Juneau - Alaska’s Capital

Juneau is the capital of Alaska yet it’s a small town. With a population of 32,000, it’s about the size of Moose Jaw, or Salisbury, UK, but with no road out of town, it’s very isolated.

Haida Art on Juneau wall

Grandma’s Feather bed gave us just that, a sumptuous comfortable bed, set in a lovely bed & breakfast on the outskirts of town. The hotel provides a free shuttle into town and since we’d arrived just after lunch we made use of it. Our shuttle driver told us he often visits his brother in Minneapolis: “The quickest and cheapest way out is to take my car on the ferry up to Skagway (6 ½ hours), then drive down through Canada to the lower 48 (States) on the Alaska Highway – there is no land link to Juneau. The alternatives are much more expensive and involve Alaska Air or a 3-day ferry ride to Seattle. And, my boy is in basketball,” he said, “We have to travel out of town for him to have any teams to play against.”

Bob of Seals

We’d run out of baggage space so went looking for a suitcase. Strangely, we found a store that sold electronics and a variety of suitcases in the back of a café; you had to walk through the café to get there. We bought a suitcase. The guy had an Eastern European accent. Where are you from I asked him: “Bulgaria!” Of course.

Next morning we went whale watching in a small boat. Our guide announced that when she’d arrived in Alaska men outnumbered women by about 10:1. “But, if you think that made it a great place to be female,” she said, “women here have a saying: ‘The odds are good but the goods are odd, so I’m not looking!’ and I’m still single.” As we left Juneau we saw several bald eagles, just walking around on a remote beach: “Here, we call them Alaska chickens!” she said.

Orca Pod

We cut the engine and sat floating out in a large bay – all we’d seen was a bob of seals. Then, the radio burst into life: ‘Orcas by the red boat, orcas by the red boat!’ Our guide said, “In case you are wondering, WE are the red boat. And, this is a rare treat…” As we watched, seven killer whales dived under our boat and came out the other side; everyone scrambled for their cameras. Humpback whales give birth in warmer waters, off Hawaii or Mexico, and fatten their babies with milk before heading to the Arctic, choosing the shelter of the Inside Passage. The orcas wait for them; separating the babies from the mothers, holding them under water to drown them.

Mendenhall Glacier with blue toe

Later in the day we caught the shuttle to the Mendenhall Glacier. This feeds Mendenhall Lake on the outskirts of the city and it’s an impressive sight. Just as we arrived, a large chunk had calved leaving a deep blue face just above the water level. Unlike Portage, there’s no way to get close to the toe of Mendenhall although there’s a powerful waterfall just to one side where you can stand. Close to the base is a salmon run – many leaped higher as we watched – a place famous as a viewing area for bears, but all we saw was their scat!

Gulls on jetty - Juneau Harbour

Next week we visit Ketchikan, Alaska.