We woke up to a dense blanket of fog in the only state capital that borders (100 miles away) a foreign country: Juneau. In spite of the city’s location tucked up against a mountain on the Alaskan mainland, all goods coming in and going out must go by plane or boat. Cha-ching. There is no access by road.

We were met on the dock by colorful totem poles, welcome signs in various languages, and Juneau’s most famous dog, Patsy Ann, a bull terrier who came to town in 1929. Back in the day her activities were recorded by Juneau’s daily newspaper. She was allowed to wander the aisles of the Coliseum Theater during musical performances; she stopped by local shops in hopes of treats; and she left her paw prints on a newly paved sidewalk on South Seward Street. Juneau’s mayor dubbed her the Official Greeter of Juneau in 1934. Here’s a fun twist: The New Mexican artist who won the commission for the design of the statue included clippings of dog hair from all over the world in the bronze at the time of casting to symbolically unite the spirit of dogs everywhere.

Scholars believe indigenous peoples have inhabited Southeast Alaska for more than 10,000 years. This area is the traditional homeland of three distinct ethnicities: Tlingit, Haida (high-da), and Tsimshian (sim-shee-an) which explains the top notch museums highlighting comprehensive collections of art, artifacts, books, and film. Thanks to 1880’s prospectors Harris and Juneau and Tlingit Chief Kowee who guided them to the mouth of Gold Creek, the state’s first major goldstrike was on. The remains of three different mining complexes are still intact as are Klondike-era hotels and saloons, onion-dome churches, and colorful Victorian homes.

None of us had time for the museums or mines because we chose other things. Cyd, Barb, Dan and I spent our time whale watching and hiking into Mendenhall Glacier. Like so many glaciers Mendenhall is shrinking at an alarming rate. That said, as first timers to the area we found it and its surroundings to be beautiful as well as impressive. While not as clock stopping as Cyd and Barb’s whale experience yesterday, our trip was still a total success. About 15 humpbacks flowed majestically in and out of the water the whole time we were there. Our favorite moment was when a humpback that had come closer to the boat with each breath went under the back of the boat and popped up right next to us before diving down and exposing his tail for all of us to see. Once the bottom of his tail was out of the water our guide and captain told us his name and gave us a little bit of his history (born in Hawaii but summers in this area with his mom).

Walter and Cleone (fully recovered from yesterday’s headache) had their favorite experience so far on their tour of a dogsledding camp. Hettie and Ronnie visited Mendenhall Glacier also and then had a salmon lunch.

A huge unexpected plus to the day was the sun. Once it burned off the fog it stayed all day.

.. For Real …

To date only one Alaskan governor, William Egan, has actually been born in Alaska.

A 13-year old boy, Benny Benson, an Aleut, designed the flag of Alaska.
He won a contest in 1927 when Alaska was still a territory.

 Alaska is the largest state in the United States by a long shot. 

Alaska became a state in 1959.