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Juneau and the Mendenhall GlacierCelebrity's "Mercury" Visits the Alaskan State Capital
Juneau has an olde-worlde American feel about it not unconnected to the rip-roaring days of the Gold Rush.
As Mercury sailed slowly into Juneau people strolled the decks admiring and taking photographs of the scenery and the majestic mountains. The Town of JuneauFounded thirteen years after the purchase of Alaska by the USA from Russia, Juneau is recognized as the first truly American city in the State. The town is "stroll-friendly" with plenty of shops. In keeping with the Gold Rush style there are several saloons which come complete with cold beer, sawdust and rowdy songs. The most well known of these being the Red Dog Saloon. Nearby is one of North America's largest wilderness areas, the Tongass National Forest. And thirteen miles north-east of the town is the Mendenhall Glacier. Most of the tours go to the glacier in one form or another - by bus, by helicopter, by floatplane, kayaking and even by bicycle. Glacier Gardens Rainforest.This is popular stop on the way to the glacier. The gardens were created following the 1984 landslide which uprooted everything in its path and wiped out the stream. Ten years after the landslide Steve and Cindy Bowhay purchased the land and reclaimed the stream. As they use the water for hydro-electricity there are lots of little ponds and waterfalls. The ponds are landscaped with Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Japanese Maples and various other shrubs. From the car park visitors are taken up to the 580 ft. level by electric carts which clamber up the twisty muddy roadway. All the while the driver is explaining about the various plants. At that level of Thunder Mountain there is a viewing platform from where you can see the Mendenhall Valley, Chilkat Mountains, Gastineau Channel and downtown Juneau. The gardens are probably best known for their upside-down trees. These are trees that have fallen during storms (or old age), been planted upside down and miniature gardens planted among their roots. The Mendenhall GlacierDepending on one's interests, there are several marked walks on the land across from the glacier. Bearing in mind that time is limited, most people take the shortest hike on the Photo Point Trail and follow that with a visit to the Visitor Center to examine the models of the glacier and watch a short film about it. Standing on the point across a fairly narrow expanse of water and looking at the blue, white and grubby glacier is awe-inspiring. It is over 200ft. hight, almost three miles wide and 12 miles long. And surrounded by snow-capped, pine covered mountains. Dotted on the water are seemingly innocent lumps of ice. They aren't floating on top of the water, but are ice-bergs with only the tip showing. Underneath they are lethal. The AquaSpa on the MercuryAs well as wonderfully relaxing massages and facials, the AquaSpa has a gym with various pieces of exercise equipment and a Thalassotherapy Pool. Daily there are exercises (for example, at 7.30 a.m. "Wake Up and Stretch"), fitness seminars and specialty classes (Yoga and Pilates). Attached to the spa is the - to the ladies - all important Salon where hairdos and manicures are available. Information about this cruise which operates between spring and fall/autumn can be obtained from Celebrity Cruises. This cruise also visits Ketchikan, the Hubbard Glacier and Sitka.
The copyright of the article Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier in Cruise Lines & Routes is owned by Barbara Bothwell. Permission to republish Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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