From JuJu with Love

At this point, I’m convinced my neighbors are following me.

For the third day in a row, in our third different Alaskan port, we somehow crossed paths again! Running into someone once on vacation is a coincidence. Three days in a row? That’s becoming a tradition.

Today our ship docked at Icy Strait Point, just outside Hoonah, Alaska a town with a population of only about 650 people.

We started the morning with a gondola ride to the top of the mountain. The views stretched forever—towering evergreens, islands scattered across the water, and mountains disappearing into the clouds. Alaska continues to leave me speechless.

From there, we walked about 1 1/2 miles into Hoonah. One stop we couldn’t resist was a local bar called The Office. How often do you get to truthfully say you spent part of your vacation at The Office?

The highlight was meeting Mary and Jim, the owners, who told us they’re eighth generation Hoonah residents.

In a town this small, history isn’t in museums—it’s sitting behind the bar telling stories.

Then we made the 1½-mile walk back along the shoreline, with a couple of very worthwhile detours for fresh donut holes and Dungeness crab. Not exactly your typical lunch combination, but somehow it worked perfectly.

Of course, no JuJu adventure is complete without a little excitement.

On the way to the gondola, I somehow managed to trip over a rope barrier and scrape up my knee. Naturally, I’m blaming my friend and tour guide, Bill. If he had simply told me I needed to exchange my ticket for a wristband in a different line, I obviously never would have tripped.

I have absolutely no evidence to support this theory…but I’m sticking with it.

Three days.
Three ports.
Three neighbor sightings.
One scraped knee.
And another unforgettable day in Alaska.

But the day wasn’t over yet.

We headed to the theater onboard for a production called Rockumentary, and it was hands down our favorite show of the cruise. It was one classic rock hit after another—The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and more. We sang, danced, clapped, and smiled through the entire performance. It was impossible not to.

After the show, it was semi-formal night in the dining room, where we celebrated another incredible day with lobster tails and beef Wellington. Not a bad way to end a day that started on top of a mountain in Alaska.

Tomorrow is our final full day aboard the ship before we say goodbye to cruising and begin the land portion of our adventure in Denali. The adventure continues…

Tomorrow promises to be another highlight of our Alaska adventure as our ship sails into Yakutat Bay to visit the magnificent Hubbard Glacier. If Mother Nature cooperates, we’ll get within about 100 yards of the glacier—and with a little luck, we’ll witness one of Alaska’s most spectacular sights: the glacier calving, when massive chunks of ancient ice break away and crash into the water below.

Fingers crossed for clear skies…and a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest shows. 🩵🧊

From Juju with Love 💙