Learning to Walk (and Parent) on the Wonder: Cruising Alaska with a Mini-Mouseketeer. Ketchikan.

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Here we are in Juneau! We were just arriving into the port as I peeked out of our drapes.
Someone on another ship a couple years ago made a nice time lapse of what it looks like on the approach to Juneau:

We had BIG plans for Juneau. It was the biggest and most elaborate excursion that we booked- AND the one I was looking forward to the most. To me- it felt like the epitome of Alaska rolled into one long day. We were going on :: drumm roll:: the best of Juneau!
I had read a couple reviews that said the "Best of" excursions weren't that great, but we had a wonderful time.

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Three Tours in One
Observe whales by catamaran on the way to a delicious salmon bake and sail to one of the great glaciers.
On this adventure you will...
  • Travel by motorcoach on an approximately 25-minute scenic narrated drive to Auke Bay, where you will board a spacious, comfortable catamaran designed for wildlife viewing. Whale watching is guaranteed on this 2.5-hour cruise!
  • Relax in a warm, comfortable, spacious main cabin, surrounded by large windows, as your experienced captain guides you through the island-studded waters of Stephen's Passage. Against a majestic backdrop of snow-capped peaks and glaciers, the onboard naturalist will explain the behavior and habitat of wildlife you may encounter, including humpback and killer whales, Steller sea lions, Dall's porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles, bears and deer. The operators of this tour guarantee you will see a whale. If you don’t, you'll receive a $100 USD cash refund as you disembark the vessel (in the past 15 years, whales have been sighted on every tour).
  • Take a break from cruising to step ashore at Orca Point Lodge on Colt Island and enjoy a feast that includes grilled wild Alaska salmon, chicken, vegetable medley, rice pilaf, coleslaw, fresh-hot rolls and desserts. The lodge offers peaceful seclusion with modern comforts in a remote wilderness setting. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and take a stroll along the beach during your one-hour visit.
  • Finally, board the catamaran for the 30-minute return cruise to Auke Bay, where you'll take a short scenic drive to the famous Mendenhall Glacier.
  • At the Visitor Center you'll have the opportunity to talk with Forest Service interpreters and learn about the awesome force of glacial ice. You'll have the opportunity to take pictures and explore the various exhibits and trails during your approximately one-hour visit.
  • Conclude your tour on a 20-minute narrated drive back to Juneau Harbor and the ship.

Sure... it was a 6.5 hour excursion with a newly walking 15 month old....but what could possibly go wrong?! (Teehee.)
You'll see in the above picture that we were MUCH better prepared for this all day adventure. We brought both baby carriers, tons of food and toys, proper clothing... We were ready!!

This was the only morning that we went to the Beach Blanket Buffet for breakfast. I knew that we needed some serious fuel for this big day. I do have the habit of turning into a major crankopatamus without enough food.
I was really pleased with the service at the BBB. When I was trying to balance a couple beverages and my tray, a crew member helped me carry them to our table and then went to get us coffee. The buffet offered many different options and I appreciated being able to try to feed William a variety of different foods... including more smoked salmon! That baby loves smoked salmon.

The Best of Juneau left at 9 AM. A few other different tours were also loaded onto our bus, as there were tours that just included the whale watching and lunch.

To be honest, I didn't do much research on Juneau, because for me- this day wasn't about the city, but the overall modern-day Alaskan experience. Yippee! Juneau definitely feels like the most modern of the ports we stopped at on our cruise.

Within a few minutes, we were driving by city hall with it's gorgeous mural depicting Tlingit mythology of creation in which Raven discovers mankind in a clam shell. I had this overwhelming feeling that it was going be a great day.
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Our bus driver joked, as all drivers do, and told us a bit about the history of the Juneau-Douglas bridge (or Douglas-Juneau bridge...depending on who you ask) and he pointed out bald eagles, which filled me with the excitement of a small child, despite the fact that I had seen bald eagles in the wild before, BUT... these were ALASKAN Bald Eagles!! :)

Per promised, in less then 30 minutes, we arrived at a floating dock to board the fantastic St. Juvenaly.

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The boat was quite spacious. There was plenty of room for a little walker to fall, I mean..walk... around the boat. I would love to say that we planned it that way, but it was just a happy happening. This whale watching experience was perfect for a little person. I'm glad we weren't on a small boat and Andrew remarked that he wouldn't have liked how the small boats REALLY rocked when everyone scurried to one side to see wildlife.

And the views were quite expansive.
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This was just from sitting in our seats. Isn't the mountain range stunning? It would have been a beautiful ride, even if we hadn't seen whales.

The St. Juvenaly provided two sets of very nice binoculars to borrow and maps on every bench. They also provided free hot chocolate, coffee and pastries in the back (in front of the two very nice lavatories. You didn't forget that I had a bathroom fixation, did you?)

In fact, William was too fixated on his free pastry here to look up for our family picture:
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Hi, I just read through your whole report in one sitting! I knew I wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise some day, but reading your report, I want to go RIGHT NOW! It looks absolutely amazing, and I love the way you are describing it.

My son was 16 months old on his first Disney cruise. It is such a fun age. On our most recent cruise, he turned 3, and my daughter was 9 months. Our cruises with kids have been very different from the ones we took prior to kids, but there is something so special about having the little ones with us that I wouldn't trade for anything.

I love that you utilized the nursery so much and that William did great while he was in there!

I'm sorry that you had dining issues with your food allergies. My kids have several food allergies and DCL (and WDW) have been the most comfortable place for us to dine out because we have felt so well-taken care of. I hope it improved for the rest of the trip!

I look forward to reading the rest!
 
Within a few minutes, we were driving by city hall with it's gorgeous mural depicting Tlingit mythology of creation in which Raven discovers mankind in a clam shell. I had this overwhelming feeling that it was going be a great day.
4f5d67fa-0fd3-4eb7-8ab5-cc2c9a3ab9ae_zps8fgc2j60.jpg
I've enjoyed your report. So this is my uncle coming out of the clam shell. Funny to see him on a dis boards report. This was painted when I was a teenager used to be so embarrassing now 20 some odd years later it's fun.
 
I've enjoyed your report. So this is my uncle coming out of the clam shell. Funny to see him on a dis boards report. This was painted when I was a teenager used to be so embarrassing now 20 some odd years later it's fun.

This is AMAZING! Wow. So cool. Small world.
 


I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated the trip report. Work has gotten awfully busy....AND....

I had been training and completed my first half marathon! The Avenger's Half Marathon in Disneyland!
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This trip to Disneyland was also our son's first:
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And of course... Thanksgiving:
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The naturalist on board was wonderful. She spoke to us about the marine life and geology of the area. How neat would it be to be a naturalist or captain in this area and see the same whales time and time again? I imagine that the whales might begin to seem like old friends coming for a visit.

2164011b-c9af-4d8f-ace1-62f6f58ca8a9_zpsagukqti5.jpg


We were only on the St. Juvenaly for maybe 10-15 minutes before the captain came on and said that we were heading over to a reported pod or orcas.

ORCAS?!?!

c96b89c8-3510-4817-befa-328a61ad47fd_zpsoeciriko.jpg


Oh...my heart leapt. Of course I knew that there was a possibility that we would see killer whales and I hoped and hoped that we would, but many whale watching outfitters claim that the chances are at most about 30%. (Although when I polled a group of disney cruisers, it seemed that with our extra disney magic that you have about a 50/50 chance of seeing a killer whale watching in Alaska).

The excitement on the boat was so thick. It was...well... exciting. Hahaha!
People started wildly taking pictures, because you never know if this will be the only orca you see, but of course... it wasn't.

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My VERY FIRST orca sighting!!! YAYAY!

The first ocra was on the port side of the boat and it was really interesting, because the naturalist said that it was likely one of the younger orcas that was playing in the water and showing her belly. So neat. Like a big whale dog. ;)

William got to see whales from the comfort of his very own seat. We never felt like we were fighting for a space.
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Even when we weren't seeing whales, the St. Juvenaly continuously offered incredible views from every seat. It was also very comfortable to nurse in.

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(Such precious memories, because we are barely nursing anymore now.)

However, there were many more chances to see whales- in fact, I think I got a pretty great shot with my cell phone:

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Right? Whew... it was AMAZING.

I was chatting with the ladies working at the coffee station on the boat and having a very nice time, while still keeping one eye on the water. We had already seen our fair share of killer whales, so the excitement had died down quite a bit, when all of a sudden I stammered....

"Oh...oh... oh my gosh. That whale...it's getting so cl...oh my gosh! It's swimming under the boat!"

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I would say that quite a few people weren't even really paying attention at this point, so there weren't even that many people around on the bottom deck.

The picture doesn't do this experience justice at all. The naturalist was so incredibly jazzed and the captain said that he hadn't even had such a close encounter with an orca before.

It...was... EPIC. We could have ended the trip right there and I would have been thrilled, but before we knew it- the captain heard a report of grey whales on the horizon.

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The boat had this awesome posted showcasing the local neighborhood whales:
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They mark down the days that they see certain whales and on this day- I am pretty sure that we met Flame- don't you think so?
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Andrew even utilized the supplied binoculars:
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On our way to Orca Point, we passed a very popular buoy:
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(See the little house in the distance?)

All of this excitement was exhausting for one little boy in particular:
f9696655-3ac8-4a41-b717-f3818d380482_zpswpgxprbq.jpg

This is an interesting article about the beginnings of the Orca Point Lodge: http://juneauempire.com/stories/062702/bus_coltisland.shtml#.WEHvSLIrLmE
 
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The naturalist on board was wonderful. She spoke to us about the marine life and geology of the area. How neat would it be to be a naturalist or captain in this area and see the same whales time and time again? I imagine that the whales might begin to seem like old friends coming for a visit.

2164011b-c9af-4d8f-ace1-62f6f58ca8a9_zpsagukqti5.jpg


We were only on the St. Juvenaly for maybe 10-15 minutes before the captain came on and said that we were heading over to a reported pod or orcas.

ORCAS?!?!

c96b89c8-3510-4817-befa-328a61ad47fd_zpsoeciriko.jpg


Oh...my heart leapt. Of course I knew that there was a possibility that we would see killer whales and I hoped and hoped that we would, but many whale watching outfitters claim that the chances are at most about 30%. (Although when I polled a group of disney cruisers, it seemed that with our extra disney magic that you have about a 50/50 chance of seeing a killer whale watching in Alaska).

The excitement on the boat was so thick. It was...well... exciting. Hahaha!
People started wildly taking pictures, because you never know if this will be the only orca you see, but of course... it wasn't.

6be7d697-10f6-4e51-8c42-4f215f8c0393_zps1npfsgaj.jpg


My VERY FIRST orca sighting!!! YAYAY!

The first ocra was on the port side of the boat and it was really interesting, because the naturalist said that it was likely one of the younger orcas that was playing in the water and showing her belly. So neat. Like a big whale dog. ;)

William got to see whales from the comfort of his very own seat. We never felt like we were fighting for a space.
3e5ed06a-8cec-4c6e-bb16-ec94ae258686_zpsnwfi1hwn.jpg


Even when we weren't seeing whales, the St. Juvenaly continuously offered incredible views from every seat. It was also very comfortable to nurse in.

a0e8ff42-10e4-481c-baa1-5e21b05bc12f_zpsz0xfjmiq.jpg

(Such precious memories, because we are barely nursing anymore now.)

However, there were many more chances to see whales- in fact, I think I got a pretty great shot with my cell phone:

72d83d17-2667-4fcd-95c4-402232879d76_zps4da66ubp.jpg


Right? Whew... it was AMAZING.

I was chatting with the ladies working at the coffee station on the boat and having a very nice time, while still keeping one eye on the water. We had already seen our fair share of killer whales, so the excitement had died down quite a bit, when all of a sudden I stammered....

"Oh...oh... oh my gosh. That whale...it's getting so cl...oh my gosh! It's swimming under the boat!"

34af8780-7be6-48f6-9393-6013ce84841e_zps5prg6ftk.jpg


I would say that quite a few people weren't even really paying attention at this point, so there weren't even that many people around on the bottom deck.

The picture doesn't do this experience justice at all. The naturalist was so incredibly jazzed and the captain said that he hadn't even had such a close encounter with an orca before.

It...was... EPIC. We could have ended the trip right there and I would have been thrilled, but before we knew it- the captain heard a report of grey whales on the horizon.

813d8011-de26-45df-80b3-34fcac8f8e32_zpsrpmxouws.jpg


The boat had this awesome posted showcasing the local neighborhood whales:
b4e13ddd-e7be-4545-b6d7-38ca961f8d7a_zpsofnsenuc.jpg


They mark down the days that they see certain whales and on this day- I am pretty sure that we met Flame- don't you think so?
2d9054a8-fc53-4ac7-b043-f8f4c5fa92a6_zpsc1zreulh.jpg


Andrew even utilized the supplied binoculars:
243ad41d-dca2-48eb-97d9-2eb673cc7755_zps4agfozta.jpg


On our way to Orca Point, we passed a very popular buoy:
bb590e26-3042-4008-8e58-ac8254bdde2a_zpslbip10jw.jpg

(See the little house in the distance?)

All of this excitement was exhausting for one little boy in particular:
f9696655-3ac8-4a41-b717-f3818d380482_zpswpgxprbq.jpg

This is an interesting article about the beginnings of the Orca Point Lodge: http://juneauempire.com/stories/062702/bus_coltisland.shtml#.WEHvSLIrLmE
Your trip report is one of the best I have ever read on Alaska. Looking forward to more!
 


I'm happy I found your trip report! We were booked for an Alaska cruise with our toddler (he would be just barely 2, also named William) for May 2017 but sadly cancelled. Now I can live vicariously through you :)
 
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Just wanted to add my praise for a *beautifully* written trip report. I love the gorgeous pictures, awesome family details, and historical context.

Can't wait for more! ❤️
 
Just caught up with your AMAZING trip report. Loving every word, every picture. And learning so much!!

We want to do Alaska in 2018 (we booked a place holder on our last cruise), I think I'll need to take a print out of your report with me, so many interesting details!! Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

Oh, and I have to say, your little William is adorable, what a gorgeous little boy!!

My daughter was a bit older when we did our first cruise (she was 4, we went to Norway), your report is bringing back so many memories!

Can't wait to read more... (and to book our Alaska cruise and start planning...)
 
What an awesomely written, thoroughly researched trip report. Thank you so much. I am getting more excited about my upcoming cruise with each TR I read.
 
Next stop, Ketchikan? What did you guys do there?

Not even! We haven't even made it to lunch yet! :) Our naturalist on board mentioned that she LOVED Disney days, because it's the only day that the Orca Point Lodge serves macaroni and cheese... also, you know us Disney fans- we are just super cool to hang out with, right? RIGHT!

So where were we? It's been awhile!
Colt Island...
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Colt Island is located at that red marker above. It's a bit southwest from the Mendenhall Glacier and east of Juneau. It's the smaller of two islands (Horse and Colt Island) off of Admiralty Island. (Can an island have it's own islands?) Admiralty Island is the seventh largest island in the United States and the 132nd largest island in the world and the Disney Wonder passes by it for quite sometime while on the cruise. The Native Americans in the area call this area "Fortress of the Bear(s)" And wouldn't you know it... Admiralty Island is home to the highest density of brown bears in North America. An estimated 1,600 brown bears inhabit the island, outnumbering Admiralty's human residents nearly three to one. No worries though, not many of them are swimming over to Colt Island.

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William woke up just as we were pulling to the dock of the Orca Point Lodge. It was a truly beautiful building. Could you imagine having an extended stay there? Granted... it's is a bit remote. :) Here is a view back to the St. Juvenaly:
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It would be a nice area to just stretch your legs...
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Rockweed decorates the beaches of Colt Island. One reason rockweed is so abundant is that it is chemically protected from many predators. It produces chemicals called phenols that make it indigestible because the phenols bind to and inactivate the digestive enzymes of grazing animals. However, it is dried and collected by many Alaskans. In fact, in recent years, there have been permits to collect rockweed, so that radition levels could be tested after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Since I wasn't feeling much in the mood for seaweed for lunch... we headed to the lodge.

Once we made it up the dock, it smelled just divine.
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Orca Point staff was grilling fresh salmon right there outside the lodge. Quite the lush backdrop, right?

We settled down at a table and went through the buffet- and wouldn't you know it- we ended up sitting right next to our tablemates from the cruise! Haha. Small world (I mean ship??) but seriously... it's funny how often you run into the same people on that wonderful boat, despite it accommodating 2,400 guests.

Lunch was quite good for buffet food, I thought. So did William:
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If you are reading from home, you may want to whip up a batch of their "famous" pineapple coleslaw, which they had posted on some of the table tents

1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tsp White Sugar
1 Tsp White Vinegar
Pineapple juice to thin, as needed
Add some crushed pineapple to the slaw, to taste
Recipe
Mix together and chill.
Stir before serving.


The salmon was delicious. I couldn't get enough salmon in Alaska. Andrew and I have prepared our salmon in a similar fashion at home:

Orca Point Salmon
From Orca Point Lodge in Juneau, AK

1 fresh Alaska salmon filet
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1 Tbls lemon juice

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Mix together and then set aside to cool.

Rinse the salmon filet with fresh water and pat dry. Cut the filet into serving size pieces if desired. Place fish (skin side down) in a shallow glass dish. Pour the cooled marinade mixture over the filets and make sure they are well coated. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.

Grill the salmon while basting with marinade, . Or if you are doing the fish in the oven:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and uncover the pan. Bake the fish for 30 minutes or until it just begins to flake. Coat the fish with the marinade every 5 or 10 minutes. For the last 10 minutes of baking, dump out the majority of the marinade so that it forms a nice crispy glaze over the fish.

After lunch, we had ample time to peruse the gift shop and head over to their tidal pool exhibit.

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There was a staff member there to answer questions about the local tidal life. The Alaskan Department Fish and Game also has a nice overview of all the fun wildlife you may find in the nooks and crannies of their beaches: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=animals.listinvertebrates

Did you know that the molted sea star (seen above) feeds largely on bivalve molluscs?
And we sure did see many of those on the beach:
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And so so many tiny barnacles. I read that barnacles are some of the oldest creatures on earth and have not changed much over the years.

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You can see that there were even some Sitka periwinkle sea snails cruising around, because wouldn't you believe it... they graze on those barnacles.

During low tide, it is possible to walk from Colt Island to the neighboring island, but we've already talked about the crazy tides in Alaska... and I certainly didn't want to be that person, you know? The person that got stranded on the other island and had to be rescued. LOL

And before we knew it... it was ready to get back on the boat:
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On our way back, the naturalist on board mentioned that someone reported that a whale breeched nearby (REALLY?! EEEeeeppp... and I missed it?!). I didn't hear any commotion or excitement, but wow... I would have loved to have seen that! Next time, perhaps... Or maybe we will see some grey whales bubble feeding- that would be incredible. According to my research, Juneau offers particularly good whale watching. Auke Bay has some deep channels and many islands that are apparently quite appealing to whales. I would love to go whale watching again, because every experience will certainly be different from the last.

Our bus driver was eagerly awaiting our arrival on the floating dock- and I do mean eagerly... he mentioned that he often feels sea sick on the dock as it shifts with the waves. (Although I can't say I noticed any movement) Soon, we were on our way to Mendenhall Glacier.

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(Isn't this cute? It looks like it's from a really old national park brochure: http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/10/mendenhall_glacIer.pdf)

Before being dropped off at the Visitor Center, our bus driver briefed us on some of the things we could see while we were visiting the glacier. He told us that it would take us roughly an hour to take the trail to the waterfall- and that was just about the amount of time we had. Andrew was a little hesitant, because at the same time, the bus driver made it VERY clear that we were not to be late back to the bus.

But after reading so many trip reports that encouraged people to make it to the falls... I ... was ... determined.

According to the Forest Service, the trail is 0.8 miles long.

And when on the trail- you will eventually bump into this sign:
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One Mile Round Trip... 45 Minutes.

Totally doable.
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Challenge Accepted.

Come with us!
Seriously...

You can search for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Google Maps and then do a street view and can "hike" a few of their trails.
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Shortly after hopping on the trail to the Nugget Falls you will come across the sign from above... Remember? (The below map inserted shows about where you will run into the sign)

Take a look... the arrow points to the right for the trail.... but then you can see that there is a really nice looking tail to the left.... (and if you look at the above sign- and the map on Google- you will see the (apparently fake) trail on the maps. It's the beach access, so they say it's "not maintained." I imagine that it was the trail people used to get to the waterfall, before the current nugget falls trail was completed in 2010.

But we are always up for an adventure! Onwards!

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It did seem to be the path less traveled. We didn't see many people on the "beach access" trail.
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Although you can see one of the caveats of the beach access trail... unless you think that your party can travese these stepping "stones"- it might be safer to use the traditional trail. Bigger kids will think that this is SUPER fun!

Another redeeming quality of this pseudo trail is that you can see Nugget Falls almost the entire time you are walking to it.
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(Note total newbie parent move: Why isn't William wearing any shoes???)

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It was a bit drizzly and damp that day (Juneau only received .12 inches of rain that day, which is pretty average) and the temperature was about 58 degrees, which again... was totally average. Make sure you bring some light water resistant outerwear and you will be fine. My roll up Columbia hat served me quite well!

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Aren't these colors awesome?

We were just blown away by the strength and sheer power of Nugget Falls.
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So apparently we were a lot more enamored with the waterfall then the glacier. Being next to something so powerful is just really humbling, you know?

Nugget Falls is the runoff from the Nugget Creek Glacier (which according to Google Earth is about 10 miles up the mountain).
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In 1912, you would have seen the Nugget Creek hydropower plant in the area, which provided electricity to the Treadwell Gold Mine (which was on the backside of the Douglas Island that I mentioned earlier).

Looking at that above picture, you may think... "Oh my goodness- is that the glacier?! It's so big... and it's right there!" And you would be correct... the glacier has changed considerably in the last century.
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The glacier has receded more than a mile a half in the last century.

A month after I got back from Alaska, I heard an NPR segment on the Mendenhall glacier on my way home from work:
http://www.npr.org/2016/07/27/48560...laskan-glacier-get-a-lesson-on-climate-change

It said: "By the end of the century, according to The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, the Mendenhall Glacier won't even be visible from the visitor center."

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And it made my heart hurt. It made me think that I most certainly want to take William back when he is older- and any future grandchildren that we may have. Everyone should see this splendor before it's gone.

Climate Change... http://www.npr.org/2016/04/18/474685770/why-our-brains-werent-made-to-deal-with-climate-change
Or possibly just the natural shift between ice ages...

Regardless... It's disappearing...

Perhaps next time we visit, we will try to get into one of the ice caves, if they are still even there...
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@lunarsongbird I am loving your trip report. We leave for our Disney Alaska cruise June 19th.

Thanks for sharing all the wonderful details. I can't wait to read more.
 
@lunarsongbird I am loving your trip report. We leave for our Disney Alaska cruise June 19th.

Thanks for sharing all the wonderful details. I can't wait to read more.

That is about when we left last year too. It will be incredible. Will you do a trip report? I would love to relive my trip! LOL! Doing any excursions? Have you cruised with Disney before?
 
After we took one more look at the glacier- we headed back to the bus.
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Fortunately, we didn't have to walk quite so briskly on the way back. We really booked it out there so we had some time to spare. I think it probably only took us about 15 minutes to make it to the waterfall.

We decided to take the "real" Nugget Falls Trail back for a change of scenery. It really was quite beautiful. Very lush.
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We even had time to explore the visitor center, their itty bitty gift shop (where I bought a Christmas ornament made by a local) and use the restroom.

Here is the view from the Visitor Center. Could you imagine coming here and not seeing the glacier from this spot?!
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When they were building the visitor center in the 1960s, I wonder if they would have ever guessed how fast the glacier would have retreated back into the mountains. Originally, the visitor center was designed for about 28,000 visitors a year. By the time the remodeling went on, they were getting close to 300,000 per year.

If you really want to geek out on the history of the interpretive services of the area- check out this fun document: http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/10/naturalists/Forest_Naturalists_pt1.pdf

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Even more interesting... Look at how close Mendenhall was to the visitor center in 1960! Wow...

It was a very successful excursion.
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After such a big day, it's no surprise that William was totally exhausted by the end of it. Oh, sweet baby boy.

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We just left him in the Osprey and set him on the bus seat. Worked great! William woke up just as we were walking back onto the boat.

We rushed through getting ready for dinner, because I wanted to see the Pixar Pals Party in the Atrium. We watched from Deck 4. It was fun to see all the Pixar characters dancing, although I think William was still a bit tired.

It was semi-formal night and we were in Parrot Cay again. Such a bummer being in Parrot Cay for the formal night AND semi-formal night. I would love to try to be in Triton's... But at least Tiana's Place is a little more appropriate for formal attire for future cruisers.

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I was also a bit disappointed, because the night was obviously themed for Pixar with the Pixar Pals Party and Toy Story the Musical, but the Toy Story Menu was replaced with the regionally inspired Captain's Gala Dinner (thus semi-formal night)- and I had the cutest little Toy Story Outfit for William! Boo. But off to dinner we went in our semi-formal attire.

William had another big meal of smoked salmon and raspberries, which were brought to the table before we even ordered our meal, which was awesome! I ordered the Pan-Seared Venison Medallions – With Marinated Red Cabbage, Potato Croquettes and a Port Wine and Juniper Reduction, but instead of the potato croquettes, I had asparagus. I also had the braised oxtail soup, which was pretty tasty! Next cruise, I promise to take more food pictures. I love food pictures. Ha.

After dinner, we quickly hopped in line to meet Remy and Emile. Andrew's favorite Disney movie is Ratatouille- and these certainly aren't common Disney characters that you usually get to take pictures with. I think I might miss the carpet on the newly reimagined Wonder. I love this bright and fun carpet in the Atrium.

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Below you will find another Exhibit of us learning to Parent. Why didn't we pull down his little sweater? Hahaha... Oh my. Parental Learning Curve, but look at the sparkle in his eyes... and don't you just want to nibble that belly?

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This is a fun picture that one of the photographers took from my phone (because I never get to be in pictures) and it's a neat perspective... look how interactive Remy and Emile were.
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After dinner, we decided that we would check William into the Flounder's Nursery. It wasn't originally in the plan, but the staff at Flounder's was just insisting that we were doing them a favor by letting them watch William. It was pretty darn convincing. :) And we loved having the adult time. The nursery was never too crowded to go. In fact, on this particular night, I think he might have been one of the only babies there, because they took him over into the Oceaneers Club for a bit of the Toy Story Bootcamp:

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Although it looks like Andrew and I enjoyed Toy Story the Musical more then William liked the boot camp; that plush Woody looks to be capturing his attention though! Isn't that a funny picture?

At first Andrew wasn't really sure he wanted to go to the Musical, but the live performances are one of the best parts of cruising with Disney- they are just truly exceptional. I'm glad we saw it, because it was recently replaced with Frozen, A Musical Spectacular. Toy Story debuted on the Wonder in the Spring of 2008. a 9 Year Run... not so shabby. I wonder if it's still performed on some of the longer cruises, like the canal. I'm hoping Frozen will be around for our next cruise (who knows... within 5 years, I hope), but I don't think Andrew will be joining me for that musical. (In fact- he is protesting ever going on the Norwegian Fjords cruise because he thinks it would be TOO Frozen... He's going to have to get over that, because man OH MAN.. do I want to go on that cruise!!)

There is something really wonderful about enjoying a musical with a dessert cocktail in hand, especially when you have a 15 month old... then it's extra special. The times that William was being loved on in of in the nursery was savored and cherished.
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After such a long and incredible day, William was quite worn out:
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And I ended the evening at nearly midnight (Eeep!) in the sweetest way I knew how: Room service. Mickey Bar. Need I say more? (Okay.. find.. I will say more. LOL. I was a bit disappointed that it came in the wrapper. I wanted the full effect of it on the plate like they do at dinner!)
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That is about when we left last year too. It will be incredible. Will you do a trip report? I would love to relive my trip! LOL! Doing any excursions? Have you cruised with Disney before?

I think I will do a detailed trip report here. I am also going to be starting a travel blog but it will be more of an overview.

I have booked and cancelled excursions and booked again. As of right now it looks like:

Fly into Seattle

Inn at the Market
Pike's Market
The Original Starbucks
Chihully
and Space Needle

Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver

Pan Pacific
Stanley Park Horse Drawn Carriage Ride
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Fly Over Canada

We may not have time for all of this but that will just mean we need to book another trip. Right?

Cruise
Tracy Arm - Glacier Explorer
Skagway - White Pass Rail - this is the one I can't make my mind up on. Adults Only roundtrip or train and Liarsville or train and Klondike Gold Dredge
Juneau - On our own. Shuttle pass to Mendenhall Glacier and Mount Roberts Tramway (if clear)
Ketchikan - Rainforest, Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center, and Totems.
 
I think I will do a detailed trip report here. I am also going to be starting a travel blog but it will be more of an overview.

I have booked and cancelled excursions and booked again. As of right now it looks like:

Fly into Seattle

Inn at the Market
Pike's Market
The Original Starbucks
Chihully
and Space Needle

Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver

Pan Pacific
Stanley Park Horse Drawn Carriage Ride
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Fly Over Canada

We may not have time for all of this but that will just mean we need to book another trip. Right?

Cruise
Tracy Arm - Glacier Explorer
Skagway - White Pass Rail - this is the one I can't make my mind up on. Adults Only roundtrip or train and Liarsville or train and Klondike Gold Dredge
Juneau - On our own. Shuttle pass to Mendenhall Glacier and Mount Roberts Tramway (if clear)
Ketchikan - Rainforest, Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center, and Totems.

YayyyY for a trip report!! I LOVE LOVE Pike's Market. Have you been before? And I drool over Chihully. I wish our time in Seattle was more fun. :: shrugs :: next time...

I can't wait to see pictures of the Amtrak. WE LOVE TRAINS.

I heard the Glacier Explorer is absolutely epic. Liarsville is pretty cheesy, but really cute if you like that kind of thing. The Klondike Gold Dredge might be a bit more authentic.
 

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