Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Alaska cont'd ~ our juneau adventure

Juneau is the state capital of Alaska...
and the only capital city in the USA that is not accessible by road.  
One must arrive here by boat or air!

Juneau has a population of 30,000 and is nestled at the base of Mt. Juneau.
It was a fishing outpost for the local Tlingit Indians until gold was discovered here.
 


We walked off the cruise ship
with intentions of riding the nearby Mt. Robert's Tramway to the 1800 foot level...
and somehow got talked into a totally different shore excursion
by a most persuasive young guy at the end of the pier.

Soon we were all on board a van and headed for Mendenhall Glacier...
12 miles from the city.


 We had a great view of the glacier from the parking lot...
but it didn't take us long to decide that we were all up to the hike!


Micah got a little side-tracked with throwing stones into the water...
and needed some coaxing to keep walking.


We hiked around Mendenhall Lake...
with plans to check out Nugget Falls near the face of the glacier.


I'm not sure whose idea it was...
but these two decided that swimming with the ice-bergs next to a glacier...
was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was just to good to pass up.
 The proof is in the picture...
and in the cold they both sported later!



Nugget Falls...
flows into the lake right at the base of the glacier.


It was a most beautiful spot...
and we were quite happy with our decision to hike to the glacier rather than riding a tram.

Juneau...
so much more than the political center of the state!



15 comments:

  1. We learned something new...never knew that Juneau is only accessible by boat or plane. Very odd. When are they going to punch a hole through the mountain so a road can be built? ☺

    Gorgeous pictures! Everyone should really open them on a new page because the details are amazing and the little tiny people show up.

    Those guys made me grin. Hope that in years to come, the cold will have been a small price to pay for the experience.

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  2. I didn't know how inaccesible Juneau is either. Very interesting town and beautiful scenery. As for the dip in the icy water? BRRRRR. What a memorable trip.

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  3. What incredibly beautiful scenery. How brave(mad?) to go swimming!

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  4. That really is amazing that it is only accessible by air or water. Such undisturbed beauty all around!!

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  5. Beautiful photos. I think that 'once in a lifetime' experience of a dip in the ice cold water, is one I could skip!

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  6. We also experienced that taking spending time with a local resident to show us around was probably better than a pre-planned exursion.

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  7. I happen to know you have a few even "better" shots of tim and jer. I would have posted those ones :)

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  8. Those tinies walking beside the lake look so sweet. And you are right, the swimmers must be crazy. Brrrr.

    A beautiful part of God's creation.

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  9. Gorgeous photos, Judy! I am shivering thinking about the cold dip your son's took! My oldest brother was stationed in Alaska when he was in the Army many years ago --I have to send your blog posts to him as I know he will also enjoy them.

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  10. It looks like the excursion was enjoyed by one an all. i'll look forward to catching up on your Alaskan adventure when time permits. Thanks for sharing your travels with us once again!

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  11. What a great adventure you had!!! The glacier and the waters are so beautiful. Great pictures!!!!

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  12. Breathtaking beauty and special moments make this a vacation you all will never forget. And, my thought process of Alaska will never be the same. What an amazing photographer you are!

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