Headed for Juneau

Don't push me...I might tip over!

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Mt. Rainer from the airport window

How cool is this? We have traveled to Seattle just to see this mountain and had it be obscured in fog. Now here we are passing through and what a view!

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The gym is paying off....good core work honey!

Happy guy even with 50# on his back.

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We are Here!! Yippee!!

First day in Juneau.

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The waterway is their highway.

Walking into town, the first thing you hear then see are the seaplanes.

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Juneau's "taxi stand"...

Well, not really. They have real taxis here....but the amount of water traffic by seaplane and by boat is tremendous.

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Wow! Another one! Planes and boats coming and going, all sharing the channel.

To an outsider, at first the seaplanes are a novelty...then after a while, you realize they are as common here as buses on our roads.

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We went searching for our boat which we will not board until tomorrow.

And their she is! The Catalyst! A vintage 1932 beauty!

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There she is again on the right...all 75 feet of her.

Our home for the next 6 days. Hmmm....she looks rather small next to all these other boats.

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Mendenhall Glacier

Called a tidal glacier because the ice meets the sea, it's right in the heart of Juneau, an easy drive to reach.

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Up close and personal

How many glaciers can you walk up to these days? Located within a national park, there are abundant hiking trails if one has the time.

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DIPAC salmon hatchery

I've never seen so many salmon in one place at one time! Salmon by the thousands are migrating here to lay their eggs where they were previously hatched and released.

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A monster fish!

The guy in charge says this one's a keeper. A prime example of a fine hen, they will use her eggs for sure. She goes into a special pen reserved for the best.

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Mt. Roberts Tram

Next adventure...the tram which took us to the top of the mountain.

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Sandwiched in the middle.

Another view of the Catalyst.

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It's kind of pretty up here!

View from the top of the tram on Mt. Roberts.

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Coming down we saw the cruise ships pulling in.

Now the Catalyst really looks tiny!

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From the top of the tram it was pretty cool to see the jets land at the airport.

It's hard to see from this photo, but the planes come in over the narrow channel that the boats and seaplanes use and make a hard bank to land on the runway.

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Downtown Juneau

Cute shops line the streets. We were told by our taxi driver that most of these shops are owned by the cruise ship lines...so beware if you come to Juneau. For authenticity, you have to look for signs at the front of the shops which indicate local natives.

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Leaving the cruise ships and all the madness behind to set out for adventure aboard the Catalyst. We are EXCITED!!!

Sunday Aug 2 2015...Bye Bye Juneau!

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Ripples in the water

Who would have thought to photograph ripples? I'm thinking Wendy Shattil and Bob Rozinski, both internationally acclaimed wildlife photographers, have lots of tips and tricks to share with us on this trip.

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Back to basics wine chiller

All you need is a little bucket, some freezing cold glacier water and a little time before an amazing dinner by Chef Tracie.

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