June 27 Mendenhall Glacier

Number one tourist attraction in Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier which is just 15 miles out of the downtown area. We wanted to really go "deluxe" so we took the Glacier Express bus for $5 each way. Could have joined one of the Princess cruise tours for megabucks but we actually got the best deal in town with a Tlinglit Indian driver who was very proud of his heritage and the sights of Juneau. He was pointing out all the landmarks along the way plus spotting the large numbers of eagles along the way. He even took us down to the local fish hatchery to show us the scores of individuals pulling in the returning hatchery salmon. They gut them right there and the eagles soar overhead waiting to swoop in on the discarded trimmings. Quite a sight...and this was all in addition to him taking us out to the National Park visitor's center at the glacier.

Before getting there I could not imagine how we could get right up to the edge of the glacier and yet not be in a boat. It was awesome and quite an experience. Their park displays dealt with all the common questions like "Why is some of the ice so blue?" and "How fast does the glacier receed?" We learned a lot and gained a greater appreciation for all those icebergs we were cruising amongst in Tracey Arm.


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