En Route to Juneau

Expected arrival to Juneau on this day was 1:30 p.m. so this gave us plenty of time to get organized at our leisure and head to the dining room for breakfast. To our delight, we were treated to a wildlife show during breakfast: whales and dolphins saying good morning by jumping and diving out of the water. The people in the dining room even applauded. A good sign for good things ahead, hopefully.

Juneau Fun Facts:
> Alaska's territorial capital in 1906
> in 1959 Alaska became the 49th state
> no roads connect it to the rest of North America - only was to access here is by air or by sea

Great views as we came into the port of Juneau, even with light drizzle, which followed by a bit of sun - all kinds of weather today. After lunch we disembarked the ship and made the short walk to the Glacier Express Bus which took us to Mendenhall Glacier which took 15 minutes from downtown. Excursion was $80 each - a little steep but gets us there and back on time. It seemed to be the going rate. We saw so many Bald Eagles on the bus ride there - very cool.

Once we arrived to the Visitors Centre, we had 2 hours to explore the area. We did the short hike to Nugget Falls which was a 2.5 km round trip. The Falls really made you appreciate the power of the water and we were at low tide. Amazing views!


Bus back to Juneau and then we went to the Red Dog Saloon. We had a have a cocktail here. Originating during the heyday of Juneau’s glorious mining era, this world famous saloon has provided hospitality and fellowship to weary travelers and local patrons alike. It was a good spot to take in the local vibe...even though everyone in there was likely a tourist!

On the way back to the ship, we did some shopping - I don't really need another sweatshirt, right?!?! Once back on board, we changed out of our warm layers and into some more casual for dinner.

Over 21 000 steps today. Time for bed...or hit up the piano bar?