Petersburg to Juneau

Our ferry ride ended up taking 9 hours as we had to circle near the ferry dock while another ferry finished loading cars for the southbound trip. Part of the trip was cool and sunny, part was cold and rainy. We saw quite a number of humpback whales from a distance and some seals. I enjoyed watching and talking to a group of five 10-year-old boys from Petersburg who were on a trip to Juneau. They were unimpressed with the whales and seals (old hat), but were instead excited about going to Juneau to see a movie, eat junk food other than pizza, and see the state museum.

After arrival we headed to the Mendenhall National Forest Campground where we found a site right on the lake with glimpses through the trees of the glacier and icebergs in the lake.

Mendenhall National Forest Campground review: This is a huge campground right on Mendenhall Lake. There is an RV section with electric and water hookups (even some with sewer), but most sites are primitive (without electric and water). We prefer these sites to save money, to avoid all the big rigs, and usually we find them better located. Some sites are reservable. We had reserved a site, but found it was no problem to move to another site when we arrived. The sites are large and well-spaced. Cell phones and data service work well. Nightly fee for primitive sites is $10 — $5 for seniors with pass.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)