Today we docked in Juneau, Alaska’s state capitol. The only way to access Juneau is by boat or plane, since it backs up against two mountains. Mom and I made use of the excellent workout facilities this morning, like every morning thus far, including taking a “Fabulous abs” class. Ouch. It was fun to run on the tread mill and watch the port of Juneau come closer and closer out the window. The captain proceeded to turn the ship 180 degrees and then parallel park our MASSIVE ship. Hats off to him!

Martha, Sam, Dad and I had signed up for the Glacier View Sea Kayaking tour at 10. We took a bus ride with a native guide, Fred, who told us about the local art work, and some local history as we drove a bit north of the city. We came around the corner and there was the Mendenhall glacier across the bay! It was amazing. Our kayaking guides said it was the best view they had seen in weeks. It was big and blue and looked a little like a giant ice S carved into the mountain valley.

We got geared up and into our kayaks and out onto the water. We headed out into the water at a good clip. All of a sudden, off to our right popped a head. It was a harbor seal!!! Add that to our wild life tally. The skies were clear, there was a light breeze and just a little bit of fog coming down from the tops of the mountain. A wonderful day. We headed out into the center of the channel, admiring the consistent seal heads popping out of the water and the abundance of bald eagles flying in the sky.

Our guide had filled us in on the history of Juneau and the Glacier and it was time to head in. Dad and I, together in a 2 person kayak, wanted to skirt closer to the shore in the hopes of seeing more seal heads, which the guide didn’t seem to mind, since we were pretty self sufficient. As we headed in, all of a sudden, the wind started to pick up. Then the surf got crazy. Then the clouds rolled in. All of a sudden, it was raining and the wind was blowing us all backwards faster than we could paddle forward. I got splashed with salt water in the face and couldn’t see for a few minutes. Things got a little harry out there, but luckily we all managed to pilot to shore. (The emergency motorboat had to haul in three less powerful 2-person kayaks!). When we got to shore, the guides told us that as we had been out in the water, a small craft advisory had been issued, and all other trips out today have been cancelled. Yikes!

We wandered a little through Juneau, getting an upclose view of the capitol. Both of our bus drivers to and from the kayaking site pointed out the Governor’s mansion. One of them, Fred, told us that her new name from the locals is “Sarah Bailin’” because she is bailing out on the state. The other bus driver told us to look for U-Hauls in the driveway. Seems she isn’t super popular up here at the moment.

In case you were worried, Mom did not come kayaking with us. She did, however, spend some time in the spa, getting a facial and a foot massage. Clearly, this was the less dangerous course of action to follow.
We finally found some free wi-fi here in a local bar in Juneau. All we had to do is buy a drink! We will try to find a similar set up in the next port, Skagway, but they have been few and far between. I will keep writing up blogs and will post them (and photos I hope) as soon as I can!

Phase 1 of the trip: All roads lead to Seattle

It took a little time to gather all of the troops here on the West Coast.  Dad drove from CT to Boston to meet Martha and Sam, who were coming from Syracuse, NY, so they could all fly out together from Boston, through San Francisco, to Seattle.  Mom and I departed Kansas City, stopped in Salt Lake, and landed in Seattle.  Phew.  That is a lot of cities to sort through.

Now assembled in Seattle, Martha and Sam went to stay with friends from college, while the remaining three of us hunkered down in a hotel room near the airport.  An added bonus to this hotel of convenience: a straight on view of Mt. Rainier!  We kept the window shades wide open while we sipped Alaskan beer and ate pizza while watching the All-Star Game on TV.

Phase 2: Actually enjoying Seattle

This morning, we woke up rather early, checked out of our hotel, picked up the rental car and headed out of town towards the hulking volcano on the horizon.  The day was perfectly clear, not a cloud in the sky, and in the mid-70s.  We arrived at Mt. Rainier park, spent some time watching an educational film about the history and dynamic physical features of the peak, then stepped outside to gear up for our hike.  On the hill top in front of us, a deer frolicked through the open meadow, wagging its tail, munching on grass and posing for pictures with the mountain peak behind it!

Up the Paradise trail, about ten minutes into the hike, we came across SNOW!  Now, it is mid-July, it is in the 70s, and yet, there is thick snow banks to be found, not just in the shade, but in the broad meadows under the bright sun.  Sun so bright, in fact that most of us returned from the hike slightly pinker than when we began, despite a liberal slathering of SPF 30.  Welcome to glacier hiking!  Unfortunately, we did not come prepared like a number of other hikers we met along the way, with ice grips for hiking boots, light weight waterproof gators, ski poles and other higher tech equipment. We had on sneakers, jeans/shorts, and only 3 water bottles for 7 people. While I think we all wished we could have had proper hiking gear in order to take on the mountain, the reality of how much suitcase space that gear would have occupied for only 1 day of enjoyment out of 14 didn’t make much sense.

The hike back down the mountain seemed a bit more harrowing, since gravity and the slippery nature of snow were working in tandem and we were much more tired than when we began. We finally reached the bottom, three hours after we set out.  We had hiked just shy of Panorama Peak, where the entire trail turned to snow and ice.

After a brief rest, we began the drive back down the mountain, stopping at various vista points to take photos of the carved out river bed, still showing signs of damage from some serious flash flooding a few years back, waterfalls, and of course, the front entrance of the park.  Upon a recommendation from Emily and Sean, Martha and Sam’s friends from college, we made reservations at Ray’s Boathouse for dinner.  Luckily, we had time to change out of our sweaty hiking clothes and into something more appropriate, because Ray’s turned out to be a very classy seafood restaurant, overlooking the water.  As luck would have it, we arrived just prior to sunset, so we were able to toast our pre-dinner beverages just as the sun touched the Olympic Mountains in the distance.

All in all, a very successful first full day in Seattle.  Tomorrow, we venture into the downtown part of Seattle.  More updates then!