We learned that the Tongass National Forest is a temperate (rather than tropical) rain forest. A mudslide had brought many trees down the side of the Thunder Mountain leaving it bare and messy. It was purchased in 1985 and the new owners took many of the trees and made them hanging planters. They are gorgeous! The staff bring the flowers out in the spring and put them all back in the green house in late September, after the tourist trips are done. We took a tram ride up the hill and saw the beautiful Mendenhall Valley from the top.
Once we finished at the Gardens we visited Mendenhall Glacier and it was beautiful too. It was fascinating to see the blue in the ice. This is a zoom in and you can see some of the blue along the edge.
To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.
SO pretty! Wish I could visit National Forests like that one! Thanks for sharing Martha!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. That is a good thought. Maybe I can get my DH to plan a trip to visit more National Forests. I'll be our son will take us to one in Hawaii when we visit next month. :-)
DeleteI had no idea there are gorgeous gardens like that in Alaska!
ReplyDeleteYes. Who would've thought??
DeleteI've never seen a glacier up close like that. What a spectacle that must be. The blue coming from inside the ice looks luminous!
ReplyDeleteHi Trish- yes it was remarkable! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteGorgeous! I would love to get a chance to see a glacier like that!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyce - My DH wasn't big on visiting Alaska but he really did enjoy the trip. Definitely worth it.
DeleteWhat a wonderful experience! I have always wanted to visit Alaska...these shots emphasize the beauty.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.
Hello Laurel - Thanks for visiting me too. I have to admit I was surprised how beautiful the area is.
DeleteGlaciers are incredible. I've seen a couple in New Zealand - their beauty is quite unique.
ReplyDeleteHi Brona- If we'd known how awesome this was we might have done one of the glacier trips when we did the Scandinavian cruise and visited Iceland.
DeleteI would really like to visit Alaska...it just seems like a place like no other :) Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteHi Peppermint Ph.D. - Yes, I would say that Alaska has a lot of unique scenery and history to enjoy. Thanks for visiting here.
Deletegorgeous! ty for sharing this beauty with us Martha!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting FHCT. :-)
DeleteGorgeous photos. I'd love to visit Alaska some day.
ReplyDeleteHi Joy- I hope you do get the chance. Thanks for visiting my post.
DeleteI dream of going on an Alaskan cruise someday. It looks beautiful! I hope it was a fun trip for you all.
ReplyDeleteI went to that glacier back in the 80s! But had definitely forgotten the name, and I don't remember seeing gardens like that. I'd love to get back to Alaska some day. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDelete