Hello from Juneau!
Today was a day where I did have a definite plan. Of course, it started with the up and attem early morning sunrise picture. No injured bird scaring me today, thank goodness.
It continued with my early morning breakfast view.
Then a little nap back in the cabin. (Shh...don't tell anyone.) But before noon I was headed off the ship for my planned lunch.
I remember very vividly being here in Juneau last summer. It was our first cruise after Covid, the first cruise using my scooter in many, many years, and was the first port where I left the ship. My anxiety level was high, not knowing how far my battery was going to last or if the old drive belt would break. I didn't know how long my body (mostly my bum) could last on the wooden walkways or even if I could manage being around crowds once again. I did sort of okay that day but not as well as I hoped. I got at the end of the pier and felt like I needed to get back to the ship. It was on that day in that place where I smelled BBQ and saw a whole bunch of crew members lined up at a Filipino BBQ cart. I told myself if I ever came back I was going to be bold, stay a little longer in port, and eat BBQ.
Today was the day, and boy do I feel stronger (physically and mentally) than I did back then. I made my way all the way down the wooden walkways until the pier almost ends. The cement ramp on the right takes you to the Marine Park where you find a couple of different BBQ carts.
I picked the one with the Filipino crew members crowding around it. In my experience if it's full of crew members it's the place to go.
I sat there on the pier while the rain sprinkled down and munched on my pork on a stick and chicken on a stick. Can you say leftovers?
Unlike last year when I was done by the time I reached the end of the pier, today I had plenty of energy left. I studied totem poles, wondering what each level was meant to represent.
I checked out the flower pots and barrels. So many different colors and varieties. Some made it through the summer better than others.
And because I haven't been in forever, I made my way to Juneau Drug. The best reason to go to Juneau Drug? The 25 cent popcorn! Fresh and hot with plenty of salt. I still might not be able to taste much but I could taste the buttery salt. Oh. My. Goodness.
One of my favorite things I ever did in Juneau was when we walked the Nugget Falls Trail. You can read about my visit here.
By the time I finished my rounds several other cruise ships had made their way into port. The Ruby Princess even left their dock, went out and anchored, and started running their tenders for passengers. Looks like Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas with their 5,000+ passengers needed the space more.
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| Can't even fit the whole ship in the picture |
With almost 25,000 cruise ship passengers expected to be in port by the time the day is done, I'm glad I had a plan, stuck to it, and got in and out while I could.
Here's a quick video of Juneau as seen from the Grand Princess. Before the town got all cluttered up with other ships, that is.
Tomorrow we're in Skagway, Alaska. See you there!