Anchorage, Alaska

http://www.montychandler.com/Alaska.htm

Oct 2005 - Proving life can turn on a dime I very unexpectedly found myself in Achorage Alaska this past October. Just as I was about to head off to the UK and Amsterdam - with camera bag in tow - someone very dear to me took ill and found herself in hospital in the Anchorage area. So, the very day I was to head East, I headed West instead.

The second week I was in Alaska I was able to take some time during the day and do a little exploring. Anchorage is located on the coastline - sea level for those who did not know that. It is quite literally surrounded by mountains though - a couple of ranges in fact. The temps in the middle of October are downright cold - in the teens at night and around 30-40 in the day. The mountains had snow covered peaks, which were beautiful. In fact driving around there was dangerous for me because all I wanted to do was look around at the scenery and vistas - not neccessarily the roads!

I spent time up at Hatchers Pass - which was closed at the top due to the weather already, Seeward Highway - all the way to Seeward which was a beautiful drive, Palmer and the MatSu valley, a couple of Glaciers and the surrounding hills of Anchorage. One thing I did learn is that you have to hike to get to see anything you really want to see. That would have been ok if I had given any real thought as to where I was headed when I hurriedly packed my suitcase before my flight. But none-the-less I got to the places I needed in order to get the photo's I wanted. Well almost all the photo's I wanted..

There was a rumor going around that there were Moose walking all around the place in Anchorage and its surrounding properties. I was given instructions on a couple of occasions and assured that if I went to these places I would see Moose. Of course this never happened. In desparation, the day I left Anchorage I was actually taken on a tour of locations where my guests assured me we would see Moose. Alas, I saw no Moose.

So from what I saw In Anchorage I'll have to visit again next July when the weather is warmer, the salmon are running, the Bear and Eagles are feeding and the damned Moose are actually out and about!!! :-)

Hope you enjoy the photo's half as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Cheers,

Monty
www.montychandler.com

p.s. As for the ill person, she is now back home in the warm weather and recovering.

Blue Ridge Mountains

http://www.montychandler.com/Blue%20Ridge%20Mountains.htm

The Blue Ridge Mountains are located on the Western half of North Carolina and are shared with Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee. There are numerous roads and parkways which thread through the Mountains. The day this addition to the portfolio was shot I focused on some of the rivers, streams and waterfalls which wind in and through this wonderland of beauty.

Hope you enjoy.

Cheers,

Monty
www.montychandler.com