Today was our first port of call in Juneau, Alaska. But first, we had a brief stop near Tracy Arm for a service call only. Usually we have scenic cruising into Tracy Arm for half a day, but not so today. The service call was for a 9:30am boat tour that took some people directly from the ship onto a very nice vessel for sight-seeing of a few glaciers. After the tour, they would head up to Juneau, and re-join the ship, where we would be docked by 1pm.
Breakfast was served earlier, due to it being a port day. So after 7:30am, we headed for the Pinnacle Grill, which was half full already. Although we forgot to ask Henk how many guests are onboard, we understand this sailing is almost full, as are the rest of the 7 day runs. The service was good and the wait staff friendly as they get to know us.
Our room was neat as a pin when we came back. Our room steward is quite efficient, and always seems to be close by. Yesterday, we had a notice that the veranda would be cleaned, but not until after noon time. We did not need to be here, since they access the outside decks by opening all of the partitions between the rooms. Actually, the deck is clean, and only the glass needs attention.
We spent the morning at the railing watching for sea life once again. Arriving near Tracy Arm, we spotted several disturbances in the water, realizing that it was pods of small dolphins. Probably Dall dolphins, they don't surface, but stay under the surface. As promised, the ship slowed to a stop, and the tour boat came alongside. Most all of the passengers were outside on the aft deck, as well as some in the warmer interior. There were some bergie bits and small icebergs floating near the entrance to a glacier. The vessel headed in that direction, as we sailed onward.
Having some time to do computer work, we ran into a problem when the photos disappeared, not to be found anywhere. Not sure if this was a glitch, or the fact that reception was cutting in and out. On the way here, we had lost all satellite TV reception, which happens most times in this area. There would be time to figure this out later.
The skies were heavily clouded this morning, giving the vista a very gray color. It was quite apparent that we were heading into rain, as we could see showers in the higher mountain peaks. It did begin to drizzle, but our veranda has an overhang, and we did not get wet. It was chilly for sure. The passage narrowed and we had land on both sides. It was densely forested with an occasional waterfall. A couple of fishing boats passed by too.
Juneau happens to be the capital of the state, and has a population of over 31,000. By Alaska standards, that is large. The borough covers 3,108 square miles of huge evergreens, mountains, bays, and residential flatlands. The city is accessible by air and sea year round, but not by roads. The longest stretch of roadway is 40 miles, according to the AAA book. A gold rush brought miners here in the 1880's, but the mining ceased in 1944 when the extraction became too costly. These days, there are many hiking trails for the fit with fishing spots and gold mine ruins. Some of the attractions are the Mt. Roberts Tramway, which lifts folks up the 1800 foot mountain. It is about a 5 minute ride with some attractions at the top, and the price is $45.
The next draw for tourists is the Mendenhall Glacier 13 miles from the town. Many HAL tours went there, and some of them included a plane ride or helicopter ride to walk on the glacier. We failed to get the prices and times on these tours, because they were available yesterday. Next time, we will try the day prior to the visit. One fun tour we have done more than once is the whale watching and wildlife excursion. It's as good as it gets here.
The Captain arrived a bit early, and docked in between the Disney Wonder and RCI Quantum of the Seas. We looked small compared to those ships. The ship was cleared by 1pm, when it was announced that all were welcomed to go ashore. Even though we waited a while, there was one heck of a long line of folks getting off. We think we were mixing with tour people, who headed for the waiting buses. There are hardly no tour tickets now, as most folks order their tours on their cell phones. Those without phones (yes there are some folks like us), had the tickets delivered to their rooms yesterday.
While docking, we spotted several bald eagles, some in flight, others perched deep in the conifers. They appeared to be watching us. When one of the adults flew from the perch, the dozens of gulls scattered quickly. We wonder if the gulls become the eagle's meal?
We need to mention that there was no mandated mask-wearing off of the ship. However, there were some shops that required masks. Compared to last year at this time, we had to wear our masks off of the ship….indoors and outside as well. And carry our Covid vaccination cards with us. Those were not required either. Today, we were in the minority as to who was wearing the masks. Many were piling on the waiting coaches for tours….most unmasked. Glad we were not among them, we walked to town. The good thing was the rain had stopped, even though we packed umbrellas, we never needed them. It was cool and breezy, but not cold enough for the arctic jackets. Heavy sweatshirts were fine.
Thought we had packed everything but the kitchen sink, but batteries were among the missing. Recalling there was a Ben Franklin on a side street, we found it and made our big purchase. Most everything in the store was more expensive than we recalled. But then, isn't that the case everywhere now? From there, we made our way to the area near the Juneau-Douglas Bridge, where there is a fairly new sculpture park. The centerpiece has to be the life-size sculpture of a humpback whale. Few people were there today, since it was really chilly. We got our photos, then went back towards town.
On the way, we stopped at the Hangar on the Wharf, a restaurant that is popular here. It was great to sit and relax with Alaskan Amber beers, and a shared burger with fries. But the best treat was a generous slice of mud pie that we split. Made our day. Making our way back to the ship, we ducked into a few shops….one of which was the Alaskan Fudge Co. On the way earlier, we had witnessed fudge and peanut brittle making through the window. What a process to see. And the aroma coming out the door was enticing. The only negative was the fact there was no wiggle room inside with so many customers. But now, the shop was empty, and we had to go inside to purchase some of that peanut brittle and walnut fudge. Another added treat for our room. The final stop was a walk through the Taku Fish Factory, where we watched some fellows processing and packing the smoked dried salmon filets. It is shipped worldwide.
Just as we were climbing up the gangway, it began to rain. We got lucky today, but that was due to packing those umbrellas. Going through the xray, I set off the alarms. Guess I can expect this every time due to the new knee. With a quick wanding, I was free to go. But first we made a sweep through the Lido Bar to collect some Cokes from Twinkle. Surprisingly, the bar was quite busy at 4:30pm. Guess many folks coming back from tours, were grabbing a late lunch.
We spent the rest of the afternoon working on photos and reports. Recently, we bought a new computer, and are getting used to using it. This morning we ran into a glitch which prevented the viewing of the photos. Contacting our techie son, he fixed it, we hope. Please bear with us until we work out the kinks.
Dinner came quickly in the dining room at 8pm. We ordered salads and appetizers of arancini, tasty breaded rice and cheese balls. Although they were very good, they were not as hot as they should be. Before our entrees arrived, we asked our nice waiter if he could bring them hot. No problem he said, and did just that. The wiener schnitzel came hot as could be, and tasted excellent. Cleaning our plates, we passed on the dessert.
It had been a long day, so we turned in right after our meal. Tomorrow, we will be in Skagway at 7am. It is another one of our favorite ports.
Bill & Mary Ann
