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Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point #203430 06/05/11 02:36 PM
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Alaska Cruise

In Juneau we had the Grand Tour of Juneau. We could have booked a tour at the dock. But it being my first cruise to Alaska, I did not know that.



I got a front seat on the bus. Our driver was a cute little blonde named Camille and she could really drive that bus.



After we went by the capitol, Camille said the weather was unusually clear so we could see these mountains



Our first actual stop was Mendenhall Glacier. We went to the visitor's center and saw the film.







The center explained why the glacier ice looks blue



We were told if we walked quickly, we could go to this waterfall near the glacier. You can see the people in the picture if you look






Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203431 06/05/11 03:05 PM
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Next we saw the upside down trees at Juneau Gardens.



Due to a landslide that blocked the road, all the debris and logs were pushed onto this property and the man (Steve) who owned the property conceived the idea of sticking the top down in the ground and putting plants on the roots that were in the air.





They took us on a tram ride up the hill and then we walked up to a platform to see out over the Juneau.



I could have done without the walk. The view wasn't that great. Plus they weren't going to feed us on this tour and went way past lunchtime.



So when we got to the visitor's center, Bob got chili, which proved to be out of a can and heated in a microwave for $4.25



Display of umbrellas for sale



Then we went to the salmon hatchery




Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203432 06/05/11 03:14 PM
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They explained the process and they had a touching tank







And a little aquarium



We had tickets for the Mt. Roberts Tramway and Camille dropped us off there.



Going up





Our ship (Amsterdam) on right and the larger Celebrity Millennium on left



Coming down




Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203433 06/05/11 03:21 PM
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We walked back to the ship. I had to stop and rest a couple of times. Then we took naps after which we went out to get the bus to the salmon bake. On the railing were photos and descriptions of the Alaska lighthouses, so I took a pictures of them on the way to get on the bus.




















Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203435 06/05/11 03:34 PM
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I was a little disappointed in the salmon bake as it was not as good as I remembered it being in Seattle.




But the cornbread was excellent and I had four pieces. They also had a good potato/clam chowder.



Bob's plate



We got the bus back to the ship and the ship left port about 10 pm




Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203437 06/05/11 03:55 PM
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May 18 - Icy Strait Point

We were to anchor. The ship information said there was 95 feet of water, but we did appear to be anchored. The Oceana Regatta was also there some way from along the shore.



We ate breakfast in the the dining room this morning - service is getting faster.

Anyway, this was a tender port, and there was to be a procedure for the tenders. Our excursion (whale watching) was to meet on shore, so we were to go to the Wajang Theatre for our tender tickets. We were to allow half an hour for the tender trip, and we were to be on the dock by 10:05. But they said we might have a delay getting a tender if we waited until 9 am, so we went as soon as we finished breakfast.



They said we didn't need tender tickets then but it was drizzling ashore. Bob was wearing his foulie raincoat, but yesterday when I wore mine, I got black stuff all over my wrists because the inner cuffs were disintegrating, so I was just wearing my pink coat. But it didn't matter as it didn't rain on us - it was just overcast.

The very hardest part of this excursion was going down the steps to the tender and climbing the ramp to the dock.





We sat around a little bit and Bob walked through the museum. Then we got on the excursion boat to do whale watching. We saw quite a few whales, but I stopped even trying to get photos because they were so far from us and they were on the surface for so short of time that I couldn't get the camera focused in time.

Piece of whale baleen



They were 'lunching' sort of near the surface - the fish were shallower because it was overcast.

Some people saw a bald eagle, but I didn't because I was looking at the wrong island. I did get a picture of a couple of puffins.







On the way back, we saw the zip line,



and after we got back we walked out to the cemetery and took some photos.


Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203438 06/05/11 04:04 PM
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We got back to the ship and picked up the scooter and went up to the Lido just before it closed at 2.



I had mac and cheese



and Bob had spaghetti, and then we had bread pudding and I had ice cream and Bob had cookies.

The closest we came to seeing bears fishing



Pilot Boat





Crab tower appetizer



Italian meatloaf



Baked Alaska


Re: Alaska Cruise - Juneau and Icy Strait Point [Re: grandmaR] #203439 06/05/11 04:04 PM
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May 19 - Sea Day

It was overcast and foggy and rainy for most of the day, but it cleared up after dinner. We ate all three meals in the dining room. Bob put in two loads of wash before breakfast, and ran upstairs during breakfast to take them out of the washer and put them in the dryer. We ate breakfast with a man who went into the Navy in 1942. He lives in AZ now.





shrimp

It was formal night tonight and we had lobster tails.



Cherry Pavlova



One of the men at dinner had lived in Alaska as a boy because his dad was a surveyor.



Tomorrow we are in Anchorage


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