North to Alaska Day 4

Day 4 - Juneau, Alaska

The day started out as all our days, with low clouds and mist over the mountaintops. We were up early to catch our whale-watching tour with Orca Enterprises and Captain Larry. The office was easy to find, and along with the Roziers and Dave's friend John we were soon on our way to the docks to embark on our excursion on the purple Orca boat.

Along the way to the area where Captain Larry had recently seen whales, we were treated to the sight of majestic bald eagles perched on rocks, and sea lions playing on the buoys. Although the wind was brisk, we were warm and dry in our new waterproof, fleece-lined yellow jackets that we had each purchased at bargain prices in Ketchikan. We continued to snap photos as Captain Larry searched for humpbacks, and were soon rewarded with sightings. Although disappointed that we did not get closer to the whales, and that the gentle rolling on the surface was the only activity we witnessed, it was a nice boat ride.

After an Alaskan Amber beer in a souvenir glass at Fat Stan's Bar, we headed back to the ship to shed our heavy jackets and trade them for lighter windbreakers, as the sun had appeared and the day had warmed. We walked back to the Red Dog Saloon for lunch amidst the tinkling of a honky-tonk piano, the sawdust on the floor and the great historic ambience. We strolled and shopped until it was time to board a shuttle for the Mendenhall Glacier, where we walked the trails and photographed the beautiful expanse of ice. Back in Juneau later, we decided to make the best of this perfect Alaska day and ride the St. Roberts tram to the mountaintop high above the city. We enjoyed both the view and the cold beer at the bar and grill before taking the scenic ride back down to street leve. After a full day In Juneau, we headed back the the ship for a pre-dinner drink in the Concierge Lounge. We once again hosted our Pirate friends for sailaway, this time after dark, with the twinkling lights of Juneau fading into the night.

Tomorrow : Skagway, Alaska