Juneau, Alaska! (Day 2 of 3 in Alaska)

Our second day in Alaska was spent in Juneau. 

The day started with a drive through Juneau on our way to Auk Bay, where we boarded a boat for our whale-watching excursion.  Although we didn’t have any expectations, we were shocked to see our first whale before we were even on the boat!

Auk Bay, Juneau…whale watchers surrounding a mother humpback whale and her baby.

Unfortunately, we weren’t close enough to see the mama and her baby, but the scenery was beautiful!

A few minutes later, I saw my first whale up close!

And more beautiful scenery!

Harbor Seals!

The harbor seals fascinated me…they were noisy and so much fun to watch.  Awkward on land and amazingly agile in the water.

       

Another glacier view.

               

             

 

As we move closer to the glacier, the scenery becomes more stark.

               

             

             

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Ketchikan, Alaska! (Day 1 of 3 in Alaska)

Ketchikan, Alaska…it was a misty day (yes, it was raining) and the clouds seemed to cling to the mountain tops.

Snow…at the end of May.  Not a common sight for those of us from south Texas!    Ketchikan is beautiful, even on a chilly, rainy May day.

A salmon ladder on the river in Ketchikan.

The city park in Ketchikan located on the grounds of the old salmon hatchery.

Dolly’s House…this house cost $800 (see the sign over the door…founded in 1919 and was paid for by Dolly in two weeks.  However, it was not because she struck gold.  She provided a service to the men of Ketchikan and was evidently quite popular!

A bald eagle, sitting on the rocks in the harbor. Ketchikan is a truly amazing place!

A seaplane…one of only a few ways to arrive in Ketchikan. 

We enjoyed our visit to Ketchikan and left feeling glad we had the chance to learn it’s history.  And then we were off to see Juneau!

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

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