A Great Day in Juneau

We had only one day in Juneau, but we made the best of it. We took the Tramway in the center of town to the first plateau of Mount Roberts. Our first stop was at the Cultural Center to experience the Native Alaskan culture and enjoyed a marvelous film entitled Seeing Daylight. We watched a young Tinglit Indian demonstrate the art of making totem poles that had been passed to him from his father and his grandfather. We browsed the shops featuring Native American crafts and wished we could take it all home with us.

Leaving the Cultural Center, we took a long nature walk up the mountain and back down again. We stayed at ground level for only a short time before going up in a flight seeing in a seaplane over the Juneau Ice Fields. We ended the day with a stroll through downtown Juneau, including great souvenir shops like Moose-on-the Loose and walked through a salmon processing plant. And no one can leave Juneau before visiting the Red Dog Saloon.

It was a great day in Juneau, Alaska.

Quick Tips:

A good majority of people who visit Juneau are on a cruise and only have a short time to enjoy this wonderful place. Deciding ahead of time what you want to do is important and then make the best of every moment. Juneau is friendly and welcomes visitors; there is no need to be afraid to walk on your own and explore the surroundings.

If you go up Mount Roberts, take along a light jacket. The higher you climb, the colder it gets. The views from Mt. Roberts are spectacular so be sure you have your camera, extra batteries and plenty of film (or large memory cards). Wear good walking shoes.

We found ourselves with a little extra time at the end of the day and found a flight-seeing tour over the Juneau Ice Fields. It was a last minute decision and the one we will always remember.

Best Way To Get Around:

If your arrive via a cruise ship, everything you might want to see and do is within walking distance.

The most “normal” mode of transportation in this area is by air. Alaska, in general, has more private pilots per capita that any other country in the world. The Alaskan Bush Pilots are some of the best pilots in the world. Not only do they move people, they also deliver mail, supplies, and services that keep the small surrounding towns alive.

The Mt. Roberts Tramway took us from the Juneau waterfront (27 feet above sea level) to the Indian Cultural Center (2,000 feet above sea level), in a very short 6 minutes. The cost is $19.75 pp and allowed us to ride the tram all day.

Just outside the Cultural Center the nature walks begin. We began our jaunt through a beautifully wooded area with structured pathways. No matter what your stamina level is, you can easily make this trek. Each turn in this nature trail gave us a new view of the valley below. There are many places to sit and enjoy the scenery along the way. Our favorite place was at a cluster of rocks overlooking the fjords of the Inside Passage. It was a terrific "photo opportunity" and a great place to watch the seaplanes take off for flight seeing tours of the ice fields. It also afforded a view of Admiralty Island, the Glacier Bay area and the Chilkat Mountains. Does the phase "King of the World" ring a bell?

A short distance farther was a wood cross with the sign that read: "Father Brown’s Cross". We could not find any information about Father Brown. As we left Father Brown’s Cross- the sky was the limit. The walking became hiking and the hiking became climbing. We were up high enough to look DOWN into snow and ice filled valleys.

We found a seaplane tour we could not resist. The cost was $98.00 pp and lasted over an hour. Taking off over the water was such a thrill, but seeing the ice field was a jaw-dropping event. We flew just under the low dark clouds that had rolled in during the early afternoon, across mountain peaks and beautiful valleys. The Juneau Icefield is the size of the State of Rhode Island. Unless you have seen this for yourself, words and pictures cannot do it justice. From the air, it looks with a raging river instantly frozen for all time. Sadly, the ice fields will not last forever, since they are retreating at the rate of 3 feet per day. You can see the “flow” as dark streaks through the ice. If you get close enough (which we did) you can see “inside” the ruptured peaks and see the deep blue color.

Everything we wanted to see was within walking distance once we got to the center of town. Of course, everybody wants to see (or been seen) at the Red Dog Saloon!! There are stores and more stores, with great shopping. Souvenirs abound at reasonable prices.

Another favorite spot is the Moose-on-the-Loose, a hugh store where you can easily "get lost". The store owners are well aware of the desire for great photos and have created unique places for tourist to "become a part" of Alaska, such as a large bear with its arms open wide, or a gold miner panning for gold.