Category Archives: Alaska

Upside-Down Trees

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đŸŒČUpside-Down Trees, Blossoms, and Bigfoot: A Twisted Tale from the Wild

Have you ever stumbled across a tree so bizarre it makes you question everything you know about forests? I’m talking about upside-down trees—roots in the air, branches buried in the ground. The first time I heard about them was while watching Expedition Bigfoot, and let me tell you, the theories were as wild as the wilderness itself.

👣 Bigfoot’s Botanical Calling Card?

According to some Bigfoot enthusiasts, these inverted trees aren’t just random oddities—they’re territorial markers. Picture it: a massive creature yanking a tree from the earth and slamming it back down, roots skyward, as a way of saying, “This is my turf.”

  • No machinery marks: Some of these trees are found deep in remote areas, with no signs of heavy equipment. Could a creature with superhuman strength be responsible?
  • Linked evidence: Upside-down trees often appear alongside other alleged Bigfoot clues—broken branches, bent saplings, and the eerie phenomenon known as “wood knocking.”

It’s a compelling theory, especially if you’re already deep in the Bigfoot rabbit hole. But not all explanations require a cryptid with landscaping skills


🌳 From Myth to Masterpiece: The Flower Towers of Alaska

While Bigfoot might be flipping trees for fun (or fury), there’s a more grounded—and gorgeous—version of this phenomenon in Alaska. Near the Mendenhall Glacier (yes, that glacier I visited back in 2013 and wish I’d known about this then!), a landscaper turned frustration into floral genius.

The story goes like this: after damaging some heavy equipment, the landscaper vented his rage by slamming a fallen tree stump upside down into the mud. As he stared at the dangling roots, he had a revelation—they looked like vines. Inspiration bloomed.

And so did the trees.

He went on to invert over 20 dead trees, transforming them into Flower Towers—a surreal garden where moss and netting cradle vibrant begonias, fuchsias, and petunias. The roots, once ragged and bare, now form a canopy dripping with color and life.

 

🌾 Bigfoot or Bloom? You Decide

Whether you lean toward cryptid theories or creative landscaping, upside-down trees are undeniably magical. They blur the line between folklore and flora, mystery and masterpiece.

If you’re itching to see these Flower Towers for yourself, head to Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure in Juneau, Alaska. It’s open May through September—and who knows, maybe Bigfoot will be admiring the begonias too.

 

đŸ» Chuck Reigns Supreme: The 2025 Fattest Bear Champion of Katmai

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Champion 2025

đŸ»The Bear, the Myth, the Muffin-Top Majesty

Move over, bodybuilders—Chuck the brown bear just flexed his way to victory in the most gloriously gluttonous competition of the year: Fat Bear Week 2025. With jowls jiggling and a belly that could moonlight as a beanbag chair, Chuck waddled his way into the hearts (and stomachs) of fans worldwide. This isn’t just a bear. This is a living, breathing marshmallow with claws.

Chuck – Fattest Bear Champion 2025

 

Chuck resides in Alaska’s Katmai National Park, where the salmon run is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet for bears prepping for hibernation. And Chuck? He didn’t just eat. He committed. His pre-hibernation physique is less “dad bod” and more “entire PTA meeting.”

What Is Katmai National Park, Anyway?

Located in southern Alaska, Katmai is a wild wonderland of volcanoes, tundra, and—most famously—grizzly bears. It’s home to over 2,000 brown bears, many of whom gather at Brooks Falls each summer to catch leaping salmon mid-air like furry Olympians. The park was established in 1918 to protect the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a surreal volcanic landscape born from the 1912 Novarupta eruption.

Photo by Thomas Mangelsen

But today, Katmai is best known for its bear cams and the annual Fat Bear Week, a bracket-style showdown where the public votes for the bear who best embodies the spirit of seasonal snacking.

Chuck’s Winning Strategy: Salmon, Swagger, and Zero Shame

Chuck didn’t just eat salmon—he became salmon. His folds have folds. His shadow has its own gravitational pull. Rumor has it he once sat on a log and turned it into mulch. And when he walks, the tundra trembles.

But this isn’t just about comedy—it’s about survival. Bears like Chuck must pack on the pounds to endure months of hibernation, where they’ll live off their fat reserves. So really, Chuck’s not lazy—he’s a strategic genius with a gut of gold.

Chuck’s Winning Strategy: Salmon, Swagger, and Zero Shame

And here’s the kicker: Chuck did it all with a broken jaw. Wildlife experts believe he sustained the injury during a mating-season brawl, but did that slow him down? Not one bite. He slurped, gnawed, and gorged his way to greatness, proving that nothing—not even a busted bite radius—could stop his rise to rotund royalty.
It makes his accomplishment that much more jaw-droppingly heroic.

Long Live the Lard

So here’s to Chuck: the bear, the legend, the walking beanbag. May his salmon dreams be sweet, his winter nap be cozy, and his legacy live on in every jiggle of joy.

Fat Bear Champion 2025

 

Clowns of the Sea

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Puffins, Clowns of the Sea

I love Puffins. Often called Clowns of the Sea, these charming seabirds earn their nickname thanks to their bright, multi-colored beaks, expressive facial markings, and pudgy little bodies. Add in their frantic wing-flapping and you’ve got a heartwarming, almost comical image that’s impossible not to adore. I love them so much that I embarked on a quest to see them live and in person—a surprisingly tricky endeavor on the East Coast of the USA.

Eastern Egg Rock, Maine – 2012

My first attempt was in 2012, when I joined an excursion to Eastern Egg Rock, a 7-acre island in Muscongus Bay, Maine, located about six miles east of New Harbor. It’s home to the world’s first restored seabird colony, including Atlantic Puffins. And it’s where I spotted my very first Puffin. They’re so little! Seeing one in the wild was a thrill, even if fleeting.

Puffin- Egg Island Maine 2012 photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Alaska – 2013

In 2013, I took a cruise to Alaska. I saw whales and sea lions, moose and caribou—even a couple of bears. But when the ship cruised past a raft of Puffins in Prince William Sound, I was curled up in my bunk, battling a bout of seasickness. Strike two on my Puffin quest.

Sea Lions Alaska 2013 Photo credit Deb Neumann

Machias Seal Island, Maine – 2016

Then in 2016, I heard about a National Audubon trip to Machias Seal Island in the Bay of Fundy. Puffins? Yes, please—sign me up! This time, success. The trip was everything I’d hoped for. You can read all about it in my Around Dusty Roads post [linked here].

Machia Seal Island Puffin 2016 photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Puffling Season

So what got me thinking about Puffins today? I stumbled across a story from Iceland, where residents of a seaside town were reportedly throwing baby Puffins into the sea. The headline was alarming, so of course I had to dig deeper. Turns out, the town’s streetlights confuse fledgling Puffins—called Pufflings—making it difficult for them to find the ocean when they leave the nest. Since Puffins spend the next 3–4 years at sea before returning to land to mate, this disorientation could be disastrous. Thankfully, the townspeople created a Puffling Patrol, gently collecting the confused chicks and helping them reach the water safely. A beautiful example of community compassion and wildlife stewardship.

Puffin Photo credit Deb Neumann

Conclusion

From Maine’s rocky islands to Iceland’s glowing coastlines, Puffins have a way of capturing hearts and stirring wonder. My journey to see them has been filled with detours, discoveries, and a deepening appreciation for these quirky little seabirds. Whether flapping frantically through the air or bobbing serenely on the waves, Puffins remind us that joy often comes in small, feathered packages—and that sometimes, the best adventures begin with a little obsession and a lot of heart.

 

Puffin Hide and Seek- photo credit Deb Neumann

 

 

Natural Wonders of the USA- Part 1

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Natural Wonders to See

I love lists. I love to make them and then check them off. It helps me get things done so I like seeing these lists of places to see and things to experience. Like this list of Natural Wonders in each state that I found.  I decided to go through the list and see what I’ve done and what still need to be checked off. It kind of goes with my 50 State Challenge.

Best Natural Wonders to see in each state!

1. Wyoming

Lets kick it off with Wyoming. Devil’s Tower. Located in Crook County, the Devils Tower is the first national monument in the US, established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.  I’ve been to Wyoming. It was a great trip but I was in Jackson Hole and Devil’s Tower is to the east so I didn’t see it that trip. It’s on my bucket list.

 

2. Vermont

Next on the list is one of my neighboring states, Vermont. I’ve been hanging out in Vermont since I was a kid. It was a family tradition to take Sunday drives to Vermont and count the deer that came out to graze in the fields at dusk. My favorite weekend is the Maple Sugar Weekend when the sugar shacks open up for tours and fresh maple syrup and maple sugar abound.  You have to watch for it because it depends on the weather when it gets scheduled. But I digress- the number one Natural Wonder in Vermont is… Quechee Gorge. 

Quechee Gorge 2014- Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Yes I’ve been there. Many times. This time I took the trail to the bottom of the gorge. Most folks take their pics from U.S. Route 4 bridge. You can see the bridge in this picture. It’s pretty spectacular from the bridge too.  It is among the deepest gorges in the country and the deepest in Vermont at 165 feet.

3. Alaska

I went to Alaska in 2013. Our cruise took us into Glacier Bay. Gorgeous and number 3 on our Natural Wonders List. We went in May and it was COLD! Brrr- 

College Fjord Glaciers

Glacier Bay, Alaska – 2013

The first 3

So of the first 3 on the list I’ve been to all 3 states but only 2 of the Natural Wonders.  Can’t wait to see what the next 3 Wonders are on the list. 

 

 

Cruising for Vacation, Bahamas, Mexico & Alaska

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Cruising for VacationCruise Nassau, Bahama

To cruise for vacation or not to cruise. Cruising has become the way to vacation in recent years (pre Covid). I can see the appeal. You have a floating hotel room and all of your meals. Once you board you unpack once and you are all set for the duration. For those of us who have worn out our joints so that we have had to slow down, being delivered to our location is a nice perk.

Still I haven’t been a fan of cruising in the past. My first cruise was to celebrate my friend Joe’s 40th birthday. Some of Joe’s friends and I chipped in and took him on a 4 day cruise to the Bahama’s. Since we were all on a budget my roommate and I settled for an inside cabin. It was small and cramped but we figured we wouldn’t be spending much time in the cabin so we could tolerate it. Never again. I’ll pay the extra for an outside cabin- preferably one with a balcony. The best part of that cruise for me was the stop at the private island. I spend most of the day snorkeling. There wasn’t a lot to see. Just a sandy bottom and occasional fish but floating in the warm waters was great!

I’m not a shopper so I didn’t get much out of the shopping spree in Nassau but I did enjoy the trip to Atlantis Resort. The bottom line is that Joe had a really special birthday but the experience didn’t encourage me to try cruising again.

 

Tulum

Tulum, Mexico

Tulum, Mexico

The next cruise I tried was once again with my friend Joe. We took a 4 day cruise out of the port of Miami to Cozumel, Mexico.

Before we headed out for Mexico we made a port of call in Key West. We were very familiar with Key West. Joe had worked there and I had visited on several occasions. Even so we enjoyed wandering around.

 

Once we reached Cozumel we took a wild ride across the channel to  Playa del Carmen. From there we took a bus to the Mayan Ruin at Tulum.

This was worth every penny. The ruins were amazing and when we went shopping we got to see The voladores, the flyers. These men tie themselves to a pole and and slowly descend circling the pole.

 

This cruise could have been longer as we didn’t have much time to spend in Mexico but what we saw was great. 

The Long Alaska Cruise Tour

With a couple of short cruises under my belt I let me sister talk me into taking an Alaska Cruise. What I learned from this experience is to not rely on the travel agent. As usual we were watching our pennies. We wanted to get the biggest bang for our buck. The travel agent convinced us that if we wanted to see baby animals, wildflowers and such we should take an early cruise-plus a shoulder season cruise was less expensive. Sounded good to us so we booked the first cruise of the season in late May. As our departure date neared we were notified of a cabin upgrade from ocean view to balcony. That was a great upgrade. We watched glaciers calve from that balcony.

On a shore excursion we got a taste of native culture.

Young Tlingit Dancer in Ceremonial dress

The weather didn’t cooperate for most of the cruise. Alaska had a late spring that year so there was still snow and a daily dose of cold, rainy, gray weather. We were glad we packed winter clothing. The bears were just beginning to come out of hibernation and most of the other mammals were still very pregnant. No babies yet and no wildflowers,  We were about a week too early! 

We did get to go dog sledding and spend time with the puppies. That was fun even though the snow had mostly melted there. Our sled was a big converted car body on wheels. I thought it would be too heavy for the dogs but they loved it. 

We did see Glaciers in Glacier Bay and bald eagles were everywhere. In Denali we got to see moose and caribou. At one port of call we spotted an otter! It wasn’t a total loss. I just think we had bad luck with our timing.  

Magarie Glacier

Bald Eagle on an ice floe

Even so Alaska is an amazing state. I want a return trip- by land this time. I’ve heard the way to see Alaska is in an RV but I’m still thinking about what I want from a return trip.Â