Juneau

We started our Alaskan trip in Juneau, the capital of Alaska. Juneau is completely landlocked - there are no roads connecting it to the rest of the state, so it is only accessible by water or air. Although we weren't scheduled to board our boat until Sunday, we arrived on Friday afternoon for a few reasons. Because our flight connections were so tight, we were worried that our bags wouldn't make it (they did); we also wanted to deal with the jet lag in advance of our trip. Lee struggled the most with the jet lag - he's not a great sleeper to begin with, and he's a very early riser for work. He was awake between midnight and 2am the first few nights, which gave him a unique perspective regarding the comings and goings in harbor. It also made for some early morning walks, as I would often be up by 5 and we'd head out to take it all in before everyone else was up. Juneau itself is very touristy - there are massive cruise ships docking every day via the Gastineau Channel, and people pour off of the ships and into the shops. 

View as we walked out of the airport.

Aside from jewelry stores, there were between 20-30 stores selling items made by Alaskans. We always try to get a keepsake from our trips and so purchased a painting made by a local artist.

The state legislature.

Once you left the main road, where all of the shops were located, the walking became quite strenuous - straight uphill.

Governor's mansion.