Juneau Morning

It is early morning as I sit in the motel room looking out over one of the many harbours of Juneau.  We are in a nice room in a run down looking Motel.  Booking on the internet is always an adventure.  But "The Breakwater Inn" has very nice rooms, even if we would not have stopped here except it was 6:30 pm and we had reservations.  And yet one of the nicer rooms.  There are mostly commercial fishing boats in this harbour and I do love my fishing boats.  Not much activity for 5:30 am.  

Yesterday, was another good day, if very different.  Up late, well Mary was, then to the Raptor Recovery Center.  Great place, they specialize in Bald Eagles, that is what there are the most of in Alaska, but do have a Golden Eagle and several Owls.  We spent over an hour there.  One of the young people told us about, the "Bear Fortress", a place that is trying to be a recovery center for brown bears.  They have two year and half old cubs at about 250 lbs.  they are in a large tank that is made to be like the natural habitat.  We finally found it and it was okay.  the tank is about 400 ft across and high enough to be good safe viewing.  The two cubs were orphaned and would not have made it in the wild.  So they are saving bears.  Brown bears are an Alaskan Bear and only kind around Sitka.  Grizzly is type of brown bear.  the Sitka bear is unique, in that it has been isolated for so long.

Then it was the chocolate factory.  Fun and good.  2 lbs of dark seconds is very good.

then to the Ferry.  The "Fairweather" is a high speed passenger and vehicle ferry that makes day runs to places outside of Juneau.  It traveled at speeds up to 35 knots. There were 57 passengers on board and everyone stayed to themselves or in their group.  No interesting conversations except with Mary.  The 4 and half hours were uneventful except for a good light house.  

After supper in our room, we went to the famous "Red Dog Saloon"  It is in old Juneau and has been there since frontier days.  They had a singer, that sang old country songs.  He was actually pretty good.  It is near the cruise ship docks and was full of cruise folks when we got there.  Three large ship in harbour.  Boy does that make a down touristy.  But it was fun.  Then home before dark which arrived at 10:30.  Today is a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier, the most photographed glacier in the world, a 10 mile drive,  and then on the Ferry for the final leg of our ferry trip.  Tonight in Haines.

The pictures are of the light house and the two bears.  Very important things to Mary and me.