I had always thought of Alaska as too far away to visit easily, but SEA-JNU is only about two hours, so it’s closer than Los Angeles, and perfect for an I’ve-never-been-there-and-I-only-have-three-days-but-I-want-to-go-somewhere getaway.

People were still wearing masks, but not with much diligence. They would wear a mask into, say, a coffee place, then take it off to eat or drink. But if they got up to order something else or use the restroom, they didn’t put it back on again. And no one seemed to care. A sign on a local government building said that almost 70% of the population had had at least one vaccination dose, so there probably isn’t much need for masks at this point.

Juneau is a little beat-up looking, but in a charming frontier town way, full of quirky rustic houses, historic bars (loud ones), and stairs tucked away between buildings to help you climb the steep hills. Cruise ships don’t return until July, so there were no crowds. And the setting is spectacular.

Occasionally I would catch myself thinking that this would be a nice place to live, and then I would remember those cruise ships full of tourists, and the cold winters with five-hour days, and the fact that it’s basically a strip of land 35 miles long that has no road connection to anywhere else.

That last was probably why meals were so expensive.

Further notes:

• The Mount Roberts tram is worthwhile, but is probably better on a non-foggy day. Visibility was about 30 feet, so hiking didn’t seem very promising.
• There are a lot of ravens, making a variety of sounds, including a pretty decent chicken imitation.
• The Devil’s Club Brewing Co. is worth a visit if you’re ever up that way.
• I saw more Bald Eagles over the weekend than I’d ever seen before.

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