More Bars than Churches?

Monday, August 28, 2006
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Woke up early and went up to the top deck where we were embraced by a cool morning fog. Majesty of the mountains hugging the ship. Float plane engine echoes down the canyon. No other words for this – just breathtaking.

We pull into Juneau harbor . The ship is taller than any building in town! Cute, adorable touristy town with some really high end jewelry and fur shopping. We pass through town quickly. As part of our cruise package, we had arranged for the Mendenhall Glacier Excursion paired with a Salmon bake. The bus ride up was made fun by the chatty, cheerful driver. From her we learned that there were once so many bars in Juneau that the city fathers passed an ordinance requiring an equal number of churches per bar. Churches sprang up like weeds!

Mendenhall is our first glacier up close and personal. The park was really inviting and fun which includes a tree covered pathway with streams full of trout. We just missed the bear grabbing some fresh fish for lunch. Other tourists could talk of nothing else. We had have approximately 1 ½ hours to explore the solitude and beauty of this natural wonder, where we walked along the short trails and checked out some interpretive exhibits at the Visitor's Center.

Next, we were transported to Gold Creek where we enjoyed a local Salmon Bake. Here, we savored wild Alaskan salmon grilled over an alder wood fire and listened to a local musician under the lush foliage of Southeast Alaska's rain forest. We then roasted marshmallows and took a stroll to the Salmon Creek waterfall and viewed remnants of the historic Wagner Mine and scores of salmon swimming in the creek.

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