J is for JUNEAU

This week, J is for Juneau Alaska where I'm headed in approximately 6 or 7 weeks with D2. This will be my third time arriving via cruise ship to Juneau, where one of my cousins and his wife live.

On a Juneau website, I found the following: If Juneau were a type of music, we'd say it's part funk, part soul, part bluegrass, and a whole lot of classic rock. Here, you'll find an unexpected mix of fishermen and teachers, legislators and artists, lawyers and homemakers, dock workers and frontier entrepreneurs, students and Native elders.

Somehow, we make it all work.

Spend a few days with us and you'll see why so many folks choose to visit and live here. In Juneau, you can watch humpbacks in the morning, take in a performance art activity in the evening, and toss back a few locally brewed beers at night. We're eclectic that way. And we've got all the activities and attractions you'd expect in a state capital. We just share them without all the pretension.

Not least of all, Juneau locals are a friendly bunch, if we do say so ourselves. We're a fiercely loyal type, and we love this city enough to want to share it with anyone who visits.

Something I've wanted to do both times I visited Juneau was to go up the Mount Roberts Tramway. Both times, the weather did not cooperate and I didn't want to spend the money to wander around the clouds. Apparently, on a sunny day you can see spectacular views out over the harbour, sea, and mountains. Also, there is a glorious native mountain house with native art demonstrations, a theater, and a raptor center. There is, as well, a trail system where you can wander through the Sitka Spruce and the grasses and wildflowers of the sub-alpine. Keep your fingers crossed that we'll have a good day this time!

The other main attraction in Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier. Thirteen miles from downtown Juneau, the glacier measures 12 miles long by 1 1/2 miles wide. The ice can be anywhere from 400 to 800 feet deep. It seems the only way to actually walk on the glacier is if you go via helicopter, but that costs mucho dinero so D2 and I will see it from the ship (which does get as close as possible) and maybe take a land tour to the Visitors Site where you can get splendid views from along the hiking trails there.

I do remember that the day our ship went into Tracy Arm, it was a gloriously sunny (but ccccold) day, and I was mesmerized by the colour of the water and the smaller icebergs that were floating loose. The sun glittered off these bits of ice making a variety of colours and patterns. It's going to be a lot of fun this time, seeing Juneau and its environs through my daughter's eyes. She is so excited that she has already gone out and bought a new camera and has practised by taking photos (both long shot, wide lens, and macros) in downtown Vancouver and around home. I think I'll just take my old camera and will get copies of good ones from her camera. And of course we won't forget to go into the shops to find a suitable souvenir - like maybe a stuffed moose, grizzly bear, or whale.

Have a great week, everyone, and don't forget to ask your friends to play along with this fun fun fun weekly activity, brought to you by Denise Nesbitt and her jolly team of helpers. Click here to access the ABC Wednesday webpage.