Enjoy a historic tour of Juneau. Considered by many to be the most beautiful capital city in the nation, Juneau checks in at just a little over 3,100 square miles, qualifying it as the biggest American city-geographically. The terrain is hilly and its winding, narrow streets present a small-town quaintness that exists side-by-side with cosmopolitan sophistication. Within city limits is the most visited glacier in all of Alaska: the Mendenhall Glacier.

Tour buses make the 13-mile trip to the Glacier Visitor Center, which offers glaciology exhibits, slide shows, interpretive talks, a panoramic view of the glacier and several trails. The Center is a fabulous vantage point for taking photos of this world-famous sight as is the Chapel by the Lake, a little log church with an inspirational view of Auke Lake and Mendenhall Glacier.

Described by John Muir as "one of the most beautiful coastal glaciers," the world-famous Mendenhall Glacier is 1.5 miles wide and hundreds of feet thick and is fed by the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field. This meandering river of compressed blue ice ranks as the largest, most rugged glacier accessible by road.

Before returning to downtown Juneau, a stop is made at the Macauley Salmon Hatchery where you may see adult spawning salmon (late June through September) or have the opportunity to feed immature salmon fry (May through early June). Learn about the reproductive cycles of Pacific salmon and view exhibits detailing the hatchery's annual production of over 150 million salmon and numerous aquariums showcasing local marine wildlife.