We spent the next two days at sea. It was nice and relaxing, but we were all itching to see land. As soon as there was the tiniest bit of land in site, half the boat was outside taking pictures. It was amazing to see the untouched natural beauty of Alaska, as well as the little houses dotting the coast line.
We finally docked in Juno a few hours later then expected. Our boat was the farthest from town, and we knew we just had to catch a bus to see the biggest attraction in town, the Mendenhall Glacier!
We had a great bus driver. Typically they just drive you straight to the glacier and let you off, but once ours found out that this was our first stop in Alaska he stopped by a stream to let us view the salmon running! I am so grateful that he did that for us because those ended up being the only salmon that were running on our entire trip!
As soon as we got off the bus at the Mendenhall Glacier, we heard a rumor that a bear had been sighted on one of the pathways near the river. We walked down to check it out but didn't see anything. On our way back to the visitor center one of the Rangers pointed out the bear sleeping in the tree! It was so adorable, and I'm glad it was asleep!
And yes, they really are that blue in person. If I understood it correctly, the ice is blue because it's never come into contact with the air. As soon as it gets air bubbles in it, they turn white, like we're used to!
Up next: Skagway and the White Pass Train!
This past August we took a cruise to Alaska. I've been meaning to post pictures since then, but hadn't had a chance! It was an amazing trip, and one I'd take again in a heartbeat. We started in San Francisco, stopped in Juno, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria (BC).
We flew up to San Francisco super early on a Monday morning. My amazing friend Emma ( I miss you!!!) picked us up at the airport and took us around the Fisherman's Wharf area until we had to board our boat. Most of the shops were closed since it was Monday, but it was still fun to walk around and eat the yummies at the Boudin Bakery.
Our boat held a party on the top deck to celebrate the beginning of our cruise. It seemed like almost everyone on board (all 2,000 of us) was on one of the top decks. We all were waiting for the moment we got to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge! It was such an amazing experience to get to see a part of the bridge that not everyone gets to enjoy! As a funny side note, my sisters friend happened to be in San Francisco on the same day as us. She was on the bridge when we passed under, saw our boat, but didn't know we were on it until she checked her Facebook later! Such a small world...
Next: Our short stop in Juno!
