Lodgemaiden Chronicles, Juneau Journies: The Coming of the Last Days...

"The end is coming! Can't you feel it?!" ~ Barrel-wearing Man from Hercules

    Even though the end is coming I can tell you one thing for sure, the Millenium will definitely NOT be coming until at least the beginning of next season. ;) The Celebrity Millenium cruise ship had some engine trouble, got stuck in Ketchikan, and is out for the rest of the season. We have less touring days because of it, but I'm sure I'll find good ways of spending my free time. :)

Now I believe it's time for me to regale you with stories about my tourists. ;)
    First I want to tell you about my best tour group ever! I first realized that this group was really great when I told them about our State Capital Building. Shawni: "And up to the right on the hill you'll see a two-tone beige building with a couple flags sticking out of the top of it. That's our State Capital Building, and it's actually been voted the 2nd ugliest State Capital in the United States." *Laughter from bus* Passenger: "Hey I'm from Florida, why can't you guys be the ugliest?" Shawni: "I don't care, I'm from Idaho." *Exceedingly more laughter from the bus* And it just got better from there. :D Anyways, after I picked them up from their Whale Watch they found out I was a music major and asked me if I could sing for them. I now know I can make the left turn at De Hart's from Allen Marine towards the Glacier while singing the National Anthem. Thank you, thank you. I'm here till late September. ;)
    However, on another day I didn't have quite that amount of luck. My passengers were great BUT I had the remote control for my wheelchair lift go out. When I had multiple wheelchairs loading. Back to back. I definitely got in my exercise that day by using the manual lift pump. ;)
    Also, I have a lot of passengers that comment on my name.  I tell people that my name is Shawni when I introduce myself. Most people ask me how I spell it and some smart alecs have called me Cherokee or Navajo for the duration of the tour. ;) However, when people read my name tag (Shawndel) they tell me they've never heard of that name before, that it's pretty, or that it sounds like a black person's name. One man even told me that it's an airplane maneuver (Chandelle). Who knew?
    The following is a list of the coolest tips I've received this summer: a $50 bill, origami dollars, Presidential Gold Dollars, a 1 oz Copper piece imprinted with the Buffalo Nickel reliefs, 2 mini boxes of Froot Loops, a bag of Kettle korn, a $2 bill, and a Canadian $5 bill. :)

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*We interrupt this blog post for a special episode of "Globetrekkers: Juneau Edition."*

    First stop: Eagle Beach. Better make sure you have a friend with a car for this excursion because you have to drive far out past Auke Bay. At Eagle Beach you can usually find a group of friendly people with a bonfire going. Tonight we're joining a group of local tour bus drivers who happen to be celebrating the birthday of one of their co-workers. People are eating, socializing, and playing frisbee as part of the festivities. And I can't forget to mention the beautiful sunset behind the mountains. Truly a glorious evening.
    Next Stop: Taku Glacier Lodge. Nothing can make a stay in Juneau more exciting than hopping on a float plane to fly over glaciers  to a remote lodge. While there you can walk down short trails, eat a lovely salmon lunch, and watch a black bear who frequents the outdoor grill after the cooks have left (trying to find any tidbits they might have forgotten).
    Last stop: Indian Cove. To finish off this part of our visit we are going on a little camping trip. Don't forget to pack a tent and canoe because we're paddling out to a small island to spend the night. I hope you'll remember to bring chocolate for your s'mores because we weren't so fortunate. It was also supposed to be an amazing night for viewing the Aurora Borealis, however it was cloudy the whole time. Maybe next visit.
    There are many more places to go and things to do here in Juneau, maybe next time you'll get to come with.

*Now back to your regularly scheduled blog*
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    (Not that there's much more to tell at this point, but I'm sure I'll think of something...) Oh yeah! I've seen more bears on my outings up at the Glacier. There's a mom and two cubs that frequent the salmon stream and I've got a few pics and videos of them. :)
    Random fact of the summer: I found out I love to drink herbal iced tea. Especially Good Earth's Sweet & Spicy tea. Mmmmm... :) I've also started trying to plan out how I'll use up the rest of my food before I have to go home. So if anyone has fun "leftover" recipes please send them my way.
    Other than that, I only have this quote that I found the other day. I believe it adequately says exactly how I feel about Juneau right now. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

[Insert fun signature sign-off phrase],
Shawni