Saturday, 11 August:
Island Princess
This morning by 8.00am we had moored at Juneau’s Franklin Dock. Interesting to note that Juneau is the only state capital in the USA which has no road access.
It was only a few minutes’ walk to the town, which made it very convenient to come and go from the ship during the day. One of Juneau’s top attraction is the Mount Roberts Tramway, conveniently situated right near the ship. Stunning views of the Chilkat Mountains, Douglas Island and downtown Juneau as we glided 1,800 feet up the side to the top of Mt Roberts. So lucky with the weather once again, blue skies with temps in the low 20’s (c).
After re grouping, we set out on an alpine nature trek which was a little precarious to negotiate, having a few areas of mud and large rocks on the trail and some parts were quite steep. Luckily, we were with a tour guide who did a good job guiding those of us (most of us) not used to hiking trails like this. Lots of fun though, we enjoyed every minute.
Back at the tramway entrance, we took the opportunity to relax at the Alpine Tea House and sample some Alaskan made products from the rainforest. Other attractions were the Mountain House, which displayed many fine crafts and artefacts and a continuous free movie on the history of the indigenous people.
Bronze, weight 13,000 lbs (5,896kg), height 25 feet.
On our way back to town we stopped at a fountain featuring a humpback whale. I was in awe of its size considering that we had watched 12 of them bubble-hunting in a pod the day before. When you see them from a distance in open water, you don’t fully appreciate how magnificent they truly are.
The rest of the morning was spent exploring the downtown area and, in the afternoon, I ventured out on my own to spend some money in the local quilt store!
There is so much to do in Juneau; I counted over 50 ship excursions, surely a record number! Everything from private tours, to helicopter rides, dog sledding, whale watching, glacier viewing, zipline and much more. Something for everyone. Very nice town and lovely, friendly people.
Quilts, Cats and Me 