May 2, 2026

They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and in today’s world everyone seems to have a smartphone with an even smarter camera. It’s easy to fall into the belief that if you don’t have a photo (and post it on social media) it didn’t happen. This morning I tried to remind myself to simply watch as best as I could and soak in the memories.

The reason I was forced to make that decision is that today was just a nasty weather day. You know the type where it’s raining, not just a wet rain, but a cold wet rain pouring down on an angle that hits your face like water from a shower head that you have no control over. Do I try and manage an umbrella or just pull the hood up from my wind breaker over my head? But then if I do that, I tend to look down and not take in the views as I had intended. Match that with trying to manage a terrain I am not familiar with and all of a sudden taking photos becomes more of a task than a pleasure.

Today’s goal was to visit Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau’s most popular natural attraction. Mendenhall Glacier flows 12 miles from its source and has a half mile-wide face. The glacier is fed from an ice field high above Juneau.

In the last decade, the Mendelhall Glacier has continued to retreat in size and has left Mendenhall Lake, and it is reported that by this time next year the glacier will retreat away from the lake’s edge. This is the last year they expect to see ice from the glacier in Mendelhall Lake. (I received quite a few sad and concerned comments regarding the demise of the glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park that perhaps it is a good thing that this is today’s one and only blog photo.)

So that today’s blog isn’t an utterly complete bust, here’s a little interesting fact that you can save for your next trivia game. Juneau’s total area (over 3,000 square miles) makes it one of the biggest towns in the world and it is the only U.S. state capital that directly borders a foreign country. (Canada)

That’s all I have for you.

Thanks for traveling with us.