Mendenhall Glacier

We had not booked any shore excursions for the cruise. There will be more on that later, but really the only place where we really left the initial harbor area was in Juneau, where we visited Mendenhall Glacier. 

There were a few shore excursion options for this, but we took the bus, because it was much cheaper and then you are on your own schedule rather than having to go with the tour guide’s agenda.

As you get off the boat, there are several booths for different options, including trips to the glacier. We took the white school bus one, with trips on the hour. While we were waiting for it the rain was really pouring. Somehow we lucked out though, and the rain stopped when we were actually at the glacier. 

Our driver was Tlingit, so he told us about some of the customs and history on the way, as well as the local geography. He pointed out one island off to the side, and he said beyond that there was an island with one brown bear per square mile, so approximately 1600 brown bears. This is unusual, because on the mainland it is mainly black bears. We saw some bald eagles, and also there were ravens that were just enormous. They were almost scary.

Other fun facts included that you get more tourists via ship over the summer than the entire population of Alaska, and that you cannot drive to Juneau; access is only by air or sea. Alaska Airlines is the only air option, and most things come in by barge.

At the glacier we looked around and took some pictures, then went up to the visitor center to watch a short film. It did have a strong conservation message, which I expected. If anyone is sensitive to global warming issues, it is people near glaciers. The film gives you an idea of the glacier at different seasons, with a broad overview of the wildlife, so that was nice too, as I don't think we were there are the best time of year for it (early May).

While we certainly could have done more, in Juneau and in all of our stops, I was really glad that we went here. First of all, the setting is beautiful, and worth seeing in its own right. The visitors center is really good, both for the film and for the helpful staff. Also, while there is rugged terrain, the area is overall pretty accessible, with a nice trail, and elevators. Yes, there are options for more strenuous hiking and getting more adventurous, but people at all activity levels should be able to enjoy their visit.