Stories and guides from Alaska’s wild heart — travel, tea, wellness, and photography.
Alaska is known for its grand glaciers and wildlife, but beyond the cruise ship ports and national parks are lesser-known locations that offer unmatched photography potential. As a photographer based in Juneau, I’ve spent years chasing the light, the landscape, and the stillness. Here are 10 photogenic spots you might miss on a typical tour—but absolutely shouldn’t.
Planning a trip to Alaska? Discover the best places to see and photograph bald eagles in the wild, from Haines to Juneau. This travel and photography guide offers expert tips, ideal travel times, and a stunning video capturing eagles in flight across Southeast Alaska.
Discover when and where to see the northern lights in Alaska, plus expert photography tips from Mary Jacquel. Learn how to photograph the aurora with confidence.
This article may be especially helpful if you're docking in Juneau, Alaska for just a day and you want to make the most of your time in this vibrant capital city.
Here’s your insider's guide tailored specifically for cruise passengers—whether you're exploring on foot from the port or have transportation and a few extra hours to venture beyond downtown.
When people ask me what to pack for an Alaska cruise, I always smile — because as someone who lives in Juneau, I know just how wildly the weather and experiences can change from hour to hour. Whether you're photographing glaciers, exploring charming coastal towns, or spotting whales from your balcony, the right gear can make all the difference. If you want to travel Alaska prepared — and capture it beautifully — here’s your ultimate packing list straight from a local who lives it every day.
Discover the best things to do in Skagway, Alaska in one day! This cruise-friendly guide highlights must-see sights, local gems, and incredible photo spots perfect for your Alaska travel scrapbook.
Skagway is a tiny but mighty town bursting with frontier history, dramatic mountain scenery, and picture-perfect charm. For cruise passengers docking for just one day, this Skagway travel guide delivers the top experiences and best photography locations, all within reach of the port.
Make the most of your cruise stop in Ketchikan, Alaska with this one-day guide! Discover local culture, top excursions, hidden gems, and the best photo spots for capturing Alaska's natural beauty.
Ketchikan, known as Alaska’s First City and the Salmon Capital of the World, is a vibrant coastal town brimming with native culture, rich history, and breathtaking scenery. Nestled in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, it’s one of the most photogenic towns along the Inside Passage — making it a dream destination for travelers and photographers alike.
Whether you're here for a few hours or a full day, this guide will help you experience the best of Ketchikan — and bring home frame-worthy photos of your Alaska adventure.
During the summer months especially, Alaska receives thousands of tourists. Over the years and after talking with many tourists, this article lists some of the things that locals have learned that would be helpful for future tourists. This article passes the wisdom and learnings of tourists onto the future tourist and reader.
We’re all first time travelers to a destination once! I wanted to share a few items to help provide structure to areas a first time visitor may have when thinking about their trip to Alaska.
Alaska is a land of breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rich cultural history. For first-time visitors, the state offers an incredible variety of destinations, from bustling coastal cities to remote national parks. Quite honestly, it can be overwhelming - so much to see, do, taste and experience (and in a short amount of time!).
Whether you’re arriving by Alaska cruise, plane to Alaska, or planning an Alaska road trip, here are the must-see places to add to your Alaska travel itinerary. I’ve also provided some thought-provoking itinerary planning questions for you to ponder as you plan.
Alaska is a land of breathtaking scenery, adventure, and exploration. However, the weather can be unpredictable, with temperatures shifting throughout the day and frequent rain, especially in Southeast Alaska. To make the most of your trip, here’s a comprehensive packing guide to ensure you stay comfortable and prepared.
The good news, during the summer when most visitors pile into the area, most services are functional. You can walk outside the airport and there are generally 3-4 cabs out front. IF you are one of the last people to get outside after an incoming flight, and there is a shortage of cabs, try to catch a cab driver and let them know that you’ll wait for a pick up. Most cab drivers will circle back around after their initial drop off. The good news, since Juneau is not too big (40 miles of a road system give or take), often times the drop off and return back to the airport is not too long of a wait.
Whenever I tell people I live in Juneau, Alaska full-time, one of the questions that I get is: even during the winter? I can imagine their minds are filled with images of sled dogs, sub-zero degree temperatures and ice fishing. Ironically, the winter temperatures in Juneau often do not feel as cold as the winters that I experienced in Chicago, sitting right next to Lake Michigan and the frozen breeze that rolled from the lake to on-land.
Alaska remains one of the best destinations for winter discovery, adventure and fun! While temperatures are frigid and the darkness can make the season feel long, the state boasts incredible opportunities. Here are 6 activities for you to experience during the Winter in Alaska.
There is so much adventure and exploration to be had when visiting the Southeast Alaska port towns! Adventuring and wandering through the towns is exciting in and of itself - stopping in tiny stores that offer goods such as fudge, souvenirs and locally handcrafted items. There’s always a few dining options as well in case you love trying new tastes along your journey. While I love staying shoreside and exploring merchants right next to the ocean, I also like diving into the adventure that can be unlocked through guided experiences.
What I find tough to do is narrow down exactly what experiences I want to have in the area. So in this blog post, my goal is to help you by sharing the best experiences I have had in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. I am starting with these three towns because to date, these three locations have the most infrastructure built which enables more visitors.
This orca was chasing after a salmon against a rocky background ✨
📝I was so excited to see an orca breach.. a rare occurrence for me. However, when I reviewed the photo in post, I was a bit disheartened by the background.
I began to ask the questions we all mull over when something doesn’t turn out exactly the way we want: Couldn’t the orca have breached somewhere in the middle of the ocean so that its beauty would have been highlighted by a clear background? Why didn’t I have the boat at a different angle right at the exact moment it would breach? You know… all of those ridiculous questions that are rhetorical in nature 😏
I refocused on what I did love about this photo and it came down to this: the moment that the orca breached was an unexpected gift that I had been incredibly lucky to have witnessed.
So I highlighted what I loved about the moment showcasing the orcas speed with the moving water and darkening the area around the orca so that you could feel present in the moment and not distracted by the background noise.
How about you? Have you ever had a photograph not turn out exactly the way you wanted?
Love to you & hope you have an amazing week ❤️
About Mary’s Mark
I believe we all get a chance at ‘making a mark’ in this world. I’m a Juneau-based photographer, tea founder, and retreat host. My work lives where wildness meets clarity - helping you connect to Alaska (and deeper with yourself) through images, rituals, and nature-based experiences.
