Alaska 2007—Juneau: Alaska's beautiful capital

Juneau is a town with a split personality. For much of the year it dozes along as Alaska’s capital, keeping armies of state, federal and local officials occupied. But from May to September, Juneau is a stopping point for huge cruise ships that daily disgorge thousands of passengers onto Juneau’s streets. Many of the passengers head for points beyond, whether they are helicopter rides, dogsledding adventures, tram rides to the tundra or bushplane flights to some of the choice corners of Southeast Alaska. Others crowd the streets and gift shops near the ships’ docks.

 
 
     
     
     

Each of these cruise ships carries thousands of passengers.

Many of the visitors frequent the gift shops.

  

This young man awaits cruise ship customers.

Many Juneau gift shops are owned by the cruise ship lines. A few pointedly are not.

  

Bald eagle Taku is a tourist slave, diving for herring.

Taku lands on a building near the cruise ship docks.

  

 

Taku poses for visitors as wind whips the feathers on its head.

At Mendenhall Glacier, vistors photograph themselves in a time-honored tourist ritual.

 

  

 

Massive peaks rise thsouands of feet above Tracy Arm.

A short walk leads away from the crowds at Mendenhall and to a delightful little beach full of icebergs.

This boy was part of a group studying salmon behavior. Here he is giving away free ice.

  

 

Mendenhall Glacier is massive and blue.

Deta

Half camouflaged by swirling creek waters, this sockeye salmon prepares to spawn near Mendenhall Glacier.

  

The Delphinus leaves the busy city of Juneau, heading with relief into the wilderness.

A floatplane buzzes overhead near Juneau. Bush aircraft are the transportation workhorses of Alaska, reaching remote corners of the state that are otherwise inaccessible.