any of the U.S. Forest Service staffers who were surveilling the premises.








Next up in the Visitor's Center, Fluffy was able to experience her top fears and fantasies! She burrowed into a mountain goat pelt (who's fur she had always fancied from afar), resting dreamily for a few minutes as she pretended that she was stowing away on a fearless journey along steep alpine cliffs.


She was then distracted by an interactive TV screen with information about Juneau's native salmon. She watched that for a while and particularly enjoyed the underwater video segments.

Then she saw that she had a great opportunity to play a prank on her friends. Without anyone seeing, she hopped into the agape jaw of a REAL bear! Only the bear was not alive. But the sight still gave everyone the chills (including Fluffy). Or maybe it was just Fluffy who had frightened herself, and everyone else though it was adorable. She hopped back out and retreated to the mountain goat fur until it was time to leave for the airport.

10. New Alaskan Friends

Fluffy has no problem hanging out with humans -- she is, after all, a bit anthropomorphic herself. She had made friends with the squirrels who lived under the tent and was amicable with some of the local moose. But it wasn't until a certain fellow named Tubby E'Gull joined their tent family that she felt a real connection to another wild creature. It was exciting hanging out with Tubby because he is a genuine Alaskan bald eagle. He had many amusing stories about scavenging the beach for washed-up halibut (of which some might say he ate a tad too much), and having difficulties staying airborne after a particularly sizable feast.


It was nice having another animal around to spend time with when the people were away at work. Tubby was always ready to go flightseeing, have a snack, or pay a board game. He was a very versatile friend.

He also introduced her to young sea otter named Lucy. While she was a very sweet creature, Fluffy admitted to feeling somewhat intimidated. Fluffy's name seemed like a far-reaching claim next to Lucy, who (being a sea otter) is one of the most densely furred animals in the world. But then Lucy complemented Fluffy's hip "just got out of bed" furstyle, and that made her feel better. She didn't tell Lucy that it really was only because she had just gotten out of bed. E'Gull knew what a big napper Fluffy was and chuckled to himself but didn't say anything.

9. Two Kayaks, Four Paddles, and One Tiny Rabbit

The time had come! After nearly an entire summer of envying the marine abilities of whales, sea otters, porpoises, and the like, Fluffy finally had a chance to get her sea legs. While no magical spell had been placed to turn her into a MerFluff, she had been invited on a four day kayaking trip along with four people friends. She would be only inches away from glaciers, icebergs, and 37 degree water!


The trip began with lots of packing. Multiple sets of rain gear, tents, sleeping bags, and most importantly, lots of food. Enough to fill several tall bear cans. While this trip would require a lot of physical work, it was also a priority to make it a vacation. The number of cookies, sausage logs and chocolate bars reflected this aptly.

They planned to go back into the West Arm of Glacier Bay, where they had been before on the tour boat, but there was no doubt that this would be a far different experience. The boat is restricted to certain inlets, but in a kayak only tides, icebergs and calving glaciers could limit you. The dramatic topography of the surrounding land provide only a few reliable campsites, so they had to play it by ear (a strength of Fluffy's) to see which campable areas might already be occupied by expedition tour groups or other private parties.

After checking in at the National Park headquarters and attending a backcountry orientation, the group boarded the same tour boat and settled in, temporarily, with their hot chocolates and muffins. The boat ride proved to be plenty entertaining, as they viewed 18 brown bears (many mums with cubs) and a few more black bears.


Wildlife viewing reached its climax when they spotted a wolf on the beach, and then saw three brown bears approaching it, creating an ultimate Discovery Channel face-off. The wolf tucked his tail between his legs and made himself appear small and wimpy, so the bears pitied him and eventually left him alone. This was a mildly terrifying scene for a small rabbit, especially to see right before departing on a wilderness expedition. She much preferred seeing the furry white specks of mountain goats bravely tiptoeing along the sheer rock walls. "Now that's fluffy," she thought to herself, admiring their coats with a touch of envy.


Forty miles or so into the bay, the boat dropped the group off at the Ptarmigan Creek beach, a bit closer to the glaciers than the usual drop points. (Impatient Fluffy was glad to be traveling with four friends who each represented a different kayaking company because it got them some insider perks and saved some time). As the boat quickly departed the beach, tourists took photos from the back deck of the "crazy outdoorsy types" who were voluntarily being stranded on a beach far from civilization.


The strangest turn of events was that the sky cleared a fraction, and the little blue spot of sunshine (the "sucker hole," as locals know it) opened up into a fully sunny day, probably the third sunny day since June. While there was an impulse to stay on the beach and sunbathe, the group instead filled their kayaks with gear, stripped down to t-shirts, hopped into the boats and were off.

They spent the first night on the far east side of the Topeka Glacier beach, where they wouldn't disrupt the luxury guided trip camped on the main section. The torrentially rushing river created a solid sound barrier, and from their site they would never have known that another group was 300 yards away.


The group encountered a couple bear trails while climbing up the rocky ledge to overlook their campsite, but were never bothered by any wildlife except some clumsy ptarmigans shuffling about next to their tents early the next morning.

The next three days were filled with paddling, soaking up the sun, eating greasy sausage feasts at every meal, and exploring around the beaches and glaciers. The kayakers started by paddling into Johns Hopkins inlet, dodging delicately balanced icebergs every foot of the way.


Heading back out of the inlet, they kayaked by the densely blue ice of Lamplugh Glacier and felt the cold brisk breeze pouring off onto their skin and fur.

They found their next campsite at the entrance to Reid Glacier, where they could easily paddle over to the glacier (only slightly submerged at high tide) and explore around its icy formations by foot. They also found the old decrepit cabin of a miner who left his mark on the bay by planting spruces by his home, trees which presently appear nowhere else so far up into the bay.


Realizing that anywhere in the West Arm would offer stunningly majestic scenery, on the third day the group decided to forgo plans to kayak any great distance and instead enjoy the rare sunshine and beauty of the glaciers. They gradually made their way over to Ptarmigan Creek, their original drop-off point, and spent a leisurely evening anticipating with much regret their boat pick-up the next morning.



Until next time, Glacier Bay!

8. A Weekend Getaway to Juneau

For Fluffy and her tentmates, "cabin fever" sounded luxurious. After about 6 weeks of life in their mildewy 8x10 canvas capsule, in a town of 400, they were ready for a change of pace. Baking cookies, playing ukelele and tying flies seemed less entertaining by the day. Fluffy was even becoming bored hunting spiders from her post up in the corner of the tent.



It was clearly time for a getaway. They booked tickets on the Lodge's Friday night ferry service to Juneau (on the same boat that took them up bay to see glaciers) and planned their return for Sunday evening. Regularly, the ferry is only about $15 cheaper (each way) than flying and takes about three hours instead of forty minutes. But with an insider's discount, three hours to read, play cards, enjoy the views and watch for whales didn't seem too bad.

They made it into the harbor at Auk Bay at 7:30 and immediately walked across the road to get some delicious Thai food at Chan's, a locals' favorite with waiting lines to prove it. Green curry and tom yum goong were a much welcome change from pizza and burgers. After dinner they sprinted over to the bus stop and embarked on a long journey through the valley's residential neighborhoods with many pre-16 year old teens en route to downtown Juneau.

Once they arrived to the heart of Northern Tourist Land, they hiked up the paved hill to check into the Juneau Hostel. $10 a night gets you a bunk in a compact room, as long as you promise to return by the midnight curfew and do you assigned chore in the morning. Fluffy and her friends went out for some beers on the waterfront, and when they returned around 11:30 pm everyone else was already sound asleep in their bunks and snoring loudly.

Fluffy and her bunkmate didn't get much sleep. So they got out of bed at 5:30 am and went for a stroll around downtown. A glimpse of sunshine illuminated the sloping streets and around them narrowly cascading creeks streamed down steep emerald hills. Without the cruise ship crowds, the city could not have been more lovely. After exploring some of the towns footpaths and steep connector staircases, Fluffy and her companion made their way to the Silverbow Bakery where they shared a delicious homemade almond bagel.

It turns out that no one got much sleep at the hostel, mostly due to a young drunk fellow who missed his curfew but did not miss his opportunity to bang on windows at 3 a.m. It was a mutual decision between Fluffy and her friends to find a hotel room and splurge for a night. After visiting or calling literally every place recommended in their guidebook photocopies and finding "no vacancy" signs or unforgiving peak season rates at each, they walked a bit past the heart of the touristy area to the Prospector Hotel. Here they found a nice yet low-frills room for about $40 less than many of the other desirable places in town.

After dropping off their bags, they resisted the urge to nap and instead headed next door to the Alaska State Museum. Fluffy opted to snooze in her friend's backpack (left behind in bag check), probably a wise decision given the numerous wolf and other predatory animal dioramas scattered throughout the museum. Her friends seemed to really enjoy the museum, and they imparted to her some interesting historical and ecological facts about the state.


Feeling a bit thirsty, they figured it was a good time to take the bus back towards the valley and make a short walk to the Alaskan Brewery. While there's no brewpub and not much of a brewery tour, there is a seemingly endless supply of free beer samples available from big friendly bearded Alaskan guys at the gift shop bar. The only catch is the more you drink, the more t-shirts you buy...a brilliant scheme illustrating a true win-win scenario. Meeting their saturation point, they returned to the bus stop, thankful that they didn't drive themselves. Fluffy scurried through the bushes to pick juicy salmonberries until the bus pulled up.

Back downtown, the group headed to Pel'Meni, the well-known Russian dumpling cafe, where the only things on the menu are dumplings, either pork or potato, $6 a serving (price just went up), all covered in a succulent combo of butter, curry powder, sriracha sauce, cilantro and sour cream. One dumpling (potato, of course) made a perfect feast for little Fluff. A popular place for a late-night drinking snack, the gang pledged to return later that night. They didn't let themselves down.


The next day, everyone woke up feeling refreshed from sleep, full from dumplings (round two), and satisfied because they had met their city goals of eating as much ice cream and interesting food as they possibly could. They decided that their weekend would be best rounded out by hiking one of the city's many nearby trails. They chose to hike up Mt. Roberts, about a 2.5 mile trip one way, where they could then take the tourist tramway back down ($7 per person, or just sneak on for free --either way its big savings from the $29 unlimited ride pass available at the tram's base). They hiked amidst heavy rain through a beautiful old-growth hemlock forest. At the visitor complex up top they said hello to Lady, a real live eagle who had been injured and is now part of the Juneau Raptor Center's outreach team. They also took a few minutes to enjoy the views of the city and port directly below them and learn about local geography from some interpretive signs. Then they hopped onto the tram and were back downtown in minutes.


After returning to the hotel to pick up their bags, they ran off to do some last minute grocery shopping and nearly missed the bus back to Auk Bay. Four hours after saying goodbye to Juneau they were back in Gustavus, where they sleepily crawled back into their musty tent and lamented the money they had just spent during their fun weekend in the city.

7. Berry Pickin'

A lifelong avid berrypicker, Fluffy was delighted to learn that many Gustavians, perhaps even the vast majority, also place great value in this pastime. In southeast Alaska, berrypicking isn't just for red-chinned children and muffin baking grandmothers. If the land gives you berries then you better make jam. ...And syrup, juice, pies, cobblers, you name it. Fluffy made up a list of Gustavus's edible wild berries and ordered them according to her opinion of their deliciousness:


1. Nagoonberry
An Alaskan preserves company once tried to market nagoonberry jam for the slim price of $40 a jar! While it seems absurd, anyone who tries to make their own nagoonberry jam knows a) how tedious a process it is; and b) how utterly scrumptious the results are! Nagoonberries grow on short plants -- about the same height as Fluffy -- and usually only produce one small berry per plant. The berries each have a stubbornly inverted hull that can be a real nuisance to remove.


2. Salmonberry
Plump, juicy, and in a rainbow of warm hues, these make a tasty, hydrating snack as well as a stylish hat for a very small rabbit.

3. Strawberry
Many grow by the beach and others in sunny meadows. They can be quite large for a wild variety -- up to about 1" -- and are full of sweetness. And slugs, quite often.

4. Thimbleberry
Not a common find, but these soft and delicate raspberry-like fruits taste deliciously tart and almost chocolatey.

5. Blueberry
While this is an all-time classic berry, the southeast Alaskan berries are notoriously dry, mealy and wormy. Most people opt to soak them in saltwater to lure out the worms before using them. This can be daunting...it's not rare for there to be at least one worm for every berry! These berries do make a nice jelly or syrup if boiled, squashed and then strained out.

6. Watermelon Berry (Twisted Stalk)
More of a trail snack then a bakin' and cannin' fruit. They can taste like a sweet watermelon, or a blander yet still refreshing cucumber. Don't confuse them with false solomon's seal or other poisonous plants!

7. Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum)
Many people find the raw fruits to be bitter, sour, or oddly pungent, but Fluffy thinks they're a good and tasty blast to the senses. Boiled, they can make a nice jelly or cranberry juice substitute. In the winter, they often remain clinging to branches and form little bites of sorbet for people and birds and Fluffy Bunnies.

8. Black Currant
Many people wouldn't bother with these miniature, tough, hairy fruits, but they can be a nice addition to jellies. However, some currents are better than others. Stink Currant, for instance, tastes like the name implies.

9. Bunchberry (Dwarf Dogwood)
Some folks don't recommend these for human consumption, but for Fluffy they're easy to pick, readily available, and pretty to look at.



After a summer of picking and freezing, Fluffy and some of her girl people friends put aside a couple days to dedicate to canning. They made Alaskan Four Berry Syrup, strawberry syrup, nagoonberry preserve, and blueberry syrup and jelly. Some batches proved more successful than others, but hopefully enough made it past quality control to become Christmas gifts for friends and family.

While berry picking is a seemingly lighthearted activity, it has its dark side: people can be very protective of their berry patches. Some patches, particularly of nagoonberries or introduced species like huckleberries and raspberries, are highly coveted and should not be encroached upon. That is, unless you want to make enemies quickly in a small, loose-lipped community. If someone invites you to pick with them at their secret spot, you should be highly flattered.

Fluffy just laughs at all of this. Animals can get away with all kinds of mischief, especially when they're only about 3" tall.

6. A First Trip to See Glaciers

It's hard to spend time in Glacier Bay without visiting the glaciers. After about a month in Gustavus, Fluffy and her friends finally found a day in which they could all take the Lodge's tour boat (the official tour boat concessionaire of the Park) up bay, a 50 mile journey each way. This tour would allow them to get up close to some of Alaska's most famous ice flows which they had already seen in many a postcard and coffee table book but never with their own eyes. They managed to finagle cheap tickets from a staff member acquaintance and were prepared to drink enough complimentary coffee and tea to get the remainder of their fare's worth.


The boat's route can vary significantly depending on the day, but all commercial motorized vessels are limited to the West Arm of the bay. While both arms provide breathtaking scenery and impressive glaciers, the West Arm boasts taller mountains and cliffs. Additionally, a few of the world's last advancing glaciers are found here, thanks to the endless amount of snow accumulating annually in the adjacent Fairweather mountains.


Their itinerary that day included an extended pause at South Marble Island to view hoards of stinky stellar sea lions, as well as puffins and cormorants perched upon the limestone cliffs. Afterwards, they diverted briefly into Tidal Inlet, a common place to spot brown bears. Sure enough, at the alluvial mouth of a glacial creek skulked a lone brown bear, poking his nose around intertidal rocks in search of a snack or two. This was Fluffy's first encounter with a brown bear (she had previously seen some smaller black bears around Gustavus and the Park lodge), and while she was struck by its towering size and hulking mammalian presence, she also felt a certain solidarity with the impressively furry, wild and adventurous creature.


Next destination was the famous Johns Hopkins Inlet, a favorite photo opportunity of cruise ship clientele. A whipping wind shot out from the glacier to join the rainy grayness of the day, and many tour boat passengers decided to stay indoors with their hot cocoa instead of suiting up to face the cold precipitation. Fluffy would not be deterred, although admittedly she had the advantage of a thick fur coat.


The sculptural glacier calved several times, thunderously crashing clouds of ice below as if dynamite had been set a few feet within the wall of ice. Towering waves slowly rolled toward the icebergs that filled the bay, rocking harbor seals back and forth. After the "oohs" and "ahhs" subsided, the inlet returned to its seemingly preternatural silence.


Small icebergs started to close in around the boat, an unpleasant surprise for the ship's distractedly chatty captain. Turning 180, the boat slowly picked its way through the hearty stew of ice, and eventually the captain's knuckles ceased to match the mountain snow. Fluffy requested one or two last photos to be taken, and then retreated to the damp indoor seating to nap for a couple hours until they returned to dock in Bartlett Cove.

5. The Art of Homesteading Comes Naturally to a Rabbit

After the Costco cake reserves had been depleted (even the chunk allotted to the freezer), Fluffy and her friends were getting desperate for for some new sources of cheap food. They had all become sugar addicts and busily went to work baking and plumpening themselves. But after days of subsisting only on cookies, pies and cinnamon rolls, they began to remember the importance of maintaining a balanced diet. Fulfilling their gender roles, Fluffy's girl person friend had been reading up on wild edible plants and scavenging the beach, forest and fields for tasty tender greens, while her boy person friend had been fishing for salmon, trout and dolly varden in local rivers and streams.

Fluffy has a hard time harvesting wild greens for human consumption. To her, pretty much everything tastes great, and is perfectly safe. But her friends might make that "BLAEECH" face and get a bad tummy ache or rash later on. Fluffy also isn't much good at fishing. In Fluffy's hands, both ends of a fishing rod could look the same to a trout, and Fluffy would risk being mistaken for a plump, furry hand-tied fly or even a rotund grub.


While visiting the friendly owners of a bed and breakfast, Fluffy volunteered to help thin some of the crops in their garden (only after promising the owners repeatedly that she was not "just another Peter Rabbit"). She went to work yanking carrots, beets and rutabagas out of the ground to create straight and evenly-spaced rows. While she left the best looking root veggies in the soil, she couldn't help but notice how perfectly acceptable many of the rejected individuals appeared to the palate. And so, she bagged up hundreds of mini beets and carrots, called for help from her friend and headed home with a bounty of tasty bits to be added to soups, salads and even a Thai red curry. Small enough for a tiny rabbit, tasty enough for a hungry boy and girl!