Juneau and Mendenhall Glacier

What is amazing about Alaska is the further north you go, the beauty intensifies. Yesterday, we saw the glacier from the ship, and today we see it in the background. The temperature is cool (64) and dry for being in a rain forest. We were very lucky to not have rainy weather during the trip. There were a few days where it was misty, but we did not encounter what I consider rain or downpours during any time of the trip. As I said, we were lucky -- the week before it rained every day according to those on ship and land.

We docked in Juneau at 8 a.m. and our travel agency gave us an excursion to enjoy for the day (I still need to call and thank them for that).

Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is the 2nd most populous city in the state with approximately 32,000 people. (Fairbanks and its area has about 100,000 people but the city has about the same as Juneau.)

I thank Alan Wu for this picture of downtown Juneau with Mount Juneau in the background.

What is amazing about this capital is there is no way in nor out via land. All products and goods are transported via water because there are no roads nor train tracks. Since there are no roads, people travel via ferry or they have a float plane. Imagine this parked in your driveway!

Talk about being remote, and it's the capital! There is nothing fancy about this capital city; in fact, the tour operator took us by the capital building which he termed "ugly". The governor's mansion is typical of a governor's mansion by being built in federal style. The tour operator also explained that most of the people who live and work in this city are government employees. Of course!

Our destination was Mendenhall Lake and Glacier. The views just keep getting better.

We arrived at the glacier to walk a short distance that opened to this scene. Mendenhall Glacier is in the background and Nugget Falls to the side (shown below).

The glaciers are becoming a favorite view of mine and I anxiously await the Anchorage excursion where we would take a catamaran to get up close and personal.

I find this ice field amazing that it has kept in tact for thousands of years. I understand that the Juneau icefield has been in existence for 3000 years. What is also amazing is that there are 19 notable glaciers (about 140 in all including the large and small ones) and all but one of the glaciers are retracting. The one glacier, Taku, is advancing. Now I understand why the scientists are alarmed.


After our time at the glacier, walking around the perimeter and around the falls (see people above), we headed back to the ship. The tour operator stopped one last time for us to get a photo op of our ship across the bay.

Tomorrow onto Icy Strait Point, where we learn about the Natives and Totem Poles.

Until then...have a great day....