Juneau, Alaska

The days are getting longer the farther north we go.  Sunset is at about 10pm, but it’s still pretty light even around midnight.  Last night the skies were clear enough to see the full moon rise just after sunset.

The ferry pulled into Juneau around noon today.  We had been talking with a fellow passenger who mentioned he and his wife needed a ride into town and asked if we would mind taking them in the van.  So we made some friends – Allen and Sandra.  We had planned on stopping at the Mendenhall Glacier on our way into town, and they said they didn’t mind a little detour.

The glacier flows 12 miles down from the Juneau Ice Field until it reaches Mendenhall Lake.  Bright blue icebergs float in the water, making it a fantastic place for kayaking.  We wished they had kayaks for rent there, but they don’t have a rental kiosk on site, unfortunately.  (You can book an excursion from Juneau, though).

Flowing right next to the glacier is an equally impressive waterfall – Nugget Falls.  There’s an easy trail that takes you right up to it so you can feel the ice-cold spray.

Also on the way into town is Alaska’s largest brewery – the Alaskan Brewing Company.  They have a very generous tasting room – you can sample up to six of their beers.  We liked the Amber, White, and Summer brews.

In fact, we liked them so much that we later stopped in at the historic Alaskan Hotel Bar in town and had some more Alaskans at the Alaskan.