We arrive at Juneau around 7am and are expected back on board by 11:30. The comedian the other night foreshadowed our morning when he said we’d be in and out before the city opens. Still, we decide to venture out for fancy coffee and a sky-lifted view of the city. $35 later we’re 3,800 ft above the city and enjoying our first mochas in over a week.
My only other sky tram experiences include riding with the cavemen dummies at Santa Cruz and Portland’s arial tram to OHSU, neither of which prepared me for the Mount Roberts Tramway. When the doors open at the top, I can peer down through the large crack and see that we’re suspended above the trees with no solid ground in sight. While I appreciate the fact that the windows open for prime picture taking, I can’t shake the visions of people falling through and I keep my picture taking to a minimum.
We’ve got time to hike the short trail, though I’d like to revisit and take the steep trail down through gold valley to the city. After getting a few panoramas in, we’re just in time for the American Bald Eagle viewing and measure our armspams against wingspans.
With an hour to spare, we make it back to the boat just in time for me to make it to my first game of Duplicate Bridge which deserves a post all on its own. For now I’ll simply say how pleased I was to play with such a gracious and patient group, high ranked ACBL players and all. I’d also like to thank my father and brother for always beating me at games growing up, as they taught me how to lose graciously and still love the games.
Extra: Today* is Day 31, Post 27 of my 30 day blog challenge. Click ‘Follow’ at the bottom of the page to receive weekly updates in your inbox or follow me on Tumblr if that’s your scene.
* Living on a boat for 10 days, I had limited access to the internet so post-dating my entries for the date written (vs the date actually uploaded).
