Dream trip to Alaska: whales, bears and ... dolls

Photo: From the personal archive of Elena Kukhareva

I am a photographer from West Palm Beach, Florida. At the age of 12, my dad gave me a Zenit and away we go! First for myself, then for friends and finally professionally. I live photoI want to convey the life through my work and capture the best moments of it.

Back in 2005, when I was still living in Russia, one online project held a quiz on my deepest desire. It was necessary to write to Santa about him, and this project, depending on the originality of the wish, promised to fulfill it. My desire was to visit Alaska and see whales.

I wrote a wish, but did not receive any answer, after which I decided that I would realize it myself, sooner or later! And so, having immigrated to the USA, I began to study the question: how to organize a trip to Alaska. At first I had the idea of ​​going to work at a fish factory, then to go by car, but these plans were never realized, and the desire grew every year.

A year ago I thought about traveling around Alaska on a cruise ship, and this time the stars aligned. In June, I paid for the tour, and for the next 2 months I planned it, carefully researching the Internet and reading forums. By the way, if you are going to Alaska, to make your trip as comfortable and interesting as possible, you need to study the cities, weather conditions, routes and what exactly you want to see. Then you can choose a means of transportation - an airplane, a cruise ship, a boat, a car, and so on, based on your needs.

It turned out that everything coincided. Weather, desire, opportunity, and now it’s done!

Photo: Elena Kukhareva

The liner moves forward at full speed - towards the glacier. The cold wind is in my face, I’m wearing a down jacket, a sailing jacket, a hat and gloves. Snot from my nose, tears from my eyes, but I’m standing. The place on deck was already packed 2 hours before the approach. The speed drops, we enter the bay, blocks of ice are growing before our eyes. The wind subsides, the gentle sun warms us and then - bang! Blocks of ice break off and fall into the water, causing splashes from a 5-story building. And the color of the ice is from white to turquoise. This is a must see, it's a delight!

Photo: Elena Kukhareva

While walking around the city, I came across a travel agency that offered flights over glaciers. There were 2 flights to choose from - a regular one-hour flight and a 3-hour flight with a landing in a village and lunch. Without hesitation, I made a decision - with boarding and lunch. Well, where else can I try freshly caught wild salmon, cooked on coals, and even with a view of the glacier?

Photo: Elena Kukhareva

I really wanted to see him, I even made a wish. And she didn’t just make a wish, but bought a special glass for the camera for this photo. And now - a complete surprise, only 30 meters from the wild beast. Should I run into the house or turn my camera against the sun? What would be your decision if you were in my place? And I did it, I wasn’t afraid. The result is self-satisfaction and another bright tick to add to the collection.

Matryoshka dolls are everywhere in Alaska. In every city in the state there is a Russian shop or a Russian store, which always plays Russian music and has a Russian-speaking salesperson. I have never seen such a variety of nesting dolls anywhere, both in design and color. Americans from other states and foreign tourists are very interested in the history of this souvenir. Russian sellers recognize the Russian soul in me, and we talk heart to heart, remembering Russia and childhood with nesting dolls.

Photo: Elena Kukhareva

On the 4th day of the trip we arrived in Skagway. Of my entire trip to Alaska, this city was my favorite. It's a very friendly town nestled in a gorge with clearly laid out streets and well-kept houses, as well as free museums. Skagway was founded in 1897 during the Gold Rush as the starting point for the route through White Pass to the gold fields. Mountains, snow, forests, rivers - all this can be seen while traveling by train due north towards British Columbia in Canada.

The local railway is a different story. The walk around the city began precisely from the railway station, since the purpose of staying in this city was to travel by train, and the first thing was to find out what tours were available, pay for the tour, and then walk around the city waiting for it. After talking with an aunty scout at the tourist information house, I received a map of two routes that passed outside the city. Having compared the time, effort, volume of the backpack with the equipment and the description of the map, I chose the longest, but flatter route.

Sea lions, it turns out, are great teasers.

Photo: Elena Kukhareva

Here my cherished dream came true! To see the whale is not in the cinema, not on the TV screen, but with my own eyes, literally in 10 meters, to hear the splash and sound of water, to see its grace.

Photo: Elena Kukhareva

I am amazed at brave people - those who want, can and do! No, I can only observe this from the outside. And take pictures.

Bloody Mary in Alaskan: vodka + tomato juice + celery + lime + leg and crab meat + of course, ICE.

Cruise liner in line to park in the waters of Alaska.

Up and down, up and down - these are the streets of Ketchikan! Totems surround the city everywhere - from souvenir shops to museums. The city is busy, with traffic, many tourists, locals and the incredible beauty of the fjords. And I have never seen so many fish, if we take the natural habitat. There are a lot of fish, they jump out of the water, fleeing from fur seals and trying to get across the rapids upstream. The fish is different, tasty and aromatic.

This is why my tour was conceived and implemented. It was cool, I advise everyone to visit Alaska - dreams should come true!

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