Juneau may be Alaska's state capital, but any similarity with Columbus ends there. It's a tiny town (about 27,000) crammed into a little of strip of land along the ocean. There is no access road. the only highway ends about four miles south of town and fifteen miles north of town. To the east are impassable mountains. Everything comes in here by boat or plane. When the weather is like it was during our visit, the planes can only get in about half the time.
The front of our hotel looked out onto Juneau Harbor. Out the back, we had this view of the mountain. The whole town is only about six blocks wide from ocean to mountain. It's an expensive place for the locals. Every tomato, pencil, newspaper and pair of underwear has to be shipped in from Seattle -- about a thousand miles away. There are some very nice gift shops, books stores, art galleries etc.
This simple wood frame church is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Juneau. The bishop actually presides at daily mass every morning to a congregation that is mostly made up of Native Americans. He has a couple of priests, but they are not around the cathedral very much. they spend most of their time in small bush planes, flying to serve mission parishes on the hundreds of islands in southeast Alaska. Barb was a regular at morning mass and made many friends.
Dave also found a place where he could be a regular. The Red Dog Saloon is Juneau's best known watering hole. They serve that great Alaska Amber beer and they have a hamburger that literally covers a dinner plate -- a good 12 inches across! Great entertainment too. You can't come to Juneau without a stop here.
Juneau is a small town. You can't get away with much here. Just ask sister Zita, a nun assigned to the Cathedral and Barb's new friend. If Dave was spending too much time at the Red Dog, Sister Zita could provide an escort to the church.
