In the distance, I could see what looked like a small village on the shore. I stated rhetorically, “That can’t be Juneau. It looks too small to be Alaska’s state capital!”

My daughter studied the buildings and the dock, which our ship, the Eurodam, was approaching. Before she could say anything, an overhead announcement began, “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is your cruise director…” He told us the dock we were approaching was to our right. While to our left, was Douglas Island. Explaining that Juneau has no highways or railroad tracks connecting it with the rest of the country, the cruise director quipped, “The only way to visit Juneau is to travel there by ship, airplane, or birth canal.”

Although Douglas Island is separated from the mainland by the Gastineau Channel, it is a part of the city of Juneau. A bridge over the channel connects the two very different residential neighborhoods and business districts. Tammie, who was standing with me at one of the ships starboard windows, commented, “I think we are just seeing the original part of Juneau. The coastline curves, we just can’t see the rest of the city from here.”

Effectively making her point, an airplane flew over the ship we were on. We watched it bank to the right over the Gastineau Channel and disappear behind the mountain that rose up beyond the Juneau docks. With all the mountainous Alaskan land that I could see from the ship, I wondered where there was land flat enough for an airport landing strip.

Continue reading →