Juneau is the fifth least populated state capitol (around 32,000) and is spread thinly along the Gastineau Channel for more than 40 miles. There is no road connection to Canada or the U. S. The city experiences a daily influx of 21,000 people or more from visiting cruise ships between the months of May and September. Mendenhall Glacier, just north of Juneau, is quite large but is only a small stub of the Juneau Ice Field.
To explore this vast area (the Alexander Archipelago) we chose a smaller 100 passenger cruise ship: the National Geographic Quest. A straight line from the most southern (Petesburg) to the most northern (Glacier Bay) stops of the cruise covered 215 miles. The ship carries Zodiac boats to cruise closer to shore and to allow shore excursions.
