Revisiting Old Haunts and The Island Pub on Douglas Island
First, some random shots from our afternoon in various parts of Juneau, Alaska:
I didn’t take this photo, but I might be in it. I found it in the historical annals available from the Juneau-Douglas Museum. This is the old Evergreen Bowl pool, fed by glacier streams, where I learned to swim. This pool doesn’t exist any more; they have a new, indoor year-round pool:
Out at Mendenhall glacier; no bears this trip, only their crossing sign and a lot of stripped salmon š Sleep well, salmon-fed bears!
Kayakers at Mendenhall Lake; this is across the lake from the glacier observation point
The old Skater’s Cabin, where we used to go ice skating when the lake would freeze. Volunteers from civic organizations would get up early and take home-made snow-pushers, and make paths through the snow on the ice, and clear a large patch where people could skate. The ice was rough, not like an ice rink at all. If you could skate here, you could skate anywhere š
AdventureMan insisted I stop at this quilt shop while he read brochures in the car, LOL! No, I am not kidding, I am only laughing because he pretended he loves to wait in the car while I visit another quilt shop.
Dinner was at the Island Pub in Douglas, across the Gastineau Channel from Juneau. We used to go to this very same restaurant when I was a kid, then called Mike’s Place, only I never got to sit upstairs; I think that the bar was upstairs. Families went downstairs. They told us that they are thinking of renovating and opening the downstairs, too.
They were packed. We were lucky to get there when we did. I think we were the only people who don’t live on Douglas Island, there were couples and families and friends meeting up after work, and a birthday group – all people who live on the island.
The place has a spectacular view, especially around sunset when Juneau, across the channel, just lights up.
Our friend had said this is her favorite place to eat, and she was right! We had the smoked salmon spread, which was really good and really rich:
When our pizza came, it was also delicious, but the salmon spread on the pizza strips filled us up. We each ate one piece of the huge pizza and packed up the rest to warm up for breakfast the next day. It was still delicious!
This was one of the best meals we had on our trip. Great beer, great wine, great food, great atmosphere, great view.
6 Comments »
Leave a reply to intlxpatr Cancel reply
Recent Comments
Catherine on Donna Leon Crossing Cultu… intlxpatr on Ignoring the Law thani on Ignoring the Law Anon. on British Soldier Kidnapped, Esc… Reeva Mills on Cahors to Bordeaux, Preparing… Wikipedia Donate Button
Amazina
Early Voting in Florida
Here There and Everywhere 
You grew up in a beautiful place. Alaska is on my ‘have to go’ list. I can’t imagine a lake that freezes. Did you love ice skating?
I’ve only ever done it once (indoors) but I was a roller demon and loved it!
I loved skating. I later took lessons, as a teen ager. It was a wonderful combination of speed, ballet and exercise, but so much fun you didn’t think of it as exercise š We also could ski in our backyard; our back yard was a mountain š
That pool was sooo cold, I remember Mom had to dress me after swimming because I was shivering so badly! I can still remember how cold it was!!! The good news…I did learn to swim š
I remember people saying it was fed by glacier streams. It was cold, I don’t think it had any heating at all. Wish you could have seen our pools in Qatar and Kuwait – they had CHILLERS. No, I am not kidding.
I remember Mikeās place in 1970/71. Great view. Very good food and a salad bar! (it was Juneau 1970).
Also remember going to Skaterās Cabin similar time. Used ropes to catch ahold of a small iceburg. Used the ice to crank ice cream
Thanks for the memories, Doug. We think we need to go back š