Don’t worry about the weight

So many people worry day by day what the scale says. If that’s you then maybe you need a different scale. Check out these ideas of ours, that also share some of our photography.

Misty Fiords National Monument

In SE Alaska about 40 miles East from the city of Ketchikan is Misty Fjords National Monument. It is the second largest wilderness area in the U.S.A. and is composed of 2,294,343 acres. You can either get there by boat, floatplane or a combination of both. Tours usually start about $200 a person, though if you plan ahead and contact the Ketchikan visitors bureau they may have deals going on that they might suggest. Misty Fjords has 3000 foot granite walls straight up out of the ocean. It has long waterfalls. On the trip one can often see whales, mountain goats, deer, eagles and much more.

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On the way there is a good chance of seeing Eddystone which is roughly the entrance to Misty Fjords.

Some float plane tours land at the bottom of the granite walls and you can get out onto the plane’s floats, if you choose. If you take a plane, one word of advice, try not to look too much into your cameras viewfinder, as things zip by, or you may be leaving your lunch with the other passengers. Very beautiful, and is highly recommended if you make it to Ketchikan on a cruise or a vacation.

Kids like Ketchikan video

This is my second entry into the 2018 Ketchikan Film Festival. This one is more directed toward kids and has a few simple animations talking about the local area. The Film Festival will be judged on 8/24/18. For the animations I used the “Crazy Talk” program.

https://filmfreeway.com/KidslikeKetchikan

Butterfly pavilion near Denver.

The pavilion is actually located in Westminister CO. We have gone there a few times. Lost of butterfly’s floating and flying around. It is very very warm inside, so best not to go in the middle of summer.

I don’t remember how many different types of butterflies and moths they have, but it was worth the time and trip. If your trying to take pictures, my suggestion would use a burst mode if your camera allows it and also a fast speed. Some butterflies can be seen relaxing on various plants, others seem none stop and always on the move. Kids of all ages really seemed to have fun there. If your in CO and have a little spare time I would recommend this for the family.

I believe they are open every day. To contact them visit there web site at:

https://www.butterflies.org/

The Sound of Music

While traveling along the Eastern part of the U.S. of A. I heard about a place that I knew my wife would love to visit. It is located in Stowe Vermont. It is the Trappp Family lodge. This was the family that was portrayed in “The Sound of Music” movie many years ago.

I had scheduled dinner reservations ahead of time. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was very relaxing and very beautiful. There was a gentleman that was playing the piano and selling some of his cd’s, he was a very talented individual. We also went on a wagon ride of the property which was relaxing.

We went during the fall (Early Oct.) so the trees were all very nice and bright.

We did not stay the night there, as we had other travel plans, but many people were. If your travels take you through Vermont I would recommend this place to visit, especially if you or someone who your traveling with enjoys that movie.

Alaska wild animal Sancutary

So if you get to Anchorage Alaska, and want to go for a drive and possibly see some wildlife, take highway 1 south about 30 miles and right across from Whittier. It’s at mile marker 79. There is an amazing wildlife sanctuary.

They have almost any animal that you may see in the wild parts of Alaska, moose, brown bears, reindeer, elk and many others. During the summer I believe they are open every day and during the winter they are open on weekends. You can drive around the area or I suggest to see the animals the best and to get some incredible pictures park your car and walk around the area. The animals are behind fences, but nothing like a zoo.

This is definitely a place to take the kids, and they will enjoy it. If you go let me know what you thought. Then when your done you could drive to the Portage Glacier which is very close and also worth seeing.

Their web site is: https://www.alaskawildlife.org/

Crab Boat Tour Ketchikan AK

One of the tours that many people go on, while in Ketchikan is the crab boat tour. It’s about a 3.5 to 4 hour tour. I have been on it 4 or 5 times, usually taking someone who is visiting us. The ship is the Aleutian Ballad. The crew takes you out, shows you how crab pots work, they have some preset ones that they pull you for you. They show you different types of crab also from small ones to kings. The tour is very informative and the crew is very friendly.

At one point they attract some bald eagles. I have seen over 30 flying around the ship and feeding from the water, but toward the end of the season I have seen less than 10. They give you the opportunity to hold various sea creatures, if you want. This is a rain or shine tour. Best place is on top deck to get some good eagle pictures, on the bottom deck if you want to handle stuff. I believe that there are age restrictions for small kids.