When we reached Juneau around 2 pm, the Sun tied up at the Alaska Steam Ship Dock...the closest to downtown. This was convenient for most...but for us...not so much. I had reserved a car from Juneau Car Rental which was located next to the AJ Dock...the one where I thought we would dock, but it was a mile and a quarter from where we were.
The guys are in good shape and also good sports so they agreed to walk to the car rental...in a steady rain...and then return to pick us gals up.
Laurel and I waited awhile before we got off the ship and then called the guys to see if they had the car...which they did not. 😕 Bob insisted that the map that Juneau Car Rental had emailed me was wrong. The two of them had been to this place three years ago, but said it "looked different".
Laurel was getting all sorts of texts and phone calls concerning her elderly parents so we darted across the street and took cover under the awning of a fur dealer's store to get out of the rain. While she was dealing with issues back home, the owner of the store invited us to come into the store, but then proceeded to try and sell us a fur!
After about a half hour longer, Kent called and said they finally had the car...an older black Lincoln Continental. We were going in style!! Traffic was heavy, but we were ready and when they pulled up we jumped in.
In my travel research, I ran across information on the Treadwell Gold Mine, the largest in existence a century ago, which had operated on Douglas Island...just across the bridge from Juneau. I thought it sounded like someplace unique to visit. Here is some information I found online:
During its 40 year evolution, Treadwell grew from a single gold claim to four mines, five mills and a bustling community of workers and their families, complete with stores, mess halls, bunkhouses, a marching band and even Alaska’s first indoor swimming pool known as a natatorium. Today the surface remnants are overgrown with vegetation, but enough exists to piece together the history of that dramatic development.
On April 21, 1917 all the mines, except the Ready Bullion, flooded with seawater. An extremely high tide, combined with questionable mining practices that lead to the removal of tunnel support structures and a lack of experience in mining below sea level, when they were adjacent to the sea, caused the ground to subside and mines to flood. The Ready Bullion Mine continued to operate until 1922 and its closure marked the end of hard rock mining on Douglas Island.
It was raining the whole time we were at the mine, but we had good rain gear to keep us dry and enjoyed the solitude as we snooped around. Only bits and pieces of old equipment and buildings remained, but it was interesting.
The area is a temperate rain forest with moss covered trees and ferns covering the ground.
The trail eventually led to the Treadwell Glory Hole, once the entrance to a network of shafts under the Gastineau Channel.
This old pump house could pump 2,700 gallons of salt water a minute which was used for mining operations and fire protection in the winter. The pilings are all that remain from the wharf where supplies would arrive and gold bullion would be shipped south. If you are interested, here is a link to a Walking Tour of the Treadwell Mine.
Before leaving the island, we made a quick stop to look at the spirit houses in the Douglas Indian Cemetery...
...and take a quick photo by a roadside waterfall.
Back in Juneau we headed to Mendenhall Glacier. We first spent a short time looking around the visitor's center and then walked the 3/4 mile Nugget Falls Trail...still in the rain.
By the time we got to the falls, most everyone else was gone and we had the place to ourselves. It had only been 3 years since our last visit, but it was apparent that the glacier is shrinking.
Even if it is receding, Mendenhall is still massive. Notice the canoe in front? It gives a sense of the scale of the glacier.
It is a unique experience to stand so close to a massive waterfall.
We followed the trail back and sat in the pavillion overlooking the glacier while we ate some sandwiches that we had brought along.
A group of high school students were there taking photos before their prom. The girls looked lovely...but very cold!
Initially I thought we would drive further on the highway...perhaps even to where it ends. But...we decided we were tired and ready to head back to the ship. After stopping for gas, the guys dropped us off, returned the car, and then walked the 1.25 miles back to the ship in...you guessed it...the rain.
It had been a long, full day so we opted to skip the evening entertainment...a comedian. We had a late snack in the buffet and then called it a night.
