Day 3: Juneau

Dylan and Chevas, my brother and sister-in-law, finally meet up with us.  They missed thier flight from Miami and had to connect with us in Alaska.  Now I’ll be able to get some good pictures from Dylan’s camara.

Today was supposed to be the big helicopter ride day.  Alas, poor weather has ruined our plans.  So instead of conquering the world from above, I decided to expore the seedier side of Juneau’s underbelly.

There’s a ton of really cool bars downtown.  Some a bit more of a tourist trap than others.  For instance the Red Dog was very faux authentic old-timey bar.  I say that only because an authentic old-timey bar would have just as many locals as tourists.  Still fun though.  Nothing beats live ragtime, in a saloon with swinging doors, 4 inches of sawdust on the floors and bartenders shouting: “BITCH, SLUT, WHORE!”  Strangely enough my grandparents loved it and refused to leave until departure.

Then there’s The Hanger.  It’s a restaurant/bar right on the water.  From the bar you can enjoy over 20 beers on tap, over 100 bottles, watch sea planes take off and land, and about 5 ten story cruise ships at the docks.  All of this juxtaposed against low clouds, rising mists and disappearing mountain-sides makes for a satisfying grin.

I managed to make it back to the boat before calapsing into my bed in exhaustion.  Early bedtime tonight.