For more than a year, I have had visions of pristine glaciers, whale flukes breaking through the surface of water, and forested areas that refresh the spirit and the body. Finally in the summer of 2017, I was able to plan my travel to Juneau Alaska. Join me on my visit to the last great frontier in Alaska’s capital city.

We found Alaska to be full of friendly faces beginning on the flight from Seattle. Sitting beside us on the plane was a fellow traveler from Michigan who was visiting his daughter. We talked through the flight about travel, life in Alaska, and families. Nearing the end of the flight, he offered us a ride to check into our hotel, The Westmark Barinoff.

Staying at an historic hotel in a prime location has its perks. A beautiful lobby and friendly staff checked us into a spacious room with a full kitchen and walk-in closet. Minutes of walking to many restaurants, and all of the top hubs for travel within Juneau. We highly recommend the Westmark Barinoff for your next stay. Save money from cab rides and stay downtown in the heart of lively Juneau. You’ll feel welcome from the time you are greeted by the concierge and check-in staff.

When It comes to day one, a city tour is always something that I recommend. We jumped on board a bus tour with some local experts at Juneau tours and Whale Watch. We met up at the Mt. Roberts tram way with our fun loving guides and prepared to depart for the day. Sandy and Brandon were excellent, fun, and informative tour guides for whale watching. They got us out to open water quickly so we could spend the most time possible enjoying the sights and sounds of whale watching.

Within a few minutes, we were stunned by the flukes of a large female humpback whale, Flame. We were fortunate enough to track the 15 minute breaths for an hour or so, and see 2-3 more whales. Every 5-10 minutes, someone on board would excitedly "see a spout, shout it out, or see a blow, let us know". It felt like each member of the tour was an active part of the experience making the sightseeing more rewarding for everyone involved.

We had a serene and peaceful experience whale watching today and taking a tour of the Mendenhall glacier. We learned that the ice appearing blue is newly surfaced, tightly packed, reflecting blue light and absorbing all other wavelengths. The rush of a nearby waterfall is a great ambiance to pondering the past, present, and future of the glacier itself. There was a lot to do and see. Very convenient pick-up points, and lots of informative stories about the history of Juneau.

On day 2, we boarded the Tram and were lifted to the summit of Mt. Roberts. 1,800 feet of elevation game passing over the treetops of a rainforest is not something most destination cities could offer. We had a great time today taking the tram in the morning, and getting an early start to the day hiking up to the summit of Mt. Roberts. We enjoyed the Alpine trail which is a low-stress circular trail, before heading up. Fog was setting in but keeping us cool, still we would catch the occasional glimpse of the valley, and they were stunning vistas.

There are a few ways to get special deals on tickets, including spending at the Raven store, and everyone was very friendly. This is a great place for the outdoor lovers, make it your own adventure with many trails for the varied level of desired activity. We enjoyed seeing the snow level, streams, and a family of grouse birds! Lots to see and do, plus you can learn about the Tlingit people and watch a 17-minute educ