Alaska Cruise to Benefit Home Hospice 2005

We picked up a map of Juneau that indicated the various significant buildings in the downtown area. We headed straight to the capitol building. We walked in and there were two young gentlemen who let us know that they could give us a guided tour whenever we were ready. I assumed that something like that would have to be booked in advance, but apparently it isn't a popular stop. On our tour we weren't able to go into either chamber, because they were busy removing asbestos and remodeling. But, we still got to have a tour that was very enjoyable and educational.

Juneau is quite the "dog town". It seemed that dogs were allowed everywhere. Even on our capitol tour a puppy came charging at us from an office. He appeared to be a Pomeranian puppy. Very cute. At the conclusion of our tour we went to the Juneau Museum nearby. We spent some time wandering around learning about the history of Juneau. There are quite a number of shipwrecks in the area. They had relics from some of the various wrecks. The museum also had exhibits about the gold rush and the role that the Juneau area played during that time.

After the museum, Phyllis Mike and I went wandering. We wandered in and out of the various shops. Of course, we had to hit the local Harley Davidson dealership. Mike and Phyllis are Harley Owners and they go and buy T-shirts at each dealership we encounter. The Harley dealership had a dog inside also. After the Harley place, we found a place to have soup and bread. We also bought fudge as well as soap made locally utilizing glacial silt as an exfoliant. Of course, I picked up a refrigerator magnet.

Apparently the whale watching trip was a huge success. Norman, Chloe and Christine were absolutely exhausted when they returned. Every memory stick and video tape was full and every camera battery was drained. On this particular excursion, they give you a partial refund if you don't spot whales. On this day, however, perhaps they should have charged extra because the whales were abundant! In fact, the boat radioed for special permission to extend the excursion beyond the normal time because there were so many more whales than usual. In fact, we've seen quite a number of whales even just in the normal course of sailing from one port to the next.

Our ship sailed at 4pm. We had prearranged a party at 5pm in Magnum Bar. I wanted to have an opportunity for everyone traveling with our group to get together and take a group photo. Everyone seemed to have a good time visiting. I had wanted to say a few words when everyone was assembled, but everytime I started to, my throat closed up and I couldn't speak. I wasn't nervous, of course, it's just that seeing everyone at one time that made this group happen chokes me up. I am so happy to be able to raise funds for this organization that made such a difference at such a difficult time in the life of my family.

After Magnums, we decided that we'd better just grab a quick bite at the buffet because we wanted to see the juggler/comedian at the early show. The entertainers on board have been pretty good. There has been a magician, a juggler and a ventrilquist. Each combines comedy with the show.

Tomorrow, Ketchikan.