One of the things that I wanted to do on our trip was to drive to the end of the road in Juneau.

We headed North out of Juneau and wound along the coast until we hit a barrier. The road just ends. Sure, the last few miles are gravel, but there’s no trailing off into a turkey trail…it just ends. My favourite part was the sign on the barrier that cautioned about explosive devices. I guess that’s one sure way to make sure people stay off your property!

the end of the road in Juneau

On the drive back from the end of the road we found a lovely, rocky beach called “Sunshine Cove”.

the end of the road in Juneau

The girls dipped their toes in the very cold water. They wanted to swim but two-toes in they both decided maybe that wasn’t the best idea after all!

the end of the road in Juneau the end of the road in Juneau

We spent an hour or so walking up and down the beach searching for seashells. One of our favourite finds were the little dried crabs. A few did manage to make their way home with us as “pets”.

the end of the road in Juneau the end of the road in Juneau

We continued our drive to the south end of the road on a different day. A few miles before the end we were sidetracked by a pair of bald eagles on the shoreline.

the end of the road in Juneau

Randy made a split second decision and pulled over. Thankfully he did. It turns out the eagles were snacking on a salmon.

the end of the road in Juneau

Looking a little more closely, the river was teaming with fish.

the end of the road in Juneau the end of the road in Juneau the end of the road in Juneau

Calais was determined to catch a fish. They were so close it looked like you should just be able to reach into the water and grab one. She definitely tried…

the end of the road in Juneau

and she came pretty close to this one below…

but it managed to escape. I’m not sure what she would’ve done had she actually caught it!

Looking up there was probably a dozen bald eagles scattered amongst the trees, waiting for a feast.

We didn’t make it to the South end of the road, but the salmon running was worth the sacrifice!

It always seems like the best experiences are the ones that are unexpected, and the ones in which you veer off course to find!

 

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