![Golden Gate Bridge](http://www.onfocus.com/cam/2002/alaska1/golden_gate.jpg)
Leaving San Francisco
I'm sitting in an Internet cafe in Skagway, Alaska. The geography is amazing here. I heard someone paraphrasing an early explorer who said, "California has spectacular Yosemite, but Alaska is filled with Yosemites." It's true. The scale of the landscape is like being in Yosemite...everywhere.
![The Pacific](http://www.onfocus.com/cam/2002/alaska1/ocean_bak.jpg)
On the ocean
My favorite part of the trip has been spending hours just watching the ocean. It's an extreme difference being out on the ocean compared with land; it's a completely flat landscape apparently without life. (Except the occasional bird, whale, or pod of dolphins...they're few and far between.) It's been a rough ride at times, and we've heard the crew mention this is the roughest ride they've had in years. It made sleeping difficult a few nights, and even though I'm on land now I can feel myself rocking. The rocking motion of the waves gets under your skin.
![Juneau](http://www.onfocus.com/cam/2002/alaska1/juneau.jpg)
Approaching Juneau
We're about halfway through the trip. We saw land for the first time in two days yesterday at Juneau where we took a trip to the Mendenhall glacier. We're headed for the glaciers of the Tracy Arm tomorrow.
![Mendenhall Glacier](http://www.onfocus.com/cam/2002/alaska1/mendenhall2.jpg)
A canoe in front of the Mendenhall Glacier
![Mendenhall Glacier](http://www.onfocus.com/cam/2002/alaska1/mendenhall1.jpg)
The Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau