Juneau, Alaska

We visited Alaska's capital city on a Disney Cruise in 2019. We saw several of the main sites including the Governor's Mansion and Windfall Fisherman bear statue. After looking in a few stores downtown, we rode 1,800 feet up the Mt. Robert's Tramway. We hiked the Alpine Loop Trail around the nature center and took in the incredible views from the top.

The highlight of the day was Mendenhall Glacier. We hiked the Nugget Falls Trail to see the falls and glacier. I remember being very "bear aware" on high alert and thankful we didn't encounter any bears on our way. The colors and size of this 13.6-mile-long river of ice were absolutely breathtaking. Since ice absorbs all colors of visible light except blue, it transmits this blue wave length giving the ice a gorgeous blue appearance.

Next, we toured Glacier Gardens, including a golf cart-like tram to the top of the Tongass National Forest. The unique upside-down trees and tropical rainforest were fun to see and inspired Dan, the horticulturalist, to buy a book in the gift shop. Glacier Gardens has been family owned since 1984 and is definitely worth a visit if you're in Juneau.