Juneau, Alaska Taken From Arriving Ship
Overview
Juneau
is the state capital of Alaska. It resides upon an
island and the only way to visit Juneau is by water.
Juneau is a wonderful little city and offers all of the
Alaskan color one could want. Located in a rain forest,
Juneau experiences about 3" of rain per month in May and
June, 4" in July, 5" in August and over 7" from
September on. Since the average temperatures in summer
can go from cold to hot, be sure to dress in layers.
Cruise Port Location and
Information
Docked in Juneau,
Alaska
Ships port right in
Juneau's downtown area and it is quite easy to walk to
everything.
Ships Docked in Juneau
on a Rainy Day
Some ships may tender into the port if the
pier is full. Even the tenders wharf is right downtown,
so accessing the city is quite easy. Note that there is
one pier south of the main docking area that requires a
15 to 20 minute walk to get into town.
The Goldbelt Hotel
The airport in Juneau
is a short distance north of downtown and the best place
to stay is at the Goldbelt Hotel in downtown Juneau.
The Small Ship Cruise
Terminal
It
is located right across the street from the cruise
terminal (Cruise West) and within two blocks of the main
downtown shopping area.
Exploring On Your Own
Clear Weather is
Essential for a Helicopter Tour
Juneau is easily done
on your own. First time visitors will have no problem
finding their way around town and the main sights are
also easily done on your own. There are several kiosks
right on the pier that sell optional sightseeing tours
and the main tourism building is located right next to
the kiosks and offers even more local sightseeing
options. Unless you have a specific reason to utilize
the ship's shore excursions, you can easily arrange the
same events on your own. Note, however that the cruise
lines require the sightseeing vendors to not drop their
price below what the ship sells their shore excursions
for. One reason to wait until you arrive in Juneau to
book your excursion is weather. As an example,
helicopters will fly in conditions that you may not want
to experience. If you arrive in Juneau and it is windy,
cold and rainy, the helicopters may be operating and
even though the trip is one you may not want to
experience, if you pre-booked it on the ship, you are
bound to go or lose your money. By waiting until you
arrive in Juneau, you can be sure the weather is to your
liking before making a commitment.
Shopping Tips
Juneau's Main Shopping
Street
The shopping area in
Juneau is located right in the downtown area where the
ships dock.
The Shopping Starts
Right on the Dock
It is quite possible to simply walk off the
ship and into a store to start shopping.
Furriers Galore
There
are several high-quality furriers in Juneau, so if you
are looking for the fur coat or stole, this is one of
the places on the cruise you may want to consider
shopping for it.
More Furs
There are also numerous jewelers
offering all types of jewelry and some very interesting
gold pieces that you might find interesting.
Hand carved
collectibles, clothing, outfitters, and tons of stores
offering Alaskan knick knacks are also present.
Indian Art and
Collectibles
I
especially like the store offering local Indian art and
collectibles.
The Toku Smokeries and
Store
If you
would like to ship home some smoked salmon or other fish
products the old Toku Cannery has a wonderful selection.
You will find this right on the docks as you walk into
Juneau proper.
Shopping Opportunities
Galore
You will find a wide array of products to
consider buying and numerous shops to visit if shopping
is a main consideration for you.
Port Highlights
Taking the Mt. Roberts
Tramway
Right next to the
pier downtown one can't help but find the Mt. Roberts
Tramway. The tram costs $24.95 per person (2008) and the
ticket is good for all day use, as many times as you
would like to ride the tram. There is am excellent
restaurant and bar on top of the mountain, as well as
stunning views too.
One of The Views From
The Top of Mt. Roberts
There are also shops and
boutiques selling local artisan's works and Alaskan
knick knacks and collectibles. Of major importance to
coffee drinkers is that there is also an excellent
coffee bar there that serves wonderful and generous
lattes and cappuccinos, as well as other coffee drinks.
One of the Mt. Robert's
Trails
But, the main reason to
ride the tram is to take a hike in Alaska's wonderful
forest. While purists will argue that this isn't really
exploring Alaska's wilderness, the Mt. Roberts loop
trails are easily visited by folks that are not in the
best of shape and they are well marked so that everyone
can enjoy them. There is even a trail that is designed
to be handicapped accessible. For a step into Alaska's
fabulous forest and nature, the Mt. Roberts Tramway
experience cannot be beat. Note that the trails may be
still covered with snow early in the year (May and June)
and not available to hike.
Mendenhall Glacier
Accessible by local bus,
everyone should visit the Mendenhall Glacier. It is
located just north of Juneau and is a visual treat. It
is hard to believe that the local bus will take you here
for a nominal amount. Also, there are at least two
operators of buses, which are called the "Mendenhall
Express" that will bring you directly from the cruise
ship pier to the entrance to the state park.
Beautiful Mendenhall
Lake and Glacier
There is a wonderful park
headquarters with many displays about the glaciers in
Alaska and specifically Mendenhall, a small snack shop
and boutiques selling books and other collectibles from
the area.
Mendenhall Glacier
Waterfall
But the real treat is to
take a hike around Mendenhall Lake to the waterfall that
is located near the glacier face.
Mendenhall Glacier
Mountain Goat
Not only will you
experience the great outdoors and power of the area, but
you are quite likely to see wildlife to boot. We took
the above picture of a mountain goat right near the
waterfall. It was like he was posing for our camera
before he disappeared into the woods.
The St. Nicholas
Russian Church
Downtown Juneau is loaded
with picture opportunities and exploring its steep
streets will reward you with some excellent memories. If it is a rainy day or if
museums are of interest to you, the Alaska State Museum
is only about a ten minute walk from the tourist center
by the ships. Simply stay to the left along the
waterfront until you see it (395 Whittier Street).
Admission is $5.00 (2009) and the two-story museum
offers tons of excellent information on the local
culture, flora and fauna.
The Juneau Douglas City
Museum
Across the street from the
state capital building one finds the Juneau City Museum.
This is a fun and informative museum that looks into
Juneau's past.
The Alaska State Capital
If you explore downtown
Juneau, don't miss the state capitol (easy to do, as it
looks like a high school). The governor's "mansion" (really
just a big house with columns on it) is pretty
accessible - certainly easily visible - from some of
downtown as well.
Off the Beaten Path
Helicopter Landing on
Mendenhall Glacier
Taking a helicopter
tour in Juneau is without question one of the things to
do here. Make sure that you include a landing on
Mendenhall Glacier for one of the most memorable moments
of your life. Juneau is an excellent place to do some
sport fishing. Depending on the time of the year that
you visit, you could focus on halibut and bottom fish,
salmon or other species. Sea kayaking is available right
in Juneau and there are some awesome river rafting trips
that start in Mendenhall Lake and then travel down the
Mendenhall river. One shore excursion that has gotten
rave reviews is the "Deadliest Catch". This is a crab
fishing vessel that has been completely redone to meet
safety standards and passengers actually go crab fishing
aboard the boat. Folks that have done it rave about how
interesting it was.
Dining & Drinking
Suggestions
Juneau's Red Dog Saloon
The Red Dog Saloon:
Without question, the most popular place for an Alaskan
Amber is the Red Dog Saloon. The Red Dog is located
right in the middle of Juneau and cannot be missed. When
you see the swinging red doors inviting you in, have
fun!
Phineas
Poon at
the Red Dog Saloon
Unfortunately, Phineas
Poon, the Red Dog's famous entertainer passed away in
early August of 2009. While the Red Dog Saloon continues
on, it will never be the same without Phineas.
The Red Dog Saloon's
Interior
The interior of the Red
Dog is very unique. There are stuffed animals all over
the place, rifles and pistols (Wyatt Earp's pistol is on
display above the bar) adorn the walls. Visitor business
cards are stapled allover posts and walls where ever one
can reach and there is ample sawdust on the floor to
soak up the spilled beer.
Another Shot of the Red
Dog Saloon's Interior
Animal traps, bouys from
just about every ship imaginable and just about
everything you can imagine that might come from Alaska
is one the walls.
The Red Dog Saloon
Between the entertainment and the
stuff on display, a visit to the Red Dog is a must for
everyone. The Red Dog Saloon serves lunch, as well as a
full bar service.
The Hanger on the Wharf
The Hanger on the Wharf
Restaurant and Pub: This is my personal favorite
restaurant in Juneau. It is located in the wharf
shopping mall just north of the cruise ship piers. While
it is not a tourist restaurant at all, it serves
fabulous Alaskan fare to its local following.
The Hanger's Bar and
Restaurant
It has a
full service bar and is an excellent place for lunch.
The seaplanes dock and depart right outside of the
restaurant and the views are superb. For a great lunch
or dinner, hit the Hanger, you won't regret it.
The Twisted Fish
Company
The Twisted Fish
Company: New for 2008 is the Twisted Fish Company,
which is owned and operated by the Hanger on the Wharf
Restaurant. It is located right next to the Mt. Roberts
Tramway and offers the same frehk Alaskan fare as the
Hanger does. In addition to the excellent cuisine, the
Twisted Fish offers Juneau's largest wine list with over
40 different wines available by the bottle. This is
another great choice for lunch and / or dinner.
“Must Do” List
Mendenhall Glacier
Helicopter Landing
You must do a helicopter tour of Mendenhall Glacier (and surrounding glaciers)
with a landing on the glacier itself. This is a once in
a lifetime experience that you will remember forever. If
you have a clear day in Juneau, sign up for one as soon
as you leave the ship. You will never regret it and will
view the cost as an investment in a lifetime memory.
