Juneau, Alaska, US Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Arrive: 10:00 AM.    Depart: 10:00 PM

We were scheduled to arrive at 10 am but we arrived earlier which gave me more time to explore. The Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter excursion is booked for 12:45 pm, which will take about 3.25 hours. This means there more than two hours before and about four hours after to explore Juneau.  The description of our excursion is below. 

No matter how tight your schedule is, you will always have time for  Patsy, she will meet you at the docks.  Patsy came to Juneau in 1929. She was a bull terrier and deaf from birth, however, had the ability to “hear” the steamship whistles long before the boats were in sight. She would run to the docks and greet the incoming ships with loud and happy bark, well probably barking. In 1934, Juneau’s Mayor dubbed her the “Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska”. 

Even before Patsy received her honorary position, as “Greeter” she was the talk of the town. The Juneau newspaper would record Patsy’s activities. They would write about her walking the isles of the local Coliseum Theater during musical performances, stopping by local shops for bits of food and candy bars, and leaving pawprints on a freshly paved sidewalk on South Seward Street.

Also, make sure to enjoy the art along the boardwalk and on the boardwalk.  

After my little visit with Patsy, I walked down Franklin Street to 4th Street, to the State Capital, which was about half a mile. Some time ago I thought how cool it would be to visit all the State Capitals in the US. So I decided to spend my first two hours visiting the Alaskan State Capital. 

You can join the free guided tours which are available from Tuesday to Friday at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm. Since I was there at 10:30 am, I picked up a brochure from the lobby and explored on my own. 

The City Museum is right next door. 

The Gouverneur Mansion is down the street, the NC Gouverneur’s Mansion is much nicer and comes with a living ghost. 

If this is not to your liking you can also check out the Juneau-Douglas City Museum or Sealaska Heritage Institute. 

I walk back through the historic district, the Russian Orthodox Church was my favourite. 

We were done with our excursion at 4:30pm sundown is at 8pm.  The AJ Mine Gastineau Mill Tour. takes about 2 hours and cancellations need to be 48 before. The Last Chance Mining Museum closes at 6:30pm.  So we wanted to go to the  Last Chance Mining Museum, the only historic mining building open to the public from Juneau’s gold rush era, but we found out shortly before that it is temporarily closed. I would have preferred doing the AJ Mine Gastineau Mill Tour. learning all about the Alaskan Gold Rush Era, wearing a stylish hard hat, and descending down a 360-foot-long tunnel into the heart of Hades. This was once the world’s largest gold-producing mill but it wasn't meant to be but we didn’t have enough time. 

Since we were not able to have dinner on top of a mountain in Ketchikan, we wanted to do this today. We wanted to take the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway to the mountaintop observatory. 

This tramway is one of the most vertical in the world and a sight to behold. The cars rise up 1800 ft giving you a view over Juneau and the Gastineau Channel, which you will never forget. The observatory features a nature center, restaurant, theater, and gift shop.  I wanted to explored the mountaintop nature trails and the stunning views over the Gastineau Channel; luckily a friend of our Facebook Group told us that it was really muddy up there and she didn’t walk around much. So we decided to go over to Tracy’s King Crab Shack, which was recommended to us by a friend. 

They were out of Crab Bisque, Shrimp and Dungeness Crab.  So we went to the Filipino BBQ, which was recommended by our driver but there were getting ready to close. Next on the list was

I wanted the Reindeer Sausage Corn Dog and guess what? 

So, we went to the Sealaska Heritage Institute and 

checked out the Native Women’s Art

and walked through town.

This is the description of our Excursion

This truly Alaskan adventure offers the rare opportunity to mush your own dog sled team across a snow-covered glacier.

Helicopter to an exclusive dog sled camp located on the picturesque middle branch of the Norris Glacier. 

On your way there, you will be amazed by a beautiful heli-flightseeing trip over the vast Juneau Icefield. Keep an eye out for the largest glacier on the Icefield -- the advancing Taku Glacier. View spectacular icefalls, rock formations, and untamed wilderness. Accessible only by air, this region is filled with lush forests, glassy alpine lakes, jagged mountain peaks, and awe-inspiring glaciers.

From here, it all goes to the dogs -- you'll land at the dog-sledding base on the glacier and learn the tricks of the trade from seasoned veterans of the legendary Iditarod Race. Master the all-important commands of Hike! Gee! and Haw! Then, armed with your new vocabulary, experience the thrill of zipping across a pristine glacier pulled by a team of friendly huskies. There may be no better way to enjoy the fresh mountain air and scenic vistas.

Enjoy approximately 30 to 35 minutes of helicopter time and one hour at the dog base.

Tomorrow we will be in Skagway

Notes:

A veteran dog sled musher will lead you on your sled adventure. Overboots are provided for glacier landings. The minimum age is 2 years. All guests are required to weigh in at the heliport. Guests weighing 250 lbs or more will pay an additional surcharge over the published fare. The tour operator will endeavor to be discreet during the weighing process but please be aware that individual circumstances may not allow for complete privacy. Not advisable for guests to use a wheelchair. Tour operates subject to meeting a minimum number of participants. Waiver must be signed and medical conditions disclosed. Flight time, route, and time on glaciers may vary due to weather conditions. Carry-on bags are not allowed and there is limited secure storage at the heliport. iPads, iPad minis, tablets, drones, Go-Pro Sticks, or other extendable items are not permitted on tour. Aircraft fly no higher than 5,000 feet. Oxygen for personal use is allowed but must be in the form of an FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator that can be secured to the user's body.