Juneau, Alaska

1st stop...Juneau! The capital of Alaska...and only has 20 miles of paved road! Our big excursion for the day was a helicopter ride to Mendenhal Glacier. I had not been in a helicopter before, and I LOVED it! (1st photo) It was a surreal experience to know that we were landing on a glacier. And I learned that a glacier is made of a unique composition of water than is neither ice nor snow. It is a very dense glacier ice. It starts high in the mountains with the snow fall, accumulates, and 'pushes' down the mountain. Seeing the juxtoposition of the glacier ice and the mountain is awe inspiring. Then to see a waterfall coming from the mountain is breathtaking. (4th photo) Where water runs through a glacier you can drink the water. Mark and I each did that, but this pix (6th) of a little girl on our tour was way cuter:)
(I have no idea why this entire post is in blue hi-lite, and now it is all normal. Go figure.)