May 21, 2009

Juneau

Please look down one entry to see pictures of the Ryndam at sea on the way to Juneau.....




In we come to find the Veendam already there with the Rhapsody of the Seas all tacked on to the tailings the town is built on. 2009.



Today: Off to the eyeglass shop. I’ve been very unhappy with both these frames and the lenses. Small and stylish isn’t me. Or G.

Himself: Work, glasses, work. He was appalled by how much he gained during the vacation.

Herself: I gained only five pounds on this vacation. Today I’m being quiet and not sharing my ear infection or two week old cold that's still with me. No swimming and no class. I’m not impressed. Working on the Skagway pictures and the Glacier images. Putting these entries together is the perfect thing for a semi vegetative person.

Reading: The 4th in the Dresden series.

Balance: Knowing the pain isn’t just all in my head.

There was a lovely, long cruise up the waterways to the doorways of Juneau. G and I up above the bow unexpectedly finding Juneau a much smaller state capital than expected.



We had signed up for a “City, hatchery, and Mendenhall Glacier” tour. Something simple and hopefully with a local. We got the local, and she was a wonderful guide. The city is tiny, and three times…….at least, she was able to say, “There’s the governor house, that white house up there on the hill with the pillars.” We looked appreciably each time.

The hatchery was started as a project by a local high school teacher, and after its success and his death has been enlarged. It continues to be a huge success. We learned a lot about salmon…read up, it’s fascinating stuff.


Pens for the fingerling salmon. There’s a fish ladder to the right where the fish return every two years.


On to the Mendenhall Glacier in Tongass National Forest. It’s a retreating glacier, and in the last year lost an unprecedented 200 feet a year VS the previous 60.



G walking across the glacier marked lands. The first thing to return after a glacier retreats are the lichens.



Left: The dot, high up in the trees to the left is a bear. Right: The Forest Service center.

We were both awed. We walked out into the glacial carved land, and once near the lake, I would have liked to have stayed longer. They do have excellent access to the Visitor Center, and I used the elevator rather than the long chain of stairs. There was a forest service person to answer questions, a ten year old film, and the glacier to fill the eyes. As we left, it was suggested we look up in the trees to see the bear.





Before we left, we rode the tram to the top of the hill, were amazed at the size of the mines rising up the hills, and compared the Zaandam’s rebuilt stern with that of the Ryndam’s as built stern. As we left, we had a simple dinner in the dining room and enjoyed the beauty of Alaska.

1 comment:

postcards

Celebration of Life