“We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end.” – Benjamin Disraeli
Last summer, I went above the clouds a few times. The obvious time I went was when we flew to Seattle from Charlotte. We flew their because that was where the port was for our summer cruise. Don’t get me wrong, the view from the window of an airplane is an amazing sight. Clouds or not, it is an incredible view. However, when I went above the clouds while were in Alaska was even more amazing. When we arrived at Icy Strait Point in Hoonah, Alaska, we decided to just wander around the place. We walked around the shore at low tide, and checked out some incredible wildlife. We then took a walk through the rainforest. That’s right, there is a rainforest in Alaska. After we finished there, we saw they had a Gondola ride that took you to the top of the mountain. We had to take advantage of it. After we purchased our tickets, we took our first ride of the the top. When we got on, we looked up, and we couldn’t even see the top. The top of the mountain was blocked by the clouds. Once we got up there, we were able to see an amazing view at the top.
I captured these photos and many more when we visited Icy Strait Point. When we planned the trip, I didn’t realize I would be visiting a rainforest. Alaska is home to the largest temperate rainforest in the world, the Tongass National Forest. This vast rainforest stretches along the coast of Southeast and Southcentral Alaska. It receives significant rainfall and boasts a unique, mild climate compared to other parts of the state. On average, the area gets around 200 inches of rain per year. Compare that to where I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, which gets 42 inches of rain a year. This area is home to the Sitka spruce trees that can grow over 200 feet tall. The rainforest supports a wide array of wildlife. These include brown bears, wolves, salmon, and bald eagles.
Through Griffin's Lens 