Welcome to Juneau

Our ferry ride to Juneau was great.  A few short hours on the ferry and we were finally able to see the capital of Alaska.  And to make things better, we had a friendly face greet us as we drove off the ferry.  This is my friend Jenni who just moved to Juneau again (I think her third time there) from Valdez.  She and her family (names omitted to protect the innocent) gave us lots of tips and hints on what to see and it really helped us make the best use of our time.  They also met us at the Twisted Fish for lunch, which I highly recommend the next time you are in Juneau. Thanks Jenni...and the sign rocks...and you made the blog!

Everyone says it rains in Juneau and I used to believe them until we got there and it was sunny and 68 for two straight days. We couldn't have asked for better weather! 

One of the things we did in Juneau was to go up on the Tram.  It goes 1800 feet straight up the side of a mountain and gives you a spectacular view of Juneau.  I am afraid of heights and I still think it's worth it.  

So we also went to see the Mendenhall Glacier. It was great and the kids loved being in the sunshine.  Here are some photos of the kids crossing over the water to get some better views of the glacier. 

While here we were also able to tour the State Capitol Building, saw the Governor's mansion, a nice little Russian Orthodox Church, and a tour of the Alaskan Brewing Company Brewery. Not bad for being in town for only one and a half days.

Funny enough, as huge as Alaska is, we always seem to spot someone we know when we leave Valdez.  While in the grocery store in Juneau we ran into one of the Coasties who used to be stationed in Valdez.  Just a reminder that it's such a small world!  Juneau was great, and we give it 5 thumbs up!!