Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Juneau, Alaska.

Our first port was Juneau, Alaska. The capital city is also home to the Mendenhall Glacier about 13 miles out of town. We took a bus to the Tongass National Forest Visitor Center and hiked out to the glacier. After spending the afternoon at the glacier on the Nuggest Trail we returned to downtown and walked the streets before boarding the Pearl once again.

Mendenhall Glacier.

View from the Nugget Trail.

William just had to stand on a floating iceberg!!!

Downtown Juneau.

The next day the ship arrived in Skagway, Alaska early in the morning. This gave us the opportunity to explore the town and area for the day. Skagway was the launch point for many goldseekers traveling the White Pass trail to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896-98. There is a National Historic Museum and the buildings have been carefully restored with wooden boardwalks.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.

Restored buildings.

Downtown Skagway.

We took a tour on a small bus up into the mountains through the famous White Pass that early gold diggers would have followed. The scenery was stunning until the clouds closed in on us! We could just imagine the fortune seekers hauling their one ton of gear up the treacherous pass. At the end of the trip we tried our hand at gold panning. Unfortunately we'll have to keep our day jobs!

Panning for gold!

Peter working on his college fund.

At the Pearl.

Returning to Alaska after crossing into Canada.

White Pass Railroad track.

We set sail from Skagway with a course set for the Glacier Bay National Park. We would be cruising through in Glacier Bay from 6 am until 4pm. The Park Rangers joined our ship via boat early in the morning and spent the day with us narrating the sights. This area is also a World Heritage protected site only accessible by boat.

We visited the Marjerie Glacier, the Reid Glacier and the Grand Pacific Glacier. The Captain brought the ship in close to the massive ice and let us float. We even had a chance to see them "calve" chunks of ice into the bay. The kids were able to add Glacier Bay badges to their Junior Ranger collection. At the mouth of the bay we saw porpoise, sea lions, sea otters, and whales! A bald eagle was even perched on a floating ice berg.

The Reid Glacier.

Glacier "calving".

Glacier Bay National Park Rangers!

The stern of the Pearl as she swings around in the channel.

Enjoying the sights.