Alaska, Day Four-B

Before I share photos of our next stop, I want to explain something about Juneau. Although it is the capital of Alaska, there are NO ROADS in or out of the city/borough.  If you want to visit Juneau or if you live there, you need to fly in or out on an airplane or take a barge, ferry or cruise ship.  There are only about 200 miles of city maintained roads in the whole area.  Why?  I asked The Professor (he know everything). I assumed it was because of the mountains surrounding the city.  But he said that it is more likely the glaciers that isolate Juneau.  You can blast through mountains but not glaciers.  The fact that there are cars, trucks and trailers in Juneau means that every one of them arrived on a ferry or barge.

So... as we left Mendenhall Glacier National Park, we turned north away from the direction of the city and drove a few miles to the National Shrine of St. There's.  The road beyond this location goes only about ten more miles and then dead ends.

We did not think we could visit this place until the night before we drove to the glacier.  Since we had rented the car and had it for the whole day, we decided to drive up to the shrine.  It did not disappoint.

Located on the shore of Lynn Canal, the shrine's views of the sea were amazing!

The property was bought by the Catholic Church in the 1930s and the chapel which was built in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

The interior of the chapel was quiet and calm.  Candles were lit so we knew there had been people visiting before we arrived.

A quote from St. Therese's autobiography The Story of a Soul.  "What really matters in life is not our great deeds but our great love."

After visiting the chapel, we walked the rather hilly path for the stations of the cross.

Eleanor wanted her photo taken at Station XV and asked me if Jesus died for bunnies, too.  I answered, "Of course, He did!"

After we walked back down the hill from the stations, we noticed a labyrinth near some of the other buildings nearer the parking lot.  Why not walk it, too?  So we did.  I will admit that we got a bit dizzy with all the 90 and 180 degree turns.

That was enough walking for us for the day.  We drove back to downtown Juneau and returned the car.  Of course, we still had to walk back down the several blocks of very steep streets to find a restaurant that served dinner.  Salmon fillet or fish and chips?