24 August 2012

Downtown Juneau

 

After visiting the glacier we headed downtown.  It was about 5 pm when we got there and the cruise ships were getting ready to head back out, so things were getting quiet in town.  The downtown area is maybe 15 miles or so from the Valley (where we are) and it’s more tucked beneath the mountains than we are here.  Because of the mountains looming overhead, they get even more rain and fog than we do.  The city is built into the hills and the roads are steep, with long staircases leading up and up and up.  We ran into a bus driver up at Mendenhall who lived downtown in the summer and said coming home in the dark at night was scary because he often encountered bears on the stairs!  

Down on the docks, loading ice and unloading fish.

There’s a tram that goes to the top of Mt. Roberts, leaving right from the cruise ship terminal.  It’s got a great view on a clear day (or so we’re told), but it costs $29 for the round trip!  That’s highway robbery!  You can also hike up in 1-2 hours, which we’ll do someday.


No comments:

Post a Comment