Sightseeing in Juneau

[injebreck99]

We will be first time AK visitors on a S/B cruise in June this year, in Juneau, is there much to do in Juneau itelf, anything to do without doing any extra organised trips may be interesting.(walking, sightseeing, animals etc).

[slider728]

There is a lot to do in Juneau, it all depends on your interests, how much you want to spend, and if you are willing to drive around.

 

If I were telling a family member what I would recommend they see, this is what I would say.

 

1. Mendenhall Glacier: If you have never seen a glacier, this is the most convenient site I have ever seen where you can see a glacier with relative ease. Going to the main visitors center, you can easily walk within about 0.5 miles of the face of the glacier (assuming you are able to walk over a well marked trail). I haven't been to the visitor's center in years, but I recall it being quite informative. Depending on the time of the year, there is a reasonable chance of seeing bears off of the Steep Creek trail, which begins off of the 2nd parking lot away from the glacier. I put this up as the must see in Juneau. You can take the blue bus there for relatively cheap.

 

2. DIPAC: The official name of this place is the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery, but in my years of living in Juneau, I never heard anyone call it that. The locals refer to it as DIPAC (like the words "die" and "pack" put together). If the salmon are running, this can be quite the site to see. Bald Eagles tend to hang out in the immediate area (like on the newpaper building) due to the dying fish. The site of a salmon spawn is really cool. There is a viewing window in the fish ladder so you can see the salmon under water. There is a tour there and I think it is only about $7 or $8 USD. I am ashamed to admit, in the probably thousands of hours I've fished there, I have never been on the tour. There is a web cam inside near an aquarium if you want to wave hi to a person back home (I did this with the kids at a different site in Juneau and they loved it).

 

3. Shrine of St. Therese: This is a stop that definitely requires a car. It is a bit off of the beaten path. It is an old shine built for St. Therese of Lisieux back in the 1940's. The building is neat, the location is good, but you put the two together really makes for a beautiful stop. The shrine is built on a peninsula right on the ocean. If you are lucky, you might see some whales here (I had one keep pushing me toward shore when I was fishing on the boat last summer right at this spot). I think it is a beautiful, tranquil spot to stop and see. It isn't terribly exciting, but it is gorgeous.

 

4. Mt. Roberts Tram: If the weather is good, the Mount Roberts tram is an easy and beautiful ride. You can buy the tickets right at the dock by Taku Smokeries. The tram will take you up a platform about 3/4ths the way up the mountain. There are trails up there if that floats your boat. You can hike all the way up to the summit (though I haven't made it up that far since before there was a tram, so I can not tell you how long to expect this to take). You can buy a map at the bookstore just off of the main platform (I think it ran me $1 USD)

 

5. If you like history and can walk a ways, you can walk up to the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church. I'm not sure I'd recommend going out of your way to get there, but it is neat to see if you are in the area. I forget what year it was built, but it is well over 100 years old.

 

There are a number of other things. The Alaska State Museum used to be neat, but I haven't been there in a decade or two to be honest.

 

If you rent a car, you can drive out past Auke Bay and there are some places where there are short trails off of the road where whales tend to hang out (most likely no where near enough to get a good shot though).

 

If you are looking for shells to take to the kids, the Auke Rec Picnic area is a good place to hang out (also called Auke Recreation area. I think the locals typically refer to it as Auke Rec).

 

I hope this helps a little bit. If you have a particular interest, I could try to help more.

[In Toronto]

A friend went to Glacier Gardens a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Have you been? Do you recommend?

[tommycha]

Hi,

 

We went to mendahall glacier, did a whale watching cruise and followed by downtown shopping. Just about maximise the time we have there.

 

You might want to read our write ups.

 

http://discoverbooktravel.blogspot.sg/search/label/Juneau

[injebreck99]

We have been to the Athabasca glacier in Canada, I expect we will see a lot of similar scenery on the cruise, we wouldn't mind hiring a car if it is worthwhile,any recommended companies, or ones to avoid. We like scenery, wildlife, walking,not strenuous hikes though, my wife likes shopping!!!, thanks for the information, will have to decide what to do.

[In Toronto]

You can disregard my post re Glacier Gardens. Just read a lot of posts about it and seems to be very expensive ($50.00 entry for the two of us). Unless someone knows of a discount that we might be able to snag, I will forget about that one.

 

Thanks.

[CTDesign11]

We took the tram, Harv and Marv whale watch and Mendenhall and still walked around town. We would have liked a little more time in town.

[slider728]

We have been to the Athabasca glacier in Canada, I expect we will see a lot of similar scenery on the cruise, we wouldn't mind hiring a car if it is worthwhile,any recommended companies, or ones to avoid. We like scenery, wildlife, walking,not strenuous hikes though, my wife likes shopping!!!, thanks for the information, will have to decide what to do.

 

In Toronto: I haven't been to Glacier Gardens personally. I've had in-laws who went there on a cruise tour and liked it. I have no idea if it would be worth $50 for 2 people or not.

 

Injebreck99: I can't speak too intelligently on where the best place to rent a car is. I have my own car and such in Juneau. Sorry I can't help on that part.

 

The best tourist shopping is right downtown within walking distance of the cruiseship. If you have a car, there is a Wal-Mart and a Fred Meyer's that have a limited selection of touristy stuff, but tend to be cheaper.

 

Wildlife is pretty unpredictable for obvious reasons. I've seen bears wandering through downtown by the school. Bald Eagles are pretty much anywhere and everywhere.

 

Based on what you are saying, I'd still highly recommend the Mendenhall glacier. The hike to Nugget falls is a pretty easy 45 minute round trip hike. As I mentioned, Steep Creek trail off of the 2nd parking lot is a nice elevated walkway and paved trail. Bears are common here, especially when the salmon are spawning up the creek (usually starting sometime toward the end of July)

 

Eagle Beach State Rec Area is a nice area with some nice trails. It is mainly tidal flats and old grown rainforest in the area. I've never seen a ton of wildlife there, but it is a nice walk (there are probably birds, but I'm not a birder).

 

The Shrine is still a nice area to stroll around.

 

I would still recommend the Tram if it is a nice clear day out. The hiking isn't terrible, but the altitude can make it a bit chilly up there.

 

I hope this helps.

[injebreck99]

Hi slider 728, thanks for the very good information, we are birders, so may well do that trip, the hike sounds up our street too, we have booked a dog sled summer camp as well, may well spend the rest of the time wandering around Juneau.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Hi slider 728, thanks for the very good information, we are birders, so may well do that trip, the hike sounds up our street too, we have booked a dog sled summer camp as well, may well spend the rest of the time wandering around Juneau.

 

If you are comfortable walking around, Juneau will be a good place for you. It is pretty easy to walk around. [without mobility issues]

 

The topography of the city if very up and down. This makes it hard for many. But, we enjoyed visiting the city sites. The tour of the capitol is free and does not take too long. There are good views from several buildings. We enjoyed lloking at the architecture of the historic buildings. [i think it was Franklin St] They now house businesses--gifts shops, etc.

 

We had a long port day and we used all of it. We went back to the ship for a late lunch. [not too cheap to buy a lunch--but, it was just so easy. the Radiance of the Seas docked right next to the main street. It took us 5 minutes to get onboard and off. We rested for an hour or so and went back for the rest of the day. The mid day rest was important for us.

[tommycha]

Some photos that we took at downtown Juneau :)

 

 

 

 

 

More on our blog

 

http://discoverbooktravel.blogspot.sg/2012/12/day-4-diamond-princess-alaska-cruise-shopping-dining-juneau.html

[MichiganStateMom]

We will be first time AK visitors on a S/B cruise in June this year, in Juneau, is there much to do in Juneau itelf, anything to do without doing any extra organised trips may be interesting.(walking, sightseeing, animals etc).

 

 

Here is a link to a walking tour in Juneau from Frommers:

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/juneau/0010010008.html