Juneau

  Juneau, Alaska, United States
Friday, June 20, 2008

Shootin' the Mendenhall

After a few days here and a few days there we booked into Juneau for a full week of fun and frolic. We started with the Alaska State Museum where you can easily spend the better part of a full day.

Alaska State Museum: $7.2M for Alaska

Mount Roberts Tramway

We then went up the Mt. Roberts Tramway to have a look "down" onto Juneau, and to partake in an all you can eat crab dinner!

Juneau from above

And all gone!

Jackie and another white Yogi

And, of course, to take another bear picture.

Mt. Juneau Trading Post

Like most tourist destinations there is a lot of junk offered for sale; however, if you hunt for it there are good things to purchase too. Fortunately, living in a caravan prevents purchasing so many many items that we see in our travels!

Locally made

Locally made

Oar House: Fresh BBQ salmon

One day we saw an ad in the local newspaper for a theater company get together. We thought it had to do with a company production; something we could attend. So we called up to attend. It turned out to be a BBQ salmon dinner and a fund raiser for the company, and then got some funds from us! We bid on and won one of the cakes at auction and everyone shared everyones' cakes.

Down the hatch!

Juneau/Mendenhall/Whale Photographic Tour

Next on the agenda was a tour to the local major glacier - The Mendenhall - and out onto the water to see the humpies feeding. Sometimes I had to get down and dirty to get a potential photo.

Juneau/Mendenhall/Whale Photographic Tour

Juneau/Mendenhall/Whale Photographic Tour

H&M: Humpback Whales Bubble Feeding

Fortunately, or unfortunately we wanted to see more whales and so off we went for another tour on the water. Why unfortunately? Because I attempted to shoot the whales with my little G9 while the boat owner/operator was shooting with with a Canon 40D and the Canon 100-400 lense (both of which I eventually purchased before we left Alaska!).

Why fortunately? We found ourselves in the middle of a National Geographic experience: humpback whales repetitively bubble feeding!! It was one of the most unbelievable experiences we have ever experienced, and a wonderful way to end our visit to Juneau.

H&M: Humpback Whales Bubble Feeding