Tongass National Forest

the sun coming up over Shelter Island

the Auke Bay picnic area

one of the houses on the "hill" looking over the ocean

a view from my walking route

this is the mountain overlooking my condo & parking area

We live in Auke Bay, considered "out the town" (not "of") from Juneau.  It is north of Juneau, 13 miles from the end of the road and 13 miles from downtown Juneau.  It is part of the Tongass National Forest, and the mountains around our neck of the woods are covered in tall pines.  The very tops are snow covered, and when it snowed last week, it looked like a picture out of a book.  Otter Road is just outside of our drive way (National Park Service Road) and is a short dead-end street, ending at a turn-around at the Auke Bay Picnic Area, and has become my 1.5 mile walking route.  At the turn-around point, there is a set of stairs going down to the picnic table and fire ring, and looks out on Lena Cove and Shelter Island.  The road winds between houses built on the water and those rising up the mountain side.  I want to drive around and get some perspective as to the views from various parts of town so I can compare since I can't imagine anything else quite so beautiful.  The views are incredible everywhere, especially of the mountains.  Since Juneau is built between the ocean (Gastineau Channel, part of the Inside Passage) and the Fairweather Range, there is little room for roadways and businesses (or any buildings).  Downtown, of course, is called "little San Francisco" because of the steep roads (there are stairs in strategic locations to help those on foot) and is home to the Federal buildings, the state buildings, Governor's mansion and tourist attractions.  In the Valley, which is where the Mendenhall River empties the run-off from the Mendenhall Glacier into the ocean, there is plenty of room for the Walmart, Fred Meyer, gas stations, Home Depot, and even a branch of the downtown Library.  North of the Valley, there is no business to speak of, save for a gas station and a convenience store and a few restaurants.   I know my way around pretty well now - with the lack of stores to buy things at (like shoes), I know where the things are that I need.  There is no "window shopping" in Juneau - you get what you need and get out.  Not sure how I'll survive on Black Friday - I'll have to settle in to Cyber Monday!  Next time, I'll give you some comparison to the grocery costs now that I've done a fair amount of grocery shopping.