What I'm Sitting On

Last September, I sailed to Alaska with my family and came home certain I hadn't scratched the surface. So I built a two week, entirely self-funded photo intensive back to Southeast Alaska, and put a call out on social media for portrait work in the ports I'd be visiting.

James's mom, Peggy, saw it. She told me James had booked a summer contract in Skagway, playing the lead in a hundred-year-old outlaw melodrama called The Days of '98. I already knew James, I'd watched him play Mark Cohen in Rent back in Cleveland months earlier and hadn't stopped thinking about the performance. The second I heard where he'd landed, I knew the exact shot I needed.

James hadn't even finished exploring the town yet. I already had the whole portrait built in my head: the kid from Cleveland, in full costume, standing in the middle of Broadway, snow capped mountains and a whole valley behind him. Not just a costume photo. The shot that frames this exact moment in a young artist's career, the one I can already see myself hanging next to a future photo of him standing on an actual Broadway stage in New York, years from now.

We sat down over a beer at Skagway Brewing Company for the interview, and as James talked about wanting to move to New York, I could feel the whole idea sharpening in real time. Then, a few days later, on the Ghosts and Good Time Girls walking tour, Trixie Turner turned to the group mid-performance and announced, half brothel-girl bravado and half proud kid calling home, "Eat your heart out, I'm working on Broadway, Mom and Dad!" I hadn't said a word to her about the shot I was planning. The town just kept handing me the theme.

I'm sitting on a full gallery from this one. James in character on a boardwalk that hasn't changed much since 1898. The tombstone that lives in the theater lobby now, stolen and re-stolen by rival clans for decades before someone finally gave it back. A hotel guest ledger with the real Soapy Smith's signature still in it, suspiciously tidy for a man with his reputation.

And underneath all of it, a town I didn't expect. Skagway has one of the most out and proud queer communities I've run into on this whole trip, drag bingo on the first Thursday of every month, a Pride event that packs the brewery, and a saloon with a lot more history than its brothel-era reputation gives it credit for.

This is the kind of story I go looking for and rarely find, a real person, a real place, and the one true detail nobody else would have thought to notice.

Full photo essay coming soon. For now, this is what I'm sitting on.

Four Lumberjacks, One Pond, and a Cruise Ship Watching the Whole Thing

Ketchikan gives you one of the shortest port windows of the whole itinerary, which means every hour has to earn its keep. Mine went to downtown, a set of bleachers, and four men in suspenders trying to knock each other into a pond.

The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show runs on real logging events dressed up for an audience, and it does not pretend otherwise. The emcee opens by introducing the roster like a boxing card, and it plays exactly like one: a home crowd, a rival country, and four men who clearly enjoy the bit.

Meet the lineup. Lumberjacks Ethan Villnave "The Heathen" and Harrison Hodge "The Hazard" for Canada. Lumberjacks Jacob Tuholski "Hollywood"Lumberjack Wesley Muldoon "Wild" and Lumberjack Spenser Stenmark "Sonar" for USA.

Wait for the top of the swing and you get the axe head, the chips already in the air, and the guy's whole body committed to the next half second.

Axe throwing is the one event where the crowd goes quiet enough to hear the blade land. The flags behind the target are doing more work than they look like they're doing. This is not a neutral sport today.

The show knows exactly when to stop being a competition and start being a bit. Nobody in this photo is taking the moment seriously, least of all Ethan mid-kick, and that's the point.

The carving joke. Wesley Muldoon gets introduced as the show's master carver, chainsaw and all, and spends a solid few minutes building up expectations for something impressive. What he actually produces is, by design, terrible: a lopsided log with a crooked smiley face and two stick-out ears, held up like it's a museum piece while the emcee tries not to laugh on mic.

Here's the reveal. Look closer and the "pathetic log" is actually a small chair, exactly toddler sized, ears and all. It's a dad joke with a woodworking budget. The Disney Wonder is parked in the background like it came to watch too.

Speed climb. This is the event that changes the whole shape of the venue. Two lumberjacks strap in and go straight up a pair of spar poles while the crowd's neck cranes with them.

From the ground the poles look impossibly tall until you frame them against the town. Then you see it: they're taller than everything around them except the ship that brought half the audience here.

Birling. Log rolling closes the show, and it is somehow both the slowest-building and fastest-ending event of the day. Two men on a floating log, trying to out-balance each other, right up until one of them can't.

The splash gets the loudest reaction of the whole show, no surprise there. What's harder to catch on camera is the half second right before it, when both men are still fighting for balance and neither one has committed to going in yet. That's the frame worth chasing if you're shooting this show yourself.

One practical note if you're planning your own Ketchikan day. Port time here is short, so don't split lunch and the show into two separate stops if you don't have to. The dungeness crab lunchbox at the venue, crab and a side of potato, is $35 and genuinely a steal for what you get. I can vouch for the show. I cannot vouch for the crab, because I never actually ate mine. Too busy with the camera. Next time.

The full show is up in motion on Instagram if you want the noise of the chainsaws This is the version for the quiet moments in between.

14 Days of Living on a Boat in Alaska

The Norwegian Cruise Lines Jade in Skagway Ore Dock Alaska, July 3, 2026

Before you assume I'm some kind of bougie cruiser booking a back-to-back Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Whittier, my decision to spend fourteen days on a boat was mostly financial.

Norwegian Cruise Line dropped a lot of great agent sail deals this past spring, and in that mix were interior rooms on the Jade doing a seven-night, one-way route between Vancouver and Whittier. Pricing out one-way flights from Anchorage to Cleveland or Detroit put me way over budget. A Vancouver-to-Cleveland round trip, helped along by some Delta credits, did not.

An interior room for fourteen nights with no natural daylight is not my ideal setup. But I actually found myself liking it for this itinerary. My room was on deck four, close to the gangway, so with only two sea days on this route, I had priority access on and off the ship for most of the trip. I would not be spending my days on the ship. The lower deck also meant less motion, which I appreciated on the day we were farther from shore and the seas got rough. And having no window meant I actually left the room, out on the walkaround deck for sunsets and scenic cruising instead of watching from a balcony chair.

Walking Deck 7 on the Norwegian Jade

Last September I did a seven-day Alaska cruise on the Glacier Bay itinerary with my family. Compared to that trip, this one felt like a deep dive into Southeast Alaska. The two routes are hard to compare directly, but each has its own trade-offs.

The best part of the back-to-back is getting a second chance at the things you missed on the way up. (Aside from the fact that I was not hauling a suitcase up and down hills and cobblestone streets of Europe.) B2B cruising means unpacking once and I stayed in the same room for both sails. I bought books and puzzles on my first stop in Ketchikan. Shoutout to Parnassus Books in Ketchikan and Rainy Retreat Books in Juneau. Then I saved my souvenir shopping for our last stop in Ketchikan, on our way south a week later. (Hint: NCL cruisers those Ward Cove prices are the best you will see on any generic Alaska themed clothing.)

I developed a rhythm: first off the ship to explore the port and docks while morning fog still hung over the mountains. I'd stop at a local coffee house for a pastry and a latte, since the ship coffee was rough (sorry, NCL, I see you sending everyone straight to the Starbucks on every ship), then see where my feet took me. Some days I worked from an outdoor picnic table, watching the city wake up, or took unsolicited advice from the local crows in Skagway. Cafe on 5th has some exceptionally opinionated birds. I got my best uncrowded scenic shots while everyone else was at the buffet. I always walk to the coffee shops with no lines of tourists, names I do not recognize and probably a good block or two past the last souvenir shop I see. And then I wandered and snapped. I photographed every totem in my path. I photographed mosses in macro, I floated over old growth forrest in gondolas while recording video, I went into the back lots for the fresh angles.

Then I'd head back to the empty ship for a quick lunch and a device recharge, then back out again for afternoon or evening exploring. Some days I stayed out entirely, camping out in coffee houses or places like the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, where I spent an afternoon in Ketchikan drying off and reading while it poured outside. I ate chowder and soup and. spruce tip ale for lunch when I was off the ship, since it was inexpensive, local, and filling. No three-hundred-dollar crab shack bills for me this time. I was on a production budget.

The turnaround day in Whittier was a highlight of the trip. It was clear and sunny, and I spent the day wandering trails, seeing in person all the work the Whittier Parks and Rec Facebook page had been posting about. I walked the river trail, then up into the hills for a spectacular view of Billings Glacier. I also learned about the Portage Pass Trail, now on my hiking list for next time. Word is it's one of the best hikes in all of Southeast Alaska. I also became a person with a hiking list this trip, which is new for me.

The sail out of Whittier, through Prince William Sound, was magnificent, and the scenery rivaled Glacier Bay. That sail out was, if anything, more memorable than the day we actually saw Hubbard Glacier. On the trip north, we had clear morning views of Hubbard. On the way south, fog reduced it to a faint outline of mountains, which disappointed a lot of guests on that scenic cruising day.

July Golden Hour in Prince William Sound 2026

With two stops in Juneau, I spent one day whale watching and one hiking, where I crossed paths with a black bear near Basin Road by the old mining district, and met a local who taught me about Tlingit techniques for calling orcas with kelp. Two days gave me a deep dive into Skagway's arts and performing scene, but I still found time to walk along Pullen Creek, watch for salmon, and sit by the clear mountain water.

Alaska is about actions and adventure but also taking long moments to reflect. It is the climb and the appreciation of the view. It is appreciating the person who came before you to make the path and then build the bench inviting you to stop and enjoy the view. The parks and recreation and community volunteers building the path who later inspire the artist to snap the picture who will tell the story about the phenomenal hiking in their little town with a population of under 300 residents building a viable port town.

Whittier Oceanfront Cafe, Log Cabin Gifts and Fees Custom Seafoods

I was just curious about the North Side of the Lake.

I will spare everyone the long and boring story of how I ended up swapping Banff National Park for Point Pelee National Park as an end of summer vacation destination. I will say that I have no regrets in life making some unexpected turns. The sleepy little town of Leamington was a tranquil home base and my cottage came with a park pass. I was hoping to see some monarch clusters but the warmer weather is keeping the milkweed (their main food and nesting source) blooming longer. They follow the food.

The 1km long marsh boardwalk was my absolute favorite sunrise location. When I return I hope to kayak the marsh. "The Tip Exhibit" was beautiful at sunset. All of the beaches along the western side of the park provide amazing sunset view and the evening I was at the North Shore beach a mix of swimmers, paddleboarders, and sunset gazers basked in sunset views along the calm western side. (Fun fact depending on wind direction either the east or west side beaches will be wavy while the other will generally be calm.)

I participated in a free monarch spotting hike but we only saw a total of 8 butterflies. It was good people and sunset watching for this traveler who likes to fly under the radar and become an observer. The guide was very cheerful and informative but I was very happy with the tram ride to the tip in the sunset time frame when the generally only run until 5pm. One of my favorite shots to get in parks is distant candids of people enjoying these treasured spaces.

The one where she got on the ship.

“Confessions of a Cruise Skeptic: My First Time Aboard the Carnival Panorama”

Let me start with a confession: I wasn’t sure I was a cruise person. Floating buffet? Vegas-at-sea vibes? A week with strangers doing the Cupid Shuffle on Lido deck? I had doubts. But when your 69-year-old, casino-loving, photography-obsessed aunt Sheryl invites you on a Mexican Riviera cruise aboard the Carnival Panorama, you say yes—and pack stretchy pants. (And, you wake up the next day after the edibles wear off and you then still decide in the light of daylight and sobriety that high-you may be onto something.)

Spoiler: I was wrong about cruises.

Here’s the real tea on my first Carnival sailing, from the stargazing balcony moments to unexpected lizard sombrero moments in Cabo. 

All Aboard: A Balcony, a Breeze, and a Bit of Havana Magic

We booked a Havana Premium Aft Extended Balcony Room—a fancy way of saying we had the chillest corner of the ship with VIP pool access and a private outdoor hangout that caught both sunrise and moonlight.

(Aunt Sheryl? Already wrapped in a blanket on the balcony. The woman doesn’t miss a whale sighting.)

Port Stops: Ensenada, Cabo, and Sea Days

• Ensenada: Giant fresh churros the size of my face and a chaotic but charming fish market where a fishmonger posed with a gigantic crab that was likely very tasty.

• Cabo San Lucas: Picture-perfect blue water, dramatic rocks, and a photoshoot moment that screamed “midlife travel main character energy.” I also made a pharmacy pit stop for Tretinoin and Latisse—because priorities. But my one regret? Not paying a few pesos to get a photo with the two sombrero-wearing lizards. I will be returning. For the lizards.

• Sea days? Made for brunch, poolside people-watching, ship wandering, card games, and unapologetic naps.

Carnival’s vibe? Definitely not subtle. But that’s kinda the point. It was bold, kitschy, full of humanity. And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what I needed.

Best moment was when my bathing suit top flew off our balcony and landed onto the balcony below. When the couple in the cabin below found the top, the dude proceeded to try it on and model it for Sheryl and I. I can confidently say, I wore it better. But it made for a hilarious “ship happens,” moment.

Would I Cruise Again?

Absolutely. In fact—I already am. (MSC in May, and September Norwegian in January and then back again on Carnival with Sheryl in January for her 70th Sailabration.) Turns out this whole “relax and wander” thing works just fine for a theatre director who used to need a spreadsheet to unwind.

So yeah, I still pack a little chaos, a little camera gear, and a lot of curiosity. But now? I pack it for the sea—and let someone else navigate while I find the fun.

Calle de la Sol: A Hidden Gem in Old San Juan’s Layers of History

Calle de la Sol: A Hidden Gem in Old San Juan’s Layers of History

Keli returns to Puerto Rico and this time takes a slower week exploring Old San Juan solo using AI as her main travel assistant and tour guide.

It’s funny how a place can be both peaceful and alive at the same time. That’s exactly how I’d describe my colonial apartment on Calle de la Sol. The street itself feels like stepping into history—colorful walls that have seen centuries of stories, from Spanish colonists to modern-day woman crying after getting pulled over for some kind of traffic infraction five feet from my front door. The apartment is tucked behind an large wooden door that creaks in a way that makes you wonder how many people have peeped their heads through those iron gate doors.

Inside, the thick stone walls do their job, keeping the space cool even when the Caribbean sun outside is relentless. I turned off the AC to let my skin soak in the humidity. Exposed wooden beams cross the high ceiling, and just beyond the small kitchen, an interior courtyard opens up like a private little sanctuary. There’s something timeless about sitting there, surrounded by tropical plants and the sound of rustling leaves, knowing that this exact setup has been part of daily life here for generations.

Old San Juan is one of the most walkable neighborhoods I have stayed in with multiple grocery store options and restaurants within in a 5 minute walk. Be sure to shop the local bodegas and no-name stores. I had an extra immersive experience at one while pulling plantain from a branch of them in the store. I also love to cook and try new local ingredients so a Bnb option was a better choice for me than a hotel. My walking pace is adjusting to the humidity, heat and the city streets with a 30% incline.

While eating lunch in my plant filled courtyard I had a conversation of exchanging "meows" with a neigborhood cat who remained hidden. I spent my time listening to the faint hum of life outside—trying to translate conversations of the school kids playing at the elementary school across the street, the shuffle of shoes on cobblestones, and the passing cars blasting Bad Bunny beats - clearly THE PR soundtrack.

What I love about Calle de la Sol, and Old San Juan in general, is how seamlessly the present blends with the past. The apartments along this street, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, are a reflection of Spanish colonial design: thick walls to keep out the tropical heat, tall windows to catch the ocean breeze, and iron balconies that offer the perfect spot to people-watch or shout down to a neighbor. The original cobblestones lining the street, known as adoquine, were once ship ballast brought over from Spain in the 1700s. Now, they shimmer in shades of blue, especially after a good rain.

I got caught in it after an afternoon walk—rain transforms Calle de la Sol. The adoquine cobblestones become mirrors, reflecting the colors of the buildings and the cloudy sky above. I crouched down, my clothes already drenched, and snapped photos of the puddles creating perfect reflections of pinks, yellows, and turquoise walls.

Ok so let's now go behind the scenes on my trip planning...we love a good backstage tour around here! ;)

Budgeting Breakdown for Wed/Thursday

Meals in JFK airport: $76 (Farmers Fridge salad, snack mix, clam chowder and crab cakes)

Air BnBnB Stay: $882.85 (covered by travel group I'm working for along with the $323 Delta flight)

Grocery Trip: $70 for celsius drink, coffee creamer, eggs, milk, bread, cheese, sour cream, shrimp, adobo seasoning, bacon, plantains, beans, rice, tostones, sofrito, onion, avocado, reusable shopping bags

Notes on colonial apartment in Old San Juan: The colonial apartments have low ceilings in the loft area. I'm 5'8" so I was fine but my 6" friend would have felt like they were in a hobbit sized space. The electric is kind of suss in buildings hundreds of years old. I brought a small portable solar charger with built in flashlight and work-light because the people of PR deal with cruddy infrastructure issues. Be kind and resourceful if the water pressure is low or the electric goes out for a few hours. Most of the hotels have generators.

And for the digital nerdy breakdown...

Where AI has been most useful, and most un-helpful so far:

• Chat GTP is brilliant at re-formulating a travel schedule when flights are delayed and telling you about ways to spend time in various airports. When my layover switched to JFK it did a great job at recommending things to do like visiting the TWA hotel. It also reformulated my first day into a lighter schedule after arriving into San Juan later than expected and not having a chance to prepare for the week that evening. As someone who will generally start to riff when things go awry, this is a good way to keep me focused and on assignment.

• The Delta airlines app with the airport maps is so very useful. Especially when you have a gate change. Also love that Delta, like us believe that diversity, equity are inclusion are positive values.

• Chat GTP did a great job at looking at all of the items in the Air Bnb kitchen cabinet and making a suggested grocery list of local inexpensive ingredients to use for meals and made a suggested menu to make with those foods. I took a picture, told it I wanted to spend around $100 for basics and it told me what to buy and gave me a menu.

Unhelpful suggestions:

• ChatGTP recommended an evening walk in the La Perla neighborhood after I arrived and well, basic research can tell you why that may not be the best idea.

How to get the most out of your Virtual Travel Assistant:

• Be specific: When asking for a menu give your location and dietary restrictions, or things you do and don't like. It's a computer -it wont judge you.

• Ask and ask again. If you get some silly result ask again using a lightly different prompt or ask it to approach the problem from a different perspective. "Pretend you are the top travel expert in the world, but you are extremely snobby about wine. What restaurants would you recommend within a 10 minute walk with outside seating, and great ocean views." or "What is the best location to watch a sunset on 2/12 in Old San Juan while getting silhouettes of palm trees and architecture in the picture frame?" - The best part is that it wont get annoyed when you tell it to try over multiple times. (You also start to get better at communicating specific directions to all people in your life.)

• I arrange all of my travel questions and trip details in one project file in Chat GTP. This way that travel information is cross referenced with past questions and suggestions. It remembers I like to cook, I like to paint with watercolors late at night and I prefer historical or historical areas more than commercial spots in cities.

Buy the content pack today!

Natural Rock Waterslide

One of the many things I researched before our Puerto Rico trip was El Yunque National Rainforest. It is the only rainforest in the United States and is a very unique experience. We were not going here for any type of model photoshoots. We came dressed to get muddy, no makeup, prepared for uncontrollable hair and possible swimming.

Tickets to the Rainforest for entry are no longer required but you will want to arrive early since there is limited parking at each stop point. Also - don't park anywhere marked in yellow along the road even if other people are parked there. Don't ask me why I know.

We kept seeing all these posts about a natural waterslide and swimming pool but that is not in the managed part of the park. The park is full of hiking trails and waterfalls and tropical rainforest conditions as advertised. We did a loop through the windy roads and stopped at the small Rainforest Cafe for lunch in the park. Trust us - get the sampler! We also did a couple of short, yet vertical trails around Juan Diego Falls and got exceptionally muddy and slick. Wee! But on to our goal!

The Natural Waterslide is along a road Northeast of the park visitors center. It is marked in google maps and we did not have any issue with cell reception once we got down to the altitude of the visitors center. Now here is where the adventure really starts....

When you get to the natural waterslide make sure you have cash. Our car of 5 was $10 and some guy will wave you over because he is looking for people that seem lost just like you. Now you may think that you are perhaps being swindled into paying $10 to be group human trafficked, but it checks out. Once we heard the groups of gleeful yelling kiddos we relaxed. The gentleman helped us park and we were on our way down.

{Nerd Tangent Alert} I strangely had "Tennessee Mountain Home" in my head by Dolly Parton and anyone who has listened to Dolly's Parton's America will know how that song relates to the simple life of living on the mountain hills. It's a song that seems to transcend all space and time and be relatable to a whole host of people who dwell in the shadows of a range. anyway...

It's a steep and muddy walk down to the river but it all adds to the sense of adventure and charm. Once there we saw the brave souls climbing gingerly up the rock formations to make it to the slide point. This is nature...no steps here to zoom up. However, I did see a group being led by a tour guid being instructed to leave their socks on for traction. Naturally this is after the brave soul of our group Chelsea went up and gleefully down. Gold stars for navigating all on our own and don't forget your socks!!!!