Juneau - Wednesday September 7 - cute, colorful views from the ship. We exit the ship at 10 for our excursion.
it's a rainy intro to Alaska's capital. Not a big city at all. We board a bus
and head to the Macaulay Hatchery. The life of a salmon is fraught with danger
- the odds of living are ridiculously low. And yet, millions of fish manage to
survive and make their trek to spawning
grounds and return to this same place. Amazing nature story and miles of
swimming involved.
Next stop - Mendenhall Glacier. Lovely park. We do a two mile roundtrip
hike that involves stunning views. With a loud rush of water, we hear Nugget
Falls. Clear air, gleaming blue ice glimmers in the distance. We are not close
enough to touch the glacier. The path has us standing across the body of water.
Refreshing stop.
Now on to my favorite - a real gem. Glacier Gardens. This guy had a vision - he converted a part
of rainforest into a private garden and developed it into a wondrous place. The
most creative aspect was the Flower Towers - upside down trees with the stumps
filled with blooms. It's glorious
The tram ride is a two mile journey through the rain forest and up 580 feet. There's a towering
canopy with ferns, lichen, huckleberries, blueberries and flowers below. This
is Tongass National Park. One native
saying - "When the grass turns to cotton, fall is forgotten. Winter
comes." We could see that
transition in September.
Back to Juneau by 3 with some time to walk around. I recommend a fish and
chip snack break at the Alaskan Brew Company. Yummy and fresh cod.
Time to go board the ship. And conquer with another Name That Tune Victory. Yes, I'm bragging. I'm giving you
something to achieve if you decide to cruise on Holland.
Each day gets better and better. What's in store in Skagway?
