One of the first things I did after moving to Maine in 2004…was to leave Maine for an adventure of a lifetime on the Tatshenshini River, which flows through the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park, where it then joins the Alsek River. From there, they flow together to the Pacific Ocean in Alaska. This is about as remote as wilderness gets, and I was only able to be there thanks to our intrepid guide, Scot Balentine (now my husband)! These photos have been a trip down memory lane for me and with the time between then and now, I’ve long forgotten the names of many of the locations we visited, but the trip itself still exists vividly in my mind, just as it appears in these photos. After the trip, I was in charge of our reunion slideshow, and in the process of gathering everyone’s photos (there were literally hundreds), I wasn’t diligent in labeling who each photo belonged to. While many are definitely mine, some of the photos featured here may not have actually been taken on my camera, so if you happen by this page, and recognize a photo that is yours, please be sure to comment on the photo so I can properly attribute it! On the Water Time on the water was just a part of our journey… Camping in Heaven Each camp was more breathtaking than the one before. With good company and plenty of great side adventures to keep us occupied, we were always excited to find our next “home” along the river. Walker Glacier A highlight of our trip was camping at the base of Walker Glacier. I had never before set foot on a glacier, and it was more of an emotional experience than I might have expected. The other-worldly sensation of walking on crystal blue ice, layered with crevasses that led down into unseen abysses (slipping into one was a legitimate safety concern), and being connected to a force that literally shaped, and continues to shape the mountains around us and the valley we were traveling through, was exhilarating! Flowers And then…there were the flowers. Fields and fields of stunning flowers! Icebergs Camping on Alsek Lake was another major higlight of the trip. Across the lake was a large glacier (for which I don’t have a name) that was consistently calving off huge chunks of ice, filling the lake with icebergs of all…

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Heading south from Galway to our next stop, Killarney National Park, we took the scenic route along the Wild Atlantic Way around the Dingle Peninsula. We were rewarded with sweeping views of the Atlantic. Of course, I also insisted on stopping to check out some Beehive huts (clocháin) at Fán near Slea Head, just one of over 2,000 archeological sites on the Dingle Peninsula! Arriving at Killarney National Park, we found our AirBnB rental on a hill overlooking the park, with stunning views! If you’re traveling to Killarney National Park, this is definitely a place you’ll want to stay: View On AirbnbGallan Eile, Muckross, Killarney The hosts were beyond gracious, and gave us all sorts of information on places to explore and things to do. More than we could ever fit into our 2 days in Killarney this trip, but lots to dream about for our next visit. We opted to take a ride thru the park on a jaunting car, which took us in to see Muckross House and stunning Torc Waterfall. The Ring of Kerry was also on our list as a day excursion from Killarney. It was a cloudy & drizzly day, which only added to the mood as we explored historical sites along this peninsula, including the Staigue Stone Fort, Derrynane House, and a walk along the beach near the house to the ruins of Derrynane Abbey. See the rest of my highlights from our Ireland adventures: Part 1 of 6: Dublin Part 2 of 6: River Barrow by Narrowboat Part 3 of 6: Cork City, Cobh, and Spike Island Part 4 of 6: Galway and Cliffs of Moher Part 5 of 6: Dingle Peninsula, Killarney, and Ring of Kerry Part 6 of 6: Bantry, Kinsale, and Kilkenny

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