Do you know Juneau? (Juneau (Alaska))

Member Name: jo@145

Product:	Juneau (Alaska)
Date:	10/10/08 (165 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very organised to deal with large numbers of tourists, but things are still unspoilt.

Disadvantages: Only accessible by boat or plane

Do you know a state capital where there are no roads in and out? You can only reach it by boat or plane? Well I do! Juneau is the state capital of Alaska and I was lucky enough to have a short visit there this summer.

I was on a cruise to Alaska and this was the third town we had visited, some houses were along the edge of the Gastineau Channel with steep mountains rising behind them, as the misty morning cleared - it was only 6.30am after all, we saw the main town at the head of channel and saw that other cruise ships had also docked. Juneau is the third largest city in the state, and has a population of about 30,000 but on days the cruise ships dock this can rise by over 12,000. It is estimated that a million visitors arrive each summer. But although the shopping street is busy, there are so many trips organised that you can still find space to enjoy the beauty of Juneau and the surrounding area. There are dozens of coaches, which all have to be transported in by ferry and everything was well organised, I had chosen to visit the Glacial gardens and then the Mendenhall Glacier.

The best views of Juneau are supposed to be from the air, but the day we arrived the weather changed and the helicopter trips were cancelled, in fact the mist came down so thickly plus heavy rain that the top of Mount Robert disappeared so the gondolas couldn't be seen as they rose up the mountain.

Juneau was named after a gold prospector called Joe Juneau, he and other men were shown the gold by a local Tlingit chief, the name of the town used to be Dzántik'i Héeni, which means River where the flounders gather. Downtown Juneau is at sea level, and the mountains rise to 3,500 - 4,000 feet at the top of these mountains is the Juneau Icefield, a large ice mass from which many glaciers flow.

*The Mendenhall Glacier*
The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12km from downtown Juneau, in the Tongrass National Forest, and worryingly it is retreating very quickly. There are plenty of walks around the area, but one path was closed because of Brown Bear activity, in fact we could just see the bear in the river looking for salmon. We were lucky enough to see the glacier "Calving" - when pieces break off, with a sound like thunder, some of the pieces are very blue and were floating towards us in the lake.

The visitor centre is disabled friendly and has a great view of the glacier. The cost is only $3 during the summer and free from October to April, but the weather would be so cold, no tourists go then! and outside it is free. The video is very informative and there are lots of exhibits to see. Eating outside is not encouraged because of the bears.

*Mendenhall Glacial Gardens*
We arrived at the gardens about 8.00am and had the pleasure of watching the eagles flying around and landing in their nests. Waterfalls, ponds and flowers were so beautiful and unexpected. The guides were well informed and after admiring the most unusual display of flowers in upturned trees which had slid down the mountain in a landslide we were directed to an area where we climbed into golf carts and were transported along narrow twisting roads through the rainforest to 580ft up Thunder Mountain, where we could look around the valley and see the river and small airport. The flowers soon disappeared and only natural plants and trees grew at the higher levels, salmonberries, huckleberries and blueberries were all ripe, mosses, lichen and ferns flourished. At the higher level there were alpine plants growing.

Once we reached the lower levels there was a large glass covered area with beautiful hanging baskets, toilets, small café and a shop. Our visit was an organised tour but it costs $21.95 entry for adulta and $15.95 for children. Buses leave Downtown Juneau every 30 minutes to take people to the gardens and glacier.

*Mount Roberts Tramway*
Not far from the town centre the Tramway has large gondolas transporting people 1,800ft up Mount Roberts. The cost is $24.95 for adults and $13.50 for children and
Allows unlimited rides, but as it was raining and the mist so thick we only paused to watch the gondolas operating. There is a restaurant at the top and some displays about Bald eagles. A film tells the visitors about the native Tlingits and often there are demonstrations on local crafts, especially wood and sewn items. Open from May to september from 8.00am - 9.00pm.

*Walking around Juneau*
Allow about an hour to do a quick walk around the town, you can see the Governor's house with its Totem Pole, the Douglas Musuem with a film and photos about earlier days. The main shopping street is North Franklin Street, where there are lots of shops selling gold and jewellry and lots of tourist items. Walking away from the main street, up steep streets you can find lovely views and peace to enjoy them.

*Juneau Airport*
They proudly say the International Airport as they have one flight a week from Canada. People living in other towns fly into Juneau to visit the doctor or get their haircut, many fly out to Seattle for a change of scenery and to experience a more exciting life, but to me seeing a bear near the main street would be exciting enough!


*Weather*
Average rainfall can be between 55ins and 90 ins, and snowfall is 101 ins. We experienced heavy rain in August, but it wasn't cold. The temperature in summer is about 18C at best, although this summer has been shorter as the snow lasted longer and it has been very wet. In january it can be -7C, which explains why no cruise ships travel to Alaska in winter.

*Other tours*
Depending on the weather it is possible to go dog sledding, mountain zip and Rainforest bike rides, fishing, whale watching, helicopter trips over the glaciers, sea kayaking, gold panning, salmon fishing and cooking, in fact enough things to fill a week, unfortunately we only had 8 or 9 hours, but there were hotels to stay in for people who had arrived by air or ferry.

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Summary: Alaska capital, with lots to do.