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- the 3 areas in this shot are ‘clear cut areas’ where the timber has been cut and sold… it is visible and an eyesore in these beautiful areas
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- summer 2005, we came on small boat in foreground, but look at huge cruise ship about to go into view the glacier
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- my plane home! I was the only passenger with a few packages being sent ‘into town’ as the locals call Juneau
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- as we begin our landing towards Gustavus
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- the gas station/antique store draws a lot of attention from visitors
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- think about it… ALL mail must be flown into most communties in Alaska on little planes!
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- all antique gas pumps work
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- local clinic
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- the slough (area of soft, muddy ground) that leads out to the ocean. Boats are brought up here for winter grounding
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- fund raising effort marks milestone ammounts with a strawberry in the ground. hopefully this will be home to a future city center
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- my tour guide told me that one day some local goof balls traded out the letter to ready Perverse!
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- from summer 2005 (?) as we got into Pt. Aldophus
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- summer 2005 whales, whales, whales!
Gustavus is 48 air miles west of Juneau, and is the “gateway” to Glacier Bay National Park. Gustavus was created because receding glaciers and is surrounded by the mountains and icefields of Glacier Bay National Park on three sides and the ocean on the other. However, it is almost all flat, as it spreads across a large plain left behind by the glaciers. Year round there are less than 500 people in Gustavus and in turn it has as much wildlife as people! Wolves, moose, bear, whales and many other wildlife fill the area. As I flew in it seemed a bit odd to me how ‘far’ away the mountains seemed, not typical of other places here in SE Alaska. It was an interesting perspective to fly in as the other visits I have made here have been by boat.
Point Adolphus, could be seen from the air as we flew into Gustavus, however there wasn’t much whale activity as there is in the summer when the area is known as a great humpback whale feeding area. The pictures of that here on the blog were from a boat trip I took there several summers ago.
Again the area that Gustavus sits on was formed when the glaciers receded and left a nice flat area for people to call home. The town itself is less than one hundred years old. Homesteaders began arriving in 1917 to an area they dubbed Strawberry Point. In 1925 the name became Gustavus, when the U.S. Post Office required a change for its new post office, although locals continued calling it Strawberry Point and it should not be surprising that strawberries are still a big commodity in Gustavus.
At the Homestead B and B where I stayed with Sally and Tom I actually had strawberries for breakfast that Sally had picked from her garden in the summer. She also served me rhubarb jam that was also quite tasty. The richness of the community is shared by all that live here. It is a very close community and everyone waves to everyone else as you drive down the roads.
My host gave me a wonderful 1.5 hour tour of the area so I feel like I saw every nook and cranny, as it is not that big of an area. I can’t wait to take my mom here on an upcoming visit. She would love the history and all the quirks of this community.
timistravels 
The more I read your blog, Timi, the more I know for certain that I gotta be gettin’ me up to Alaska to do some looking around! What kind of things could I do solo on my DR650? Keep up the good work and great blog.
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Thanks for sharing timi, I love seeing see the pix of all of the whales, bet aunt gretchen loves the antique gas pumps:)
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