After a glorious sail through Chatham Strait, Frederick Sound and Stephen’s Passage, we arrived at Juneau, the capital of Alaska. The scenery is spectacular as you approach, but the city is drab and dull, with boxy buildings and little charm. Because of its location, at the base of tall mountains, the city streets, away from the harbor, are steep and narrow. My walking tour took us up as high as 7th Street, an exerting walk from downtown. Some of the sights we checked out were the State House, the Russian Orthodox Church (St Nicholas), several totem poles, and some public art, sculptures memorializing or paying tribute to events or individuals.

     We also, of course, spent some time on Franklin Street, the city’s main shopping area, browsing much of the same merchandise that we saw in Ketchikan and will probably see in Skagway.