JUNEAU - DAY 2

OUR day started calmly and ramped up fairly quickly!  After a bit of a lie in, Paul made pancakes and coffee for everyone to fortify us for a long day touring.

First up, a bus tour of the Capitol City.  There is considerably more to see than one might expect in a town of only 38,000!  The Capitol building itself is unique in that it was the federal building for the territory of Alaska prior to statehood.  The state got the better deal, as the new federal building built after statehood is an ugly box compared to the clean lines and marble columns of the old!

The State Capitol Building - formerly the Territory's Federal Building

A newly born Tlingit is welcomed by the clans of the Raven, Bear, Frog, Eagle, Orca, and Wolf
 on this amazing mural on the side of a downtown building.

After seeing both old and new in Juneau proper, we headed out to see the Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongass National Forest.  Along the way, we saw dozens of Eagles congregating above creeks and streams in anticipation of the Chum Salmon run.

Did someone ring the dinner bell?

You'll just have to trust me - those splashes are salmon!

Eventually, we arrived in the Tongass National Forest at the foot of the Mendenhall Glacier.  NO. WORDS....

Mendenhall Glacier left - Mendenhall melt right

Paul and Mom at Mendenhall Glacier

In addition to the Glacier itself, we stopped in the visitor center for information on local flora and fauna and spied salmon, porcupine, and some beautiful flowers along a trail near the nature center.

A curious squirrel stopped by to say hi to Paul

Pink salmon made an early appearance in the Mendenhall River

Another tree, another eagle!

A porcupine snoozes in the treetop

Anyone??

Our day was only half over when we came down off the mountain and headed for Auke Bay.  Helping Mom onto the boat was our biggest challenge, but eventually, we figured out that the long haul down the dock would be more efficiently achieved if she sat on the walker seat and I just pushed it -- and just like that, the journey was done!  We headed out the channel and in less than 20 minutes were snapping whales...

 Thar she blows

The hump of a humpback whale off the starboard bow

That's a whale of a tail!

Aboard our whale watching vessel

Regaining firm land, we picked up a quick dinner, snapped a bit more of the amazing scenery, and headed back to our lodging to find that the cruise ships had cleared out and we got our best view yet of the Juneau waterfront from our Douglas Island nest!

 The Chilkat Range in the sun -- a rarity according to the locals

A spectacular view of the Juneau waterfront, sans cruise ships, from
Douglas Island across the Gastineau Channel