Juneau – 28 July 2016

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Juneau – 28 July 2016



Juneau is the capital of Alaska with 30,000 people living over the 2^nd largest city in the USA by area. The Mendanhall Glacier is the biggest natural feature in this area. There are no roads that connect the city to the rest of the world due to the rugged terrain that surrounds it. All goods arrive and depart by plane of boat. Cars arrive to Juneau via the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System- the floating roadway for Southeast Alaska.



Tom went up in a float plane, flying over the city and surrounds, including the Mendanhall Glacier.



Sheryl and I caught the bus to the Mendanhall Glacier and its Visitors Centre. By putting both out photos of the glacier together, we saw what a massive slab of ice the glacier was, even though it is receding rapidly. The Visitors Centre had a fantastic display teaching us a lot about the ‘life-cycle’ of a glacier.



After bussing it back to the city, Sheryl and I went to the famous (or should I say infamous) Red Dog Saloon. The floor was covered with sawdust and walls covered with memorabilia which would have taken days to take in if everything was to be remembered. The had an elderly man on a piano who was fantastic and interacted with the audience so cleverly. The barmaids were voluptuously dressed and loved receiving tips. This old-styled saloon had a charming clapboard balcony inside displaying local animals. The windows were draped with Victorian-era drapes.



The main street of Juneau, Franklin Street, was packed with shops, bars, and restaurants. I think every other shop was a jewellery outlet!!



Tom also went up in the Tramway which provided a cloud-interrupted view of the city. We found it a fascinating city to wander around.

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