Final Day in Juneau

Thursday the 4th was a record breaking heat-wave day in Juneau and we spent it outside. After doing a final grocery shopping stop for perishables, we decided to take in some sights.

First we took the Tram above the town to explore Mount Roberts and see the city and scenery from on high. The Tram and the Nature and Visitors Centers are owned and operated by the Tlingits, and we got a slightly different perspective on history and learned more about their culture and how they are reviving it. We did a short hike to a high vista and Father Roberts cross, getting eaten alive by bugs as we did so! The views were worth it.

We took a lunch break and I tried to cool off in the shade- obviously I have some heat acclimatization to do before we get to Mexico! While I was sitting in the shade an eagle swooped onto the dock to grab some scraps.

Then we set off for Mendenhall glacier late in the day, which was a great choice because the majority of the cruise ship folks had departed the site so it wasn’t awfully crowded. The smoke had started to filter into the air but the view of the glacier and the waterfall next to it were still stunning. We walked the Trail of Time path which had marked where the ice was through the last century – it was quite sobering to stand there in over 80 degree heat realizing that the spot we were standing on, quite far away from the glacier, had been part of the glacier less than 100 years ago.

The next morning we headed to the fuel dock to top off before heading north. We were treated to both a cool whale fountain on the shore and actual whales not long after leaving the dock!