July 11th and 12th Juneau

                                 We waited a long time for our Thai dinner but it was worth it

July 11^th Juneau

Today started off with Ada’s favorite pancakes for breakfast, and then off we went with our “to do” list. One stop was the Verizon store to see what we could do about my phone. The young man there checked it out and said, “Yep, water damage.”  It was cooked. Buying a new phone was certainly not in the budget but was  a necessity. We asked for the least expensive model and were given what the salesperson called a “starter phone” which is probably just the right fit for me and a five year old.

                                                     Ice cream with Uncle Butch

We did major food shopping and then had lunch with Mike and Diane before dropping them off at the airport. It was sad to see them go.

Everyone is a bit tired so had a relaxing afternoon. We decided to stay an extra day so we can actually do some sight seeing together tomorrow.

                                                    Ada gave her abalone shells a bath

We are fascinated and impressed by the young people we have met in Juneau who are here doing whatever jobs they can during the tourist season. Some live on boats watching over them while owners are away. Many move from one recreational area to another all year long…soaking up as many job experiences and destinations as they can while they can. Ah, to be young.

July 12^th Juneau

All of us enjoyed a leisurely morning.  When ready, we drove along the Glacier Highway to the Mendenhall Loop to the Glacier’s Visitor’s Center and trail for a look at the glacier face. Took in an informative film which stressed the receding of the glacier and the effects of global warming. The center had a magnificent wall of windows which looked out at the glacier and provided a telescope for a closer view. The Nugget Falls cascaded down just a short distance form the glacier.  A major gold discovery was made in the mid-1800’s near the top of those falls.

                                                   Ada never passes up a puddle splash

                                               

We managed to find a parking space downtown, and I attempted to follow my walking tour. I got through just two of the sights when Ada announced that it was lunch time. A Mexican restaurant was found quickly and we devoured its spicy offerings.

On Monday night, we took Diane and Mike to the famous Red Dog Saloon. We were four of the six customers there. I wanted Butch to see it but found a line outside waiting to be admitted. Butch told the “bouncer” that he just wanted a look around and managed to squeeze in. I ran next door and got him a t-shirt just so he had a keepsake.

The capitol building was our next stop and I was surprised to find a dome-less building(maybe the snowfall is the reason for a multi-storied brick building). There was a great salmon hunting bear sculpture that captivated Ada’s interest until we walked some more downtown taking in some of the shops. In one store, Ada admired a necklace. Butch put it on her and then took her up to the counter to pay for it. The employee just said, “You can have it. It’s yours.”  We all felt bad for not purchasing anything!

Made our way down to the cruise ship docks.  There were signs all along the pier with historical information and stories. Ada attached herself to the Patsy Ann sculpture. This Alaskan canine was a fixture at the docks greeting passengers from the ships and was honored for her friendliness and loyalty.

                                                                 Ada with Patsy Ann

That evening we were dining on corn beef and cabbage which Butch provided for us, when Kasia, one of the glacier guides, knocked on our door. She is staying on a boat just in front of us. She joined us for a meal and we found out she is one of triplets. David later got a tour of the boat she is caretaking, a beautiful sailboat. I got the impression that she was most grateful for a hot meal and beer.

Just before heading to bed, a working seiner glided alongside us asking if they could raft next to us. When we woke up in the morning, we discovered that another boat had rafted beside the first boat…we are three boats deep. Getting out of here turned out to be quite the dance, but the fishing boats proved themselves quite adept at backing out and turning around giving us room to maneuver out of our space. They were eager to grab our spot at the dock.

                                        Keeping a safe distance from the bear skin