Travels N'at 2015: Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Today was filled with breathtaking views that cannot be captured in words or pictures. I am glad to have them in my mind and my memories.

We docked in Juneau around 7:30 this morning just as we were getting to breakfast. Omelets are made very quickly on this ship and delivered to the table in a prompt manner. Another gorgeous day on this trip. High today about 75 and clear blue skies. The Alaskans are shaking their heads as to why it hasn't rained in 2 days.

We disembarked the ship around 9:20 for our morning excursion. Our first stop was the Mendenhall Gardens. A local fisherman and his wife, Steve and Cindy Bowhay, saved enough money to start a landscaping company and then bought 6 acres of land that had been in a landside. They created a magnificent garden spot, constructed a road to the top elevation of 581 ft. He planted many of the areas with annuals and perennials as well as inventing the flower pots trees that great visitors.

At the end of the ascent the views of the mountains and the channel were incredible. The snowcapped mountains provided a contrast to the channel below.

The greenhouses were also spectacular. I have decided I really need to have a gardener.

Then it was on to the Mendenhall Glacier. Sharon and I watched the film and then hiked the Steep Creek trail hoping to see some wildlife. Earle and Justin, Carol Grubb's grandson, hiked the Nugget Trail to the base of the falls. The glacier is massive and breathtaking.

We then stopped at the Salmon Hatchery. We have learned so much about the life cycle of salmon and the harvesting of the eggs. The salmon are just starting to return to spawn so there weren't many on the ladder. There is a pool for nurturing the young until they can be released into the wild.

Young salmon being nurtured before being released into the ocean

We walked the downtown section of Juneau before returning to the ship. Had thought about stopping at the Red Dog for some lunch, but it was very crowded. It had been a famous brothel in Juneau. There was no shortage of brothels in the early days of the territory. With all the miners and fishermen, there had to be some pleasuring.

Back aboard the ship we made our way to the stateroom. Lo and behold, the wayward suitcase found it's way to the ship. One happy camper here!

Caught up on some blogging and listening to the Pirates game while Sharon unpacked. Then it was time to head out for our Evening Whale Watch cruise. We had so anticipated seeing a whale. The tour company guaranteed it or we would get a refund of $100. Little did we expect to see so many humpback whales bubble net feeding. This is a process where a group of whales feeds frenetically on krill, salmon as they prepared to head back to Hawaii. It was hard to capture the whales as they surfaced so quickly. Also saw many eagles and a few sea lions basking in the sun. It was a fun evening before returning to the ship.