Alaska capital losing its biggest draw

People taking in the views of the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. The glacier in the summer is accessible by kayak or canoe, by foot on a challenging trail or by helicopter. As the Mendenhall Glacier continues to recede, tourists are flooding into Juneau. A record number of cruise ship passengers are expected this year in the city of about 30,000 people. — AP

THOUSANDS of tourists spill onto a boardwalk in Alaska’s capital city every day from cruise ships towering over downtown.

Vendors hawk shoreside trips and rows of buses stand ready to whisk visitors away, with many headed for the area’s crown jewel – the Mendenhall Glacier.