Our next stop on this Alaskan Adventure is Juneau. Juneau is the state capitol of Alaska and has a population of about 32,000. It is a very interesting place as there are no roads into or out of the city due to the extremely rugged terrain surrounding the city. Since there is really no ground transportation in and out of the city all goods and people must be brought in by boat or plane. Speaking of planes, that was our adventure for the day: a floatplane trip over 5 glaciers and a visit at the Taku Glacier Lodge.
We boarded a plane called the DeHavilland Otter in the Gastineau Channel and using the water as a runway, off we went ! It was raining a bit and this reduced our visibility somewhat. We could still see the glaciers, mountains and water but picture taking was a challenge. After about a 20 minute flight we landed smoothly on the Taku River and motored to the Taku Glacier Lodge. The lodge was built in 1923 and has been used as a hunting and fishing camp, a homestead , and most recently as the location of the Scenic flight and Salmon Bake. It is actually on the National Register of Historic Places.
The grounds are amazing and unspoiled. The food was plentiful and delicious. There is a small staff of people who live out there from May- October , maintaining the buildings, preparing for the guests, serving the food and acting as hosts for the operation. Everyone was very friendly, kind and knowledgeable about the area. The lodge faces the Hole in the Wall Glacier just across the Taku River. The West Twin Glacier is visible as well. One of the staff leads a guided nature hike and explains about the plants and rainforest, as it does sit in a temperate rain forest.
After the hike we boarded the planes again and flew back to Juneau. Upon are return to town, we decided to take the Mount Robert Tram up to the top of Mount Robert. It is a cool tram ride but there is not much at the top except a gift shop, a movie and a hiking trail that was muddy and treacherous so we did not venture far there. We then headed back down the mountain, did some shopping, had a beverage at a local watering hole before heading back to the ship.
We are going to two ports of call tomorrow, Skagway and Haines.
Guerin’s On The Go ! 
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