0011 15th May - Juneau Day 1

Very pleasant campsite – And we had a bit of a lazy morning !  Despite our plan to stay at Mendenhall,  the attraction of wifi to enable me to catch up on my blog is just too attractive so we scheduled a second night.

We then wandered into town to look around.  Downtown Juneau is about 10 miles up the road, and quite tiny.  We had been advised by Corinna to get in there before the first cruiseships of the day which were due at 2 pm, so we crossed the bridge across to Douglas Island to take some photos of Juneau town, and then drove up to “The North End” – Where the road stops about 5 miles past downtown. (Juneau may not be an island, but it has no road connection with the outside world !!)   We then came back and parked to go up Mt Roberts on the cable car – Or tram as it is called locally. 

All over the forested hills there was a weird green mist which we learned was clouds of pollen from the Sitka Spruce trees.  No wonder people with allergies have a problem up here !  It normally is not quite so concentrated  or visible, so we were quite lucky to see it.

Great views over the valley and downtown Juneau as we went up in the cable car, and when we got to the top we went to see a documentary about the history of the area, before going into the restaurant for lunch and having Alaskan crab nachos which the cable car operator had told us were good.  And they were !!!

After lunch, we explored a short walk around the top of the mountain, visited the very interesting Visitor’s Centre, and chatted to the keeper of an injured bald eagle that is kept up there.  She was shot and lost part of her beak (which has grown back) and also one eye, which means she cannot fly as she keeps crashing.  Lovely to see one up so close, but a shame that it has to be under such circumstances.

We then went back down the hill to get on with our sightseeing before the crowds arrived off the cruise ships which dock right down town !  This morning I had a skype call from friend Graham Cameron in the UK, and he had reminded us to look out for the Red Dog Saloon.  As we drove through the narrow streets we suddenly saw it, so pulled in right outside to take some pics and go and have a look.  No sooner had we started taking pics than one of the “bar gals” came out through the swing doors wanting to be in the photos too !  So Mea (not Mia !!) was in the pics and told us all about the bar.  We went in and it had a great atmosphere -  sawdust all over the floor, stuffed bear and moose up on the walls, as well as lots of other paraphernalia.  We had a quick Alaskan Amber Ale, before setting off again through Juneau.

A bit like San Francisco – Steep hills up to all the houses which are built on the side of the mountain.  Interesting to drive around, although on a couple of the corners the poor turning circle of Troopie meant we had to do 3 point turns !!

We then went back to the AMH Ferry Terminal  to make our bookings for Sitka.  Sitka was the original Russian capital of Alaska, and I really wanted to go there as I had read all about it, not least in James A Michener’s great book, Alaska.  DISASTER – No room for cars coming back from Sitka for over a week !!!  Booked solid !!  We could get out there no problem, but couldn’t get back !!  I was devastated.   Anywa, cut a long story short, we ended up deciding to just go out to Sitka overnight as foot passengers, leaving Troopie in Juneau, and stay in a hotel in Sitka.  To arrange all this took a few trips between the library (for wifi to find and book hotels) and the ferry terminal (to book our tickets once we had a hotel booked.)  The first 3 hotels were already fully booked and I was starting to despair, but finally found a room in the 4^th one !  This is really weird – In 2012 I never had to book anything – ferries, rooms etc, and the weather was really wet and cold.  This time we have had 20-25 deg C, clear blue skies, the cruise ships have started running early (I was in Skagway for the first cruise ship of the year in 2012, and that was in mid May), and the ferries are all booked up !!  Maybe this is just “down south”, and when we get up to Anchorage it will be less “booked up”, with the main onslaught of visitors arriving in mid to late June ?   Whatever, Janet and I both hope the weather cools down a bit – We only have warm clothing, so are finding it quite difficult in the heat !!  At least the nights are cool / cold !!

After our Sitka trip was all booked, we set off to the “Southern End” – some 24 miles the other way.  Some stunning views as we drove along. We reached “The End”, stopped for a picnic beside the water at Eagle River, and then wandered back down the stunning coast line to the Shrine of St Therese which is a small chapel and retreat built out on a tiny island – A very pleasant setting.

Then we came back towards town, did a little shopping and filled up with diesel, and went to the Mendenhall Glacier and walked up to the photo spot, which was really pleasant as no one was there. From there we drove through the glacier camp site and it was gorgeous – Typical US Park – beautiful yet rustic, and the camp spots spaced

out in the forest so you can’t see your neighbours.  Minimal services – Just basic toilet facilities and cold water showers, but wood for your camp fire is supplied !  We stopped by a small lake where some people were watching something – and it was beavers !  3 or 4 were swimming around, eating young tree shoots, coming up onto the bank, and then swimming back across to their lodge on the other side of the lake !  My first beavers, and we spent about half an hour watching them feed and play.  Beautiful.

Then we went back to our campsite just down the road – Mainly for the wifi, but we promised to go to the glacier campsite tomorrow night.   Then shock horror – The wifi wasn’t working !!  That really annoyed me because we had come to this site just for the wifi, and, due to being on (non wifi) ferries so much,  I have got so far behind on my blog that it was starting to annoy me. Anyway, had supper, a great shower, and  someone had mentioned that there was a possibility of seeing the Northern Lights at about midnight, but despite looking hard, could see nothing, so we turned in.

 

Pics here :- https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0011Juneau1?authkey=Gv1sRgCKSng4eegPTO3AE#