Early in the morning, the Sea Princess sailed through Chatham Strait and Frederick Sound where, at approximately 5:30 a.m. abeam of Cornwallis Point, we embarked the Southeast Alaska pilots. We then proceeded to Juneau, sailing on a northerly course, through Stephens Passage. We entered Gastineau Channel at 10:30 a.m. and came alongside South Franklin Dock in Juneau at 12:30 p.m.

While sailing in Gastineau Channel, Enya's "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)" was playing over the ship's sound system up on deck, creating a fantastic effect as the mountains went by on either side and kittiwakes flew around.

In 1880, Joe Juneau & Richard Harris searched for gold with the help of Indian guides. The going was slow, arduous and frustrating as they climbed mountains, forged streams and faced countless difficulties. Finally, they found nuggets as "large as beans." Out of their discovery would come three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War I, more than $150 million of gold was unearthed. Eventually the mines closed but Juneau prospered and became the capital of Alaska. Some 30,000 people live in Juneau and its total area of 3,108 miles makes it the largest city, in size, in the Western Hemisphere.

The next thing we knew, the boat cruised past a bank of Sitka Pines that were full of bald eagles. Mary had her binoculars up and counted 28 of them in a space approximately one-eighth of a mile long. They were everywhere!!!!!

We then rode past Point Retreat on the north end of Admiralty Island and were able to get fairly close to a group of Steller Sea Lions who were having a lengthy discussion about who would be allowed on the buoy. We counted 7 sea lions on the buoy at one point and another half-dozen in the water trying to be king of the hill.