A beautiful day in Nome

I’ve heard Montana described as “Big Sky Country” but I can’t imagine there is more big sky than this place.

And I absolutely can not imagine it in winter, when the Bering Sea freezes near land, and everything is covered in white.

There's still gold in these hills—hm—waters.  Now dredgers work offshore, sucking up the silt and filtering it for the shiny stuff.  

Those on land can walk around during low tide and see what is left behind.

We lucked out- the Salmonberry (cloudberry) Festival was going on, so we had music by Nome’s finest.

I had a great walk around  Front Street…

Me under the Iditarod Finish Line (they swing it out into the street for the race….)

You know how I love a local grocery store- had to check it out.  LOOK AT THOSE PRICES!!!!

Gas ain't cheap, either.

Flowers bloom so beautifully with all the summer sun.

Loved  the local garden!

Could I live in Nome?  Especially in winter?  I don’t know. It seems like an unplugged, simpler way of life… It’s beautiful, in a stark, barren way. 

And the locals were very friendly, and seemed to love being together as a community.  But it’s summer, and folks are out and about.

I wonder what it’s like in winter.

So now, the first  “cruise” portion of the trip has ended, and the “expedition phase” begins.  For the next 17 days, until we reach Ilulissat, Greenland, we aboard Crystal Serenity are in the hands of three ice pilots and 20-plus expedition experts, being led along the way by the icebreaker Ernest Shakleton. 

And so my Northwest Passage adventure really begins.

I can hardly wait to share it with you.