Sept 24
Our home in Juneau - the top windows are our apartment.
View of Juneau from the trail.
The pamphlet about the flume created by the classes
at Harborview School.
The boardwalk on our hike.
Looking over the pond, and the beautiful pool at the base of the falls.
Gold Creek, and what looks like a water diversion from the mine.
Our flight leaves at 2-something this afternoon. We have to get the car back by noon. That leaves a little time to get one more adventure in before we have to go.
The road where we're staying leads back into the rainforest and trails up to Mt. Roberts, an old gold mine (and museum), and an easy trail through the trees along the stream. We've been hearing the stream since we got here, but never sought out its source. Today we found it - Gold Creek. We walked along the trail, which then was "paved" like a boardwalk. It looks like it may have been one of those old rail lines on which the miners could send the ore down to town, or wherever else they may have needed to send it. It's possible the boardwalk was just put in for the trail, but I prefer to think it was an old mining rail line. At the end of the boardwalk, there is a small building that is an old flume - what was once an electric generator for the production of electricity. From 1893! The information pamphlet displayed on the wall of the flume was created by one of the classes in the local elementary school! That certainly explains why so many of the citizens of Juneau are so well informed about their community's history.
The day was overcast, the ground was damp from the couple of days of rain, and the boardwalk, too, was damp and strewn with leaves. Parts of the boardwalk are tilted a bit, so it feels like you're listing, so you can imagine what happened next. Yup, my foot slipped on the leaves and I totally bit it! Luckily there was a railing that I could grab onto so I didn't fall off the boardwalk. And, of course, there was a runner coming in our direction. There is no real surface damage, just a tweaked knee, a sore hip, and bruised ego.
Our time in Juneau certainly did fly by. As much as I've enjoyed this trip, I'm happy to be heading home to sleep in my own bed. Always, the best part of vacation is coming home.
Sept 23
Looking toward Juneau from Douglas Island.
Skaters Cabin, inside and outside.
Mendenhall Glacier from Skaters Cabin.
Panoramic view looking toward the glacier area from Skaters Cabin.
At Alaskan Brewing Company. My flight of brews
was very tasty - my favorite was the Double Barrel Aged
Coffee Brown. Yummy!
St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church - a historic
building, and thriving religious community.
Services there were lovely - some chanted in
Tlingit, Russian, and English.
Our last full day in Alaska. We have so enjoyed our time in Juneau; the people here are friendly, there’s loads of fun outdoor activities, and just sitting and looking at the scenery is great!
Today was another wet day, the girls did laundry and packed while I went to church. Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest churches in Alaska. It’s a tiny church and was almost at capacity with the 25 or 30 people attending services this morning. No seats/pews except around the back walls - enough to seat about 10. The icons on the iconostasis (icon screen) are from Russia. Interestingly, many of the hymns and responses were chanted in the Tlingit language, as well as Russian, English, and a couple of Greek responses, too. The “choir” chants/sings a capella, and the entire congregation is the choir - even the kids! Everybody was friendly and welcoming, and though I went to the coffee hour afterwards, I only stayed a short time.
The grand adventure for today was visiting the Alaska Brewing Company. At first, we were the only customers there, so the folks had time to chat extensively. We were happy to find that most all of their recommendations for things to see and do in Juneau we had already done. We then got to work choosing and sampling our flights of beer. The girls liked the tart ones, but my favorite was the double barrel coffee brew, which has subtle notes of coffee and whiskey. What a fabulous combination - beer and whiskey, my favorites! More customers came in, we all started chatting, and the girls now have new friends; on-line and real life.
One place the beer folks told us about was the Skaters’ Cabin on the other side of Mendenhall Glacier and lake, so off we went after we finished our beers. It was great! The cabin was built in 1936, has a wood burning stove and picnic tables inside and out. It’s right on the edge of the lake, and the view of the glacier and Nugget Falls is spectacular. We were wishing we had known about this spot earlier in the week.
A couple more photo op stops, one more downtown shopping trip, then dinner at home capped off one incredible Alaskan holiday. We’re already talking about coming back.
Sept 22
Entrance to the old mine on Perseverance Trail.
Some of the old mining equipment.
Artwork at the Juneau-Douglas Museum. I hope you
can read the words.
can read the words.
The hatchery - it was closed, but we could see loads of salmon
swimming around - and a seal helping himself to the bounty!
An award-winning shot - if it was a live humpback breaching!
This is actually a HUGE sculpture/fountain downtown.
After 5 unseasonably warm and sunny days, we are finally experiencing more typical Juneau weather. It started out sunny, but really chilly, and by this afternoon, the gray clouds came in and started dripping. Forecast for the next few days is rain. And cold!
Since we did just about everything on our list of outdoor things to do, we hit the museums. The Last Chance Mining Museum was only accessible by a steep hiking trail. We were too cold and lazy to face that challenge, so we went to the Juneau Douglas City Museum. Apparently, both cities were in competition for the state Capitol back in the day. The Juneau “panhandle” history is not unlike mainland colonizing history, and the native people here were treated like second class citizens, without civil rights, until the mid-twentieth century. This museum mostly focused on the effect of the gold rush to the area. Next was the Alaska State Museum with extensive exhibits of the Tlingit people.
All the locals have been telling us to go see the salmon hatchery, so we followed their suggestion. Problem was, it was closed! The hours were posted that they were open till about 5, but for some reason, they were closed today. We settled for second best and watched the abundance of salmon swimming around the hatchery and occasionally jumping. We even caught a glimpse of a seal. He looked a little guilty, and when we saw fish parts rolling around on the ocean floor, it was clear what he was up to!
Dinner at The Hangar, a popular dockside place, and more photo ops on Douglas Island wrapped up our day.
Sept 21
First signs of orcas.
There they are!
Caught him in the act!
Snoozing humpback. They think she is pregnant.
Wide awake humpback.
It's too beautiful not to keep taking pictures.
Ready...
Set...
Go!
We all whooped and cheered whenever we saw a tail!
Not exactly a sunset, but close enough for me! Still beautiful.
Each day’s adventures seem to surpass the other day’s we’ve been in Juneau. Today was no exception.
The girls wanted to go whale watching. Being terrified of being in open ocean, I dragged my feet, and half-heartedly resisted going along. I would have full-on refused but didn’t want to seem like the stick-in-the mud I can be. They finally convinced me that it was in “sheltered” waters, so I agreed. Secretly, I hoped there would be no availability on the boat, or that the weather would take a turn for the worst. Just my luck, they had room, and today was yet another beautifully sunny day. Dammit!
To prepare for the ocean voyage, dressing in layers was in order. A layer of silks, another layer on top, leggings, knee-length sweater, wool sock liners, and wool knee socks. Add a puffy winter jacket and I was ready to go. Heidi just dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. Erin wore shorts!
The conditions for our voyage couldn’t have been more perfect. The water in the harbor and further out were like glass. Although we were in the Pacific Ocean, it wasn’t like being out in the open ocean; there were islands all around us, so it felt “safe.” No sooner did we get out there, one of the naturalists informs us that there are orcas nearby! Apparently, orcas are rarely seen in those waters. There was a good sized pod with many young ones nearby, and we were able to spend a good amount of time with them till they headed off. Within minutes, a humpback whale was spotted. She was resting on the surface, so we had loads of time watching her. Suddenly, the boat is speeding to another location in time to see another humpback blowing. All of a sudden, the captain is yelling to get ready for the dive! When humpbacks dive, their tail is visible above the water’s surfaces; it’s not only exciting to see, but the markings on the flukes is how naturalists are able to identify the individual whales. This scenario was repeated several more times before it was time for us to head back to the harbor.
Not only did I survive the trip, I actually enjoyed it! Enough so, that I might try it again. In Juneau. If the conditions are as perfect as they were today.
After a quick dinner, we “chased the sun” so Heidi could photograph an Alaskan sunset. We are 5 for 5 with the enjoyment/great vacation factor.
Sept 20
One of 20 upside down trees at the gardens.
Don't know what kind of flower this is, but it is beautiful.
The picture doesn't do it justice!
Another Upside-down Tree.
LOOK! They even have a gnome at the Glacier Gardens!
Some of the spectacular scenery on our drive.
If you look closely, you'll see a white spot in the center of the photo. That
a bald eagle!
More of the spectacular scenery on our drive.
The locals have been telling us that this September has been the warmest and driest on record. For that we are thankful. Well, Erin wishes it was cold enough to wear a jacket - she’s been wearing shorts almost all the time! Heidi is happy with a sweatshirt or light jacket. As for me, even with Juneau’s “warm” weather, I’m in layers, and a very warm jacket! But the weather has been pretty perfect every day - sunny, mostly cloudless blue skies, and crisp, clean air. Temperatures have been around upper 50’s to low 60’s. Happy weather!
On the flip side, this same mild weather has meant fewer berries of any kind, and not as many salmon running, both of which are major food sources for bears. This makes for difficulties for the bears who need to bulk up in preparation for hibernation. As a consequence, the have taken to visiting neighborhoods looking for food. Maybe it's not such happy weather after all...
On the flip side, this same mild weather has meant fewer berries of any kind, and not as many salmon running, both of which are major food sources for bears. This makes for difficulties for the bears who need to bulk up in preparation for hibernation. As a consequence, the have taken to visiting neighborhoods looking for food. Maybe it's not such happy weather after all...
First order of business today was the visiting temperate rain forest here - Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure. It was magnificent!! This botanical garden attraction and tour was created by a husband and wife after a devastating landslide in 1984. What they envisioned and created is not only beautiful, but brilliantly engineered to utilize nature’s gifts in some unusual and artistic ways. One of the most notable attractions are the Flower Towers, the beautiful result of a frustrating experience. These are fallen trees that are “planted” in the ground upside down, and the root system then becomes a planter filled with brightly colored flowering plants, as well as some greenery. Check it out at glaciergardens.com.
Since Juneau does not cover a huge area, we drove from one end of the “panhandle” to the other. Basically, we drove northwest as far as the road would let us, then drove back as far as the road went. Along the way, we stopped at many turnouts for photo ops of the gorgeous scenery. In the process, we caught a glimpse of a whale blowing, and saw a couple of bald eagles! So nice of Mother Nature to provide us with those opportunities!
Yet another wonderful day. I’m loving it here!
Sept 19
Where the majestic Mendenhall Glacier meets Mendenhall Lake.
Glacial silt - the soil that is exposed after the glacier has retreated.
Nugget Falls
Nugget Falls, up close and beautiful.
Mendenhall Glacier from afar.
Glacial ice - which, by the way, is delicious!
Mamma Bear, lumbering along with her twins.
If I had to rate this day on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it a 12!
We drove to Mendenhall Glacier National Park with hopes of finding a good hiking trail that we could all comfortably handle. First, though, we had to buy our permits. I had completely forgotten that I had my Lifetime Pass at home! While there, we watched an short informative film about the glacier. The ranger who showed the film gave us some good information about the different trails, and gave us recommendations for best viewing of the glacier.
We spent a glorious day hiking the Nugget Falls trail at Mendenhall Glacier National Park. The trail itself went through a fairly young forested area with brooks running through here and there. As in most hiking areas in Alaska, there were signs warning of bear activity, so no food or flavored drinks are allowed on the trails. The trail ends at a beach at the base of the falls, and allows a perfect view of the glacier and the entire area of the lake. We spent lots of time taking in the majesty of both falls and glacier and took many pictures. The lake water is icy cold - about 37 degrees - and we could see clumps of glacial ice along the shore. It was frozen in layers, not chunks like I expected. I couldn’t resist picking up a piece, which was crystal clear. Nor could I resist putting a piece in my mouth. It was really good!
At one end of the beach was a narrow sand bar kind of thing that led to a small “island,” so I crossed over to see what could be seen. Nothing much, really, but as I walked the perimeter, I spotted one of those fuzzy caterpillars in the water right at the shore. It was moving, but I wasn’t sure if it was the current or the creature causing the movement. I plucked it out and cradled it in my hand, and it started moving! Elated, I hurried back across to place it in a sunny spot on the trail, near some vegetation. I’m hopeful it will survive.
We made our way back to the visitors center where we saw the ranger we’d chatted with earlier. Suddenly, her attention was diverted to her walkie-talkie; bear sighting only yards away from where we were standing! Apparently, this mamma bear is 18 years old and not really disturbed by the sight of humans - a good thing, but also not so good. Good for us humans who enjoy seeing wild animals up close and personal; not so good for those wild animals who could actually be in danger from being unthreatened by humans. Thankfully, the rangers were out in force to protect not only the visitors, but also the bears.
Mamma has two cubs; one who sticks pretty close to her mom, and a feisty one who likes to do things on his own terms. The ranger believes the “good” one is a girl and the rambunctious one is a boy, which she thinks will serve him well in adulthood. Anyway, we could hear them rustling around in the brush nearby, so we stood back waiting for them to cross the trail to the other brush area. Sure enough, out comes Mom, and soon after, baby girl. It took Junior a few more minutes to decide to cross over. We then scrambled to another spot so we could see them come out to the clearing, and sure enough, there they came. We continued to follow them over to the water and nearby peninsula, watched Mom take a swim, then lumber along with her twins close behind. We just could not get enough of this bear family! Needless to say, loads of pictures and a couple of videos. And that is what made this good day so great!
A walk around town, a little shopping, and dinner at The Twisted Fish made for a very pleasant end to this day’s adventures.
Sept 18
This reminded me of the stories about the Inuit people who would
hang their salmon catches to dry. It wasn't that at all, though.
Raccoon prints?
One of the mining ruins.
Remnants of equipment/machinery from the mining.
Pilings from boardwalks and from supports for pipes that pumped
dirt out from the mines after separating the gold.
We were waaay up there yesterday on Mount Roberts!
Awww, a little fuzzy caterpillar.
Another view of the same building a few photos up.
The pump house.
Just me trying to get artsy.
Enjoying the beautiful scenery...
Beautiful clear, blue water.
Erin's watching a raptor; we think it was a hawk.
Erin hanging out in the parking lot.
A mysterious fishy backbone.
A stranded jelly. Can you see the tentacles?
More jellies. I was fascinated.
Can you see the skull in this jelly?
The jelly undulating in the shallows.
More beautiful scenery!
And yet another jelly!
This place is built from snow skis!
The plan for today was to explore the Treadwell Historic Mining Trail on Douglas Island. We missed our turn and decided to keep going till we found a place where we could safely turn around. The scenery was so beautiful that we wanted to stop to take photos. While looking for a turnout to stop, we happened upon the Douglas Launching Ramp, so we turned into the parking lot there. After exploring the wooded area adjacent to the parking lot, we found a way to get down to the beach. It was low tide, so it was a perfect opportunity to explore there, too. Truth be known, it was a beautifully rocky beach, and I just had to go!
Erin wanted to know if the water was salty, and I was curious to see how cold it was. No, I did not go in, but I did dip my hand in. It was, indeed, salty; but it wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be. As we wandered on the beach, I expected to see shells, and I wasn’t at all surprised to see some empty crab shells; but what was surprising was to find jellyfish that got stranded amongst the rocks. Lots of them! At first, I wasn’t sure what they were, but after studying them a bit, there was no question what they were. As we were heading back up to the parking lot, we saw a real beauty of one jelly undulating in the shallows.
Lots of photos later, and with a few rocks in my pockets, we headed back on our way to Treadwell Mines. But our tummies insisted we make one more stop before our hike. We found Island Pub and decided that was the spot. Pub kinda decided it for us. The food was pretty good. They offered unusual pizzas that were created by locals who entered and won a contest. The three top winners got their pizza creations added to the menu for the year, and those that are really popular get to stay on for as long as they remain popular. Interesting concept.
Once fortified, we were ready for our hike. Treadwell Historic Mine Trail has an interesting history. $70 million in gold was mined from there. The mines were worked from 1882 - 1922, and employed about two thousand miners, many of whom lived there with their families. In its heyday, the compound included an indoor swimming pool, Turkish baths, sauna, and a department store. When off-shift, the miners and their family enjoyed billiards, dancing and movies, and there were special rooms for writing and reading, as well as having a library. The beach that parallels the trail is called Sandy Beach, but the “sand” is really what is called mine tailings - the dirt pumped out of the mines when it was separated from the gold. The mining ended in 1917 when a massive cave-in flooded the underground mines. The tragic part is that the people lived right on top of the mines. Miraculously, all but one miner escaped. Of the 144 structures, only a few foundations remain, and only the New Office Building still stands. Parts of machinery and equipment can be found, but much of the ruins are covered by overgrown vegetation. The trail is nicely shaded by trees, which makes for cool and very pleasant hiking. Well, cool meaning cold enough that you need a jacket or some kind of insulation, but not so cold that you freeze. At least not at this time of year!
Next, we decided to explore the big grocery/department store in town, Fred Meyer. It has everything under one roof; jewelry, clothing, hardware/house stuff, pharmacy, and groceries. I suppose that’s a darned good and convenient way to do business in a place like Alaska. And there’s a gas station there, too. The prices were on the high side, especially for produce. We needed lemons, which I never buy at home since I have my trees. But since we’re not at home, I had to very reluctantly pay $1.49. That is the price for EACH lemon!!! Actually, most everything is pricier here, except gas is not as far off; they pay $3.59.
Yup, another glorious day in beautiful Juneau.
Sept 17
Sept 17
View from atop Mount Roberts at the restaurant patio where we ate dinner.
Views on our way down from Mount Roberts.
Sitting in an eagle's nest at the nature center.
Not sure what this symbolizes, but it's a very cool sculpture
in the trunk of a tree.
More views from the tram and loading platform.
Parasailer with an audience on Mount Roberts.
At the base of Mount Roberts looking up to where we were. The tram
is the little red spot, center-left in photo.
This guy is pretty big and makes an unusual call. He and his buddies
were perching atop the cars in the grocery store parking lot.
Our day began at 4:00 a.m. Or more precisely, 3:58 a.m. Many thanks to Joyce, who volunteered to be our pre-dawn chauffeur! And, the airport experience was uneventful. No alarms going off through TSA! Easy flight to Seattle, easy flight to Juneau.
Alaska, and Juneau in particular, is beautiful! We are surrounded by pine-covered mountains, and inlets of water. And once the cruise ships leave, the views around the pier will be even better.
Our first task was to find our apartment. It was fairly easy, but many of the streets here resemble alleys more than streets. And they are two-way streets! Lots of hills, too. Driving in town kinda reminds us of driving in San Francisco. Thankfully, the weather was sunny and mild this afternoon - blue skies and warm sun were a lovely complement to the crisp air.
Once we dumped our stuff, we had to go on an adventure. We decided to go on the Mount Roberts Tramway. The tram allows a 360 degree view. At the top, there are trails, a theater, and a restaurant, where we ate. And drank. We ordered Crab Nachos; think a huge pile of nachos, but instead of meat, they add fresh crab. Although I didn’t eat any of the crab part, the rest of it was delicious! The girls ordered blueberry margaritas (they loved them), I just got a locally brewed white beer. Honestly, our entrees were good, but paled in comparison to the nachos! We had planned to order dessert but we were too full. Sadly, we missed out on the cinnamon-sugared fry bread with blueberry syrup, blueberry streusel pie, and house-made blueberry ice cream.
As the sun started slipping away, the temperature started to plummet. A quick trip to the market, then home for the night.
Sept. 16
Great news! The weather reports are now predicting sunshine! Woohoo!! Some clouds, but mostly sunny till the day before we leave - and the temperature is predicted to be in the upper 50's.
Sept. 12
Seems that this is the year for travel in my life. Next week I'm heading out for another adventure. This one is stateside. Sort of.
One of my "bucket list" places to visit is Alaska, so along with Erin and Heidi, I am Alaska-bound! We'll be in Juneau, which apparently is only accessible by plane or boat, so we'll spend our time exploring that area. Weather reports show rain almost every day we'll be there. Should be interesting! I figure this is only the first trip to Alaska. Next time, we'll head toward Anchorage, or Fairbanks, or who knows where!
Hopefully, this trip will not present the technological issues we had in Greece! I'm planning to be updating and posting pictures daily on my iPad. That should be easier this time since the camera can now be "hard-wired" to the iPad. Plus, I have Heidi and Erin to help.
