Alaska Uncovered Podcast
Welcome to the Alaska Uncovered Podcast with your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming. Jennie brings you accurate, helpful and entertaining information about Alaska Travel and Life in Alaska. Guests include Alaska travel experts and Alaska business owners, guides and interesting Alaskans. Jennie is a born and raised Seattleite, a former Alaskan and spends several weeks in Alaska each year. She’s an experienced guide and the Founder of the Alaska and Washington travel website, Top Left Adventures. Jennie is joined by occasional co-host, Jay Flaming, her husband for 25 years. Jennie and Jay met working in tourism in Alaska and have lived in Skagway, Juneau and Fairbanks together. Jay lived in Fairbanks for 8 years before meeting Jennie in Skagway and grew up in Yellowstone National Park.
Alaska Uncovered Podcast
Mendenhall Glacier in 2024 - What you need to know
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Serene Hutchinson joins Jennie to share important updates about visiting Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau in 2024.
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Music credits: Largo Montebello, by Domenico Mannelli, CC.
Are you confused about changes at the Mendenhall Glacier? And do you know that's what we're talking about today? Welcome to the Alaska uncovered podcast with me. Your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, my occasional co host and full time husband Jay and I bring you accurate, helpful and entertaining information about Alaska travel, and life in Alaska. My guest today is Serene Hutchinson from Juneau tours, serene joined us last year for an episode about Mendenhall Glacier and we talked about the glacier in detail there. And also whalewatching Juneau tours and WhaleWatch also does awesome whale watching tours. Since then, in the last year, there have been some pretty big changes out at the glacier that impact visitors. So serene agreed to come back today to walk us through what those changes are and what to expect. If you are visiting the Mendenhall Glacier in 2024. Serene Welcome back to Alaska uncovered. Thank you for being here. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to share the latest updates. Yes. And I will admit that even I have had a hard time following all of these changes. So I am also looking forward to learning from you today. So um, before we dive into that, we did have an episode with you about a year ago, but that was a long time ago. So for folks who might have missed that episode. Can you just sort of briefly share what you do? How long you've been in Juneau? And then we'll get into Mendenhall stuff?
Serene:Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you for having me back. Yeah, so we are a family business. So it's me and my brother. My we're both originally from Hawaii. And many, many years ago, my brother came here to be the, you know, commercial fisherman type that you see on Deadliest Catch on TV. And then in the offseason, he started driving a taxi. And then once a cruise ship traffic started picking up, he said, I'm gonna need a bigger taxi. And so he bought a bus. And then he bought another bus and then another bus and ended up like going all in with buses. And then in 2011, he got his first whale watching boat. And then he called me his big sister, and it was like, I need a website, I need to get serious now. And so then actually was my husband and I helped him get a website set up. And now we have nine whale watching vessels and 25 buses, and we're full on family business. It's my brother, myself, my husband are college kids. And of course, you know, 85 to 90 of our closest friends. So we are legitimately an independent company in the sense that even though we operate in Juneau and 95% of our tourism base is off cruise ships. We don't have cruise line contracts. So the way to cook with us is direct. And then also last minute on the dock you'll find that prices tend to be a little bit better because we don't have to pay that extra commissions that the cruise lines, you know, need. So that's the that's so in a nutshell, that's Juneau Tours and WhaleWatch.
Jennie Flaming:Yay. And that's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that. So, of course, one of the big attractions in Juneau that lots of people want to see is Mendenhall Glacier. And it is awesome, but also a little challenging at times to figure out how to visit. So yeah, can you share just to start with what has changed at Mendenhall Glacier for 2024. So if I am coming to Juneau, and most people coming to Juneau are on a cruise ship, like you said, there are some people who aren't but so let's just start with cruises for right now. If I am one of those 95% of people coming to Juneau on a cruise. Um, what do I need to know to visit the glacier in 2024?
Serene:Well, I think the first thing that people need to know is that it's it's it's about 30 minutes from the downtown cruise ship dock each way. And so I think that is sometimes a surprise to people. They don't realize that it's it's a legit legitimate distance. I mean, it's about 1718 months. Now I will say nothing has officially changed and yet everything is changed. Yeah, but what has what has created. The new situation is the level of visitors to Juneau. Yeah, that's what's changed, there's been a significant uptake. Now, what that means is we all who are operating at the Mendenhall Glacier Park under a commercial permit, have had the same allotment. For the last I think it's 12 years. So on one hand, you know, the Forest Service is very quick to say, we haven't changed anything, you know. But what's happening now is, we are all using our entire allotment for the first time in a in ever, I will say that my company is the second largest permit holder after Holland America princess. And we did run out of permits in 2018, towards the end of season. And we track it really carefully. So we knew it was coming. And so anybody that had pre booked, they were safe. So no one really noticed. Right? Yeah. And then in 2019, we notified the glacier in advance that we were going to be running out. And so they informed us of this pool of extra numbers that they did have available to those who needed them. And they gave them to us, and it worked. Right. And they did indicate to me and in. And then when we were back after I call it, you know, the the flu, the flu that shall not be mentioned, when we're all back after that big thing that happened. We had travel and traveling. Yeah, all of that. Yeah. 2020 time. Yeah, time 20 and 2021. Really? So in 2022, we did we, we, we use a lot of our numbers. And so last year, I was ready. And I was already because I knew what pre sales were looking like because I am fortunate enough to be one of the companies that actually sells direct. So I know how many sales have come in, right and had a good predictor. And so I started knocking on the glacier's door early, like in April in May. And I said, Hey, the way things are tracking, I'm going to be out of numbers in June. Yeah. Am I going to be able to draw from those same extra numbers? And they said yes. And they said, This is how many we have? And I said, are there any more than that? And they said, No. So I was ready. I knew how much we had. Um, not to brag, but I believe I might have been the only one who was ready, because everyone else ran out early, and actually ended up having to refund and things. So that was very heartbreaking for so many people. Now, that is not going to happen again. I don't think I because I believe now everyone knows. Okay, these numbers that we have are the real numbers. The Mendenhall Glacier is not going to be like Santa Claus and magically open up more numbers. So what we have is what we have to plan for. So now I believe all the other companies are rationing out their numbers just the way I did. So the secret the key is you have to book in advance you book in advance and lock them in. It used to be about half of my glacier shuttled guests were booking last minute on the docks, and it was really nice right to have something to do. There will hopefully still be some available. But what myself and the other shuttle company, they were called the Glacier Express with a blue bus, get the exact same product. We were both last minute tour sales and independent. We are no longer offering the open ended time. Yeah, so we still have a glacier shuttle. I do believe the Blue Bus will be selling. They're not selling online, but I do believe they will have some available ability. Last minute I don't. Again, that's not my company. So I don't want to speak too much to it. But I am friends with them who are friendly competitors. And I do know that they're going to be running their Express similar to mine, where you have a set departure time, and you have a set return time. Now, some people are disappointed by this because they really did like the idea of being able to stay as long or as short at the park as they wanted and make that decision on the fly. Yeah. As a person who did that last summer, early June. So before this was an issue, that was an awesome option, but I'm just telling you with those of you who are listening, that just isn't an option anymore because of the enormous demand and the limited permits. So that's just the way it is now.
Jennie Flaming:And also sorry, to break in and mentioned one other thing here to what we are talking about in this episode about the glacier is something that only really came up in a way that people felt in 2023. So if you are reading information from before that, including listening to our episode that we did about this article that's on my website, if you read it a week ago, you know, that information is out of date. So So I have been updating that and I will but just be very careful. If you read something different than what we're seeing here online, it may have been accurate 18 months ago, but it is not now. Serene, is an expert on this. So like definitely trust that this is a real thing, you are not gonna be able to wing it at the glacier in 2024. You're just exactly that. Yeah.
Serene:So it's so important that you say that, because, you know, many people are very disappointed. And, you know, this is such a good example of how you can literally find you can make the internet say anything you want it to say. And it's so important to look at dates and and, and updates and things like that. That's so true. You know, also, I did want to say one other thing, and I'm super glad that you had a good experience in June. But let me tell you, I have had over the last several years, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, I have had such long lines for my glacier shuttle. Yeah, outbound. And then inbound, that people have waited in line an hour from the cruise ship terminal, and then an hour at the Mendenhall Glacier Park. That is two hours of your precious time, in Juneau, wasted waiting in line. So on one hand, some people are very disappointed. But on the other hand, I am so happy that we were able to make this change. Because I, this is such a better product. Yeah. And the other thing that people need to know is that really, you can enjoy yourself and be sitting at the bus stop waiting for your bus when you have two hours there. I am serious. I got so we ran this last the whole second half of last season. This is how we did this already. So we already experienced this. And I'll tell you what happened. I did not get I eliminated at least 15 phone calls a day during peak times where people were like, where's the bus? Where's the bus? I've been in line forever. I'm gonna miss my ship. No one, of course ever missed their ship, but you're scared. You're 30 minutes away from your ship. And you're in line out at the Mendenhall Glacier. And you're wondering, when is this bus going to come and you see all these buses and you don't know where yours is, you know, you don't have any of that anymore. I dominated during rush time, at least 15 phone calls a day. And I'll say the funny thing is, I don't get very many of them. But once or twice a day, I get this call. I've been here an hour and a half. I'm done. I want to come back now, even though it's only they get two hours, or Yeah, you know, or really the time. So once again, I appreciate you telling everybody I'm an expert. I don't generally like to say this, but I am an expert. And two hours of the glacier is perfect. Yeah, I agree. And you know, serene, I just want to say to you that I did have a good experience with the shuttle in June of 2023. However, I did wait in line to come back from the glacier for over an hour. But I was prepared for that. Like I knew, you know, because I know you and I know how the glacier works. And I lived in Juneau, and I've spent a lot of time there. Like, I knew that that was a strong possibility. And so and I also had several days in Juneau, so it wasn't a big deal that I would you know, it was different. But I agree with you that even though some people will be bummed that there isn't this completely flexible bus option. I totally agree with you that this pivot is going to be a better experience for the majority of the users. It is a better product. Do you have the same tour guide outbound that you have inbound. Yep, you know exactly the name of your bus driver, you made these great little boarding passes with stamps. So that you will know I'm looking for Frank, I'm looking for Brett. I'm looking for Joe, it'll be so great. Yes. And then I, I have something else amazing to tell you. So as the as a company last season that did end up having numbers all the way through to the end. And really, we operated without competition in a very competitive market, which was a new experience for us. And, and so it was good for us. So what we did is we took the obviously now supply and demand the prices is is higher. Yep, it is higher, I acknowledge that. So what we decided to do was not only make it a better product, because you no longer have these long lines, you know exactly what time you're going out what time you're coming back. You don't have to worry that you're not going to get a seat. There won't be anybody standing on a bus at any time. On top of that, we invested in for brand new off the factory floor. Gorgeous, Glacier shuttle trolley, oh, they are these amazing trolleys. They are such a great experience. They're beautiful windows, everyone has a little open, you know, closing window, very great for sightseeing. And they are an experience in themselves. They are clean diesel, but they're so quiet. Everyone thinks they're electric. They're not electric. And they were so proud of them. I can't even tell you. So what we decided to do is to kind of in acknowledgment of the fact that you're paying more for the tour, we decided to give you a better tour all around. Oh, that's awesome. We're so excited about these trolleys. And our drivers love them. They feel such ownership of them. They're they're made by hometown trolley, and I were finishing beautiful wraps on them right now. And but we're just we're just so excited about oh, I can't wait to have you. That'll be so the last two seasons as a company has been a season two seasons where we've reinvested back into clean operating buses, and we've decommissioned a whole bunch of our older buses. So we literally don't have a single old bus in our fleet anymore. Awesome. And we're so we're really we're really excited about it.
Jennie Flaming:One thing too. For those of you listening, I will put in the show notes along with information with how to book with Juneau tours. I'll also put the link to their Instagram in there because that is a cool place to see not only glacier stuff and vehicles, but also like whalewatching and all kinds of fun things. So that's a good follow.
Serene:Oh, yeah, we love we love social media. Yes. So yeah, I know. It's cool. And what's cool about social media for visitors is you can kind of get excited before you go and be like, Oh, or you know, when you're not there, you could kind of see what's going on, which is really cool.
Jennie Flaming:So just to recap this section, serene. So the situation is that well, the Forest Service has maintained the same number of permits for commercial operators to the Mendenhall Glacier. The number of cruise ship visitors to Juneau has increased massively, like yes, over time, but especially, you know, like 2018 and 19 to 2023. That was a big jump. And so that has put a tremendous amount of competition in play, for being able to get out to the glacier. If you're visiting on a cruise ship, because you're just there for a day you don't have a car, things like that. So for those of you listening, I just want to really emphasize, this is true for every operator is you know, so it doesn't matter what cruise line you're on, it does not matter whether you book on your ship or you book through someone like Juno tours, none of that matters. The point is you need to book however, you're going to do it in advance because there is less availability overall. Is that a fair summary of the situation? Now, there will be some last minute right there will so I'm not saying that's going to be completely not an option. Sure. Um, but for those who, you know, I am going on the cruise and one of my must do things is to see the Mendenhall Glacier. Yeah, then yes, definitely book it in advance. Yeah. Now, if you're up there, and you book a helicopter tour, and it cancels, you may go to the booths and find that you can get on a bus to the glacier, and you may be lucky that day. So there will be some, but don't don't plan for it. If that's your must do. And then I did want to when, when you think it's appropriate, I also did kind of want to I wanted to address other options of how to get to the glacier, because I get asked that all the time. You know what, sorry, that appropriate, that is just exactly what I was going to ask. Okay, okay, good, good. Cuz I also, you know, you know, and folks who are listening by now, I'm sure now that in addition to the articles on my website, and the podcasts that I also help people plan their trips to Alaska, and a very, including cruises, and I actually help people book cruises. And this is a really common question, especially from cruisers, they want to know, well, can't I? And this is understandable, right? Because you can do this in many other places, like, Well, can I just take the bus there? Or can I just take it over there? And so I would love to have you answer that question.
Serene:Yes. What are my other options? And I mean, I give this to for two reasons. First of all, you know, kind of, to hope to also legitimize you know, myself that this this advice is given to you with no no benefit to me, but in a way it in a way, it does benefit me. Because I am constantly called by people who took the bus or an Uber or a taxi, and now they're stranded. Yeah. So that's where this does affect me. But so in the past, there's been a hack. The cheapest way to get to the Mendenhall Glacier is the city bus. Two things to know number one, it drops you off a mile away from the park, know, a mile and a half. So you have to walk a mile and a half to the park. And then if you want to go to nugget falls, which is one of the main reasons people go to the glacier, then that's another mile. Yep. And then you walk back another mile. And then people are at the Glacier Park, and they're wet and they're tired, and they're exhausted, and they don't want to walk a mile and a half back to the bus stop. Yep. And the bus is also not counting on you one way or another. So people miss that bus. I see people see people running with their kids. And it's just, it's your art. Right? I know. I know. Keep that in mind. That bus does not go to the Mendenhall glacier, it goes a mile and a half away. And then another thing about the bus is that it is a city bus that serves a city of about 30,000 people. And there can be 1000s and 1000s of visitors in Juneau. So the bus system can't really accommodate a ton of visitors wanting to go to the I mean, they'll do their best. But you know, it's not built for that. Yes, you know? Well, and that's interesting that you bring that up, because I have been asked to come to all kinds of city meetings now. Because I've been told by the city, hey, why why are these people getting on our bus? Why aren't they on your bus? And I'm like, Well, it's because I'm out of commercial permits. Yeah, you know, and so for some reason, the Mendenhall Glacier doesn't count people who get there independently as commercial. So that's sort of that's sort of the gap that we have going on here. Yeah, it makes no sense. So don't ask me to comment on that. Because I will not be able to be positive about it. But I will say I will say it's created a crisis in our town, and our locals, our Native population, people who are the lower income people who, who do lie on that bus to get to the grocery store, back and forth to work are getting misplaced by tourists. So for people who want to visit Juneau, and not only have a great experience, but also kind of not hurt the town that they came on, then we would ask you to consider to not take that bus. Yes. Obviously the city bus system is also gets federal funding. So they will not deny service to anyone. But that is kind of the moral aspect of the of the city bus hack so to speak. Yep. And then the other thing to consider once again, if you're on a cruise ship, you have a precious 810. Maybe you're lucky and you have 12 hours in June, do you really want to spend one hour all the way the bus takes an hour to get to that stop? That's a mile and a half away. And then the bus takes an hour to get to that stop. That's back. And also, the drivers of those buses are not tour guides. They will not. They are not tour guides. So they won't answer your questions. They are not interested. They are all about safety and taking care of the local. So those are the other two factors about the city bus. Yeah, so when the next thing I want to mention before you get into taxis is if you are visiting Juno on your own, so you're one of those 5% of people that is not on a cruise ship, and you have a rental car, you don't have to worry about any of this, you just drive your rental car out there, you pay the parking fee, you visit the glacier. So what we're talking about is getting there from cruise ships with commercial permits. You know, like serene was saying, if you take the bus, there's not a commercial permit for that, but it puts a very heavy load on an overburdened local transportation system. But if you're visiting for a few days and have a rental car, you know, you can just drive there. Okay, so, taxis Ubers, I am just going to start by saying, I have never successfully been able to take an Uber or Lyft and Juno, but I've heard rumors that occasionally, you can get an Uber or Lyft. But I've never been able to do that. So talking about the taxi system, we're talking about ride shares. I have a feeling it might get better, but it is not. Okay. And the reason it's not okay. Is because of the massive influx of people that come on a cruise ship, and then go, yeah, so this isn't the town. It's so funny. I'm originally from Hilo, Hawaii. Okay. And our population in Hilo is way less than our population in Juneau. Well, why then? Do they have, you know, so much more? Better stores, and we have better services than we have? And that's because the tourism basically do have is there for at least a week? Yeah. And so that kind of creates a whole different sort of opportunity for our economy, for the economy, right. So they're just there are not enough taxis. They're not enough. Ubers. Also, officially, they are supposed to have a permit. And they don't a lot of them don't. And so they're cheating. Yep. And so and I understand it, because you know, when somebody wants a ride, you want to take them, that's what you do. Yep. Right. And, and, and it's complicated in working with permits when they're limited. And, and so I mean, I hold no ill will to any taxi or Uber that's, you know, just trying to do their best, but they're not supposed to go there unless they have a permit. So they might drag drop you off a little bit outside. Yeah. And then there's not a real place to meet you to pick you up. Yeah, what I what I hear where my phone rings is people who took a taxi out there, and now I can't get one back. They can't get back. They can't get one back. Yep. And now that I don't have that glacier shuttle that's opened, there's a good chance I don't have seats. Yeah. Yep. And so that's the that's the risk. Another risk for some people. This is going to depend on your phone carrier. But the cell service is not really that amazing. Yeah, a lot of times.
Jennie Flaming:So I have my cell phone carrier is T Mobile. And when I'm at the glacier, I can maybe send a text but I can not make a call. And I certainly can't use like, even if you could get an Uber or Lyft. My, my service is not good enough there for data. So that's another issue. If you're trying to call for if you're stranded there. Getting help is going to be hard because you might have to walk, you know, a mile or more to be able to get a good enough single signal on your phone. Yeah, it depends. Some people have better service than others, but you can't count on using your phone out there.
Serene:It's such it's overall, anybody who wants to go to the Mendenhall Glacier. Overall, you just really have to decide, you know, is is this amount of anxiety and risk worth saving money? Yeah, I mean, it's just it you know, and I'm one of those girls. I love a good bargain. I love coupons. I feel guilty, you know, spending money all the time. I know and you're talking about this the risk, there's just too much risk and not you're on vacation, you're supposed to be having fun, you know. And then I would do one last little plug there in regards to taxis and the bus. If you do choose one of those options, remember your payments of the glacier fee is on the honor system. So you're supposed to pay. Yeah. So you know, once again, I'd like to appeal to all of our, you know, visitors who want to kind of have a great vacation, but also be a good guest in Juneau, that I would ask that, you know, remember to pay those fees. Yeah, I absolutely agree with on fees are are all going to be the solution to changing everything. Because the glacier and this is a good news. Mendenhall Glacier does have a plan and improvement plan, where they're going to increase the infrastructure, more parking and more bathrooms. They even have a plan of creating an additional Visitor Center, that once that's done over the next three years, they will then increase the permits. Yeah, so that's yeah, so that's the good news, there is the plan. In the works already, you know, we many of us spend lots of time and in meetings, and they're consulting us about, you know, best ways to improve for a greater visitor experience. Yeah, so I would encourage everyone to be to be a good, good visitor and, and leave Juneau a better place than when you got here.
Jennie Flaming:I completely agree, Serena, thank you for calling that out. And you know, for those of you visiting to, like, I'm with serene like, I am into finding like, a cheaper way to do things. And if there is a way I can do it on my own, versus a tour, I personally am more likely to choose that. That's just part of my personality. But I totally agree with you. This is this is not the place for that if we're talking about the Mendenhall Glacier, specifically, if you really want to go there, I totally agree with serene, don't leave it to chance, book, something, whatever, either through your cruise ship, or independently through a tour company like Juneau tours. But don't, don't put it off if this is important to you. And I would also say, and maybe just to wrap up, I could get your input on this to serene, like, Juneau is such a wonderful town to visit. So if you are feeling like this is a little too much for you, or you don't want to do a tour, there are lots of other ways that you can enjoy Juno. But there are other tours, there are things you can do on your own. And so don't be afraid to just say, You know what, I'm gonna have other glacier experiences and other places. And while I'm in Juneau, I'm going to do some of these other things. But I mean, if you were to pick one or two things, maybe maybe like, one type of tour and one thing people can do on their own in Juneau as an alternative to the glacier, what would you recommend?
Serene:Yeah, so I always joke because there's this wonderful company called wings, and they provide the Taku lodge experience.
Jennie Flaming:We've had them on the podcast, so if you want to do that it was in it was in February, so a couple of months ago, but go back and listen to that one. So go ahead. Sorry.
Serene:No, I just wanted to well, I'm friends with them as well. And I'm always teasing them that they're the second best tour in town after my WhaleWatch honestly, I have I have two or envy when it comes to that product because you they take you take off on a float plane and land right in front of the Taku Glacier. You're closer to the Taku Glacier than you would be if you went to the Mendenhall Glacier Park. Because once again, remember the Mendenhall Glacier Park is just a view of the glacier you never touch it, you know, and then you literally have the best salmon in Juneau, and like I'm a salmon snob, and that was the like, I don't even eat salmon anymore because I just have had it so much. But when I am there, I just like so I love that tour. And it's an epic glacier experience. Granted, it costs more than our glacier shuttle for sure. Yeah. It's a fantastic experience. I love it because I since moving to Alaska, I feel like maybe I've really become a talented photographer. So, you know, encourage people to walk downtown. We also have a city tour on another kind of trolley that is available last minute. It's a last minute tour. And so in those little booths there by the dock, they have last minute cancellations and last minute tours that are available. So I also encourage you to check in with the booths on the dock. Yeah, and who knows? Yeah, depending on you might, you might get lucky. I mean, every now and then something happens and people cancel and there's new things available and you might end up doing something that you never planned on it. Yeah, that you really love. Yeah, yeah. And I would just I would just plus one for walking around downtown Juneau. Like there are some times people will be like, Oh my god, it's so touristy. Like, you walk a few blocks and and you're gonna get away from that and like the new the trail along the waterfront with the the totem poles that goes out to the whale. Oh, yeah. Now that that is an awesome thing to do on your own. It's a completely flat walk. It's beautiful. Um, you know, we'll let you know speaking of that, when people say Oh, it's so touristy. So, one of the most common questions I get that's not related to my tours is, you know, where should we eat that with? That's not touristy. And I was like, Well, why would you want to do that? You know, I mean, one of our, like, all of us, locals. We have, you know, one of those local Facebook pages, right. Yeah. You know, a lot of communities have. And everyone's always asking when does Tracy's open? When does Tracy go? Yeah, because we all in our you don't get more well placed for tourists than Tracy's Crab Shack. Right. And she is only open when the cruise ships are here. So she's like the definition of a restaurant. That's for the tourists. And yet we locals love it there. You don't want to miss it.
Jennie Flaming:You know, it's so funny. Because basically, we've had quite a few episodes about Juneau. And most if not all people have mentioned Tracy's as being like, Oh, don't sleep on Tracy's just because it's next to the cruise ship docks, you gotta go. Um, I agree with that. Tracy's is awesome.
Serene:I went to New Orleans for the first time this year. And I'm not gonna name any names, but we kind of ate at this place that we knew that was like it just where it was. It was like ultimate touristy. And it was super expensive. And what you got for your money was so disappointing. And we were like, What are we We're like experienced people in tourism, we should have known better than eating here. And then we also talked about the fact that we're, we're so lucky that that's not how Tracey's is, yeah, like, yeah, oh, yeah, you're gonna need maybe take out a second mortgage. But yeah, it's worth it. You will, you will walk away, never having forgotten that. Yes. And actually, she does have, she does have some more affordable options now too. So they do have like their crab rules. And one of my they actually put on the menu. It used to not be on the menu. It used to be like one of my secret things was they'll do their crab bisque on rice.
Jennie Flaming:Oh, my gosh, this is amazing. I didn't know getting that on rice was an option. So off to try that. That's a great.
Serene:Love it. Well, serene, thank you so much for being here and sharing these updates. I just think it's so important for people to be able to get up to date information from someone who really knows about this topic. So I am so grateful that you were willing to come back and it sounds like we'll get to do this again, once things change on at the glacier and there are more options for visiting that. We'll have to talk again. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I think this is going to be a good year, we're already visitorship is set to be similar to last season. So I mean, kind of in defense of everybody else, you know, we're ready for it this year, and I think it's gonna be really great. I think it's gonna be wonderful. Yeah, I totally agree. And before we wrap up this episode, I just want to call out some previous episodes in which we talk about Juno specifically. So serene, was here last year, and we had a whole episode about the glacier. And we also had an episode in 2023 about whale watching and the lighthouse tour in Juneau, which is really cool. Yeah, um, that's, that's an awesome kind of off the beaten track tour. We also had Midgi Moore more from Juneau food tours on and talked about food and you know, and then just a couple months ago we had Rebecca from from wings and Taki Lodge and we talked about that. So if you if you found this episode because you're planning to go to Juneau, listen to those others as well because we've got lots of lots of great Juno's stuff on the pod. So serene. Thank you so, so much for being here. Thanks, Jennie. It was a pleasure.
Jennie Flaming:I hope you enjoyed this conversation with serene about Mendenhall Glacier in 2024. This kind of accurate insider up to date information is the foundation of our work at the Alaska uncovered podcast. Before you go, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon. The link is in the show notes. Thank you for listening
