Juneau to Skagway

The rain may have caught us in Juneau but it wasn’t really miserable.   We were a little worried in the morning because the clouds were dark and it was raining then.  However, it didn’t rain all day.   It was an off and on shower.  We also had plenty dry periods with just cloudy skies.   The day worked out perfectly or at least as close to perfect as it could without the sun shining.

We loved the hotel and that’s a good thing.  Their shuttle services saved us big bucks and also saved us from stressing about transportation since their drivers were available for rides downtown, the ferry, airport or even restaurants.  Juneau is one of those towns with a lot to see and do.  Had we planned more time, we had a list of a few more things we would have liked to do.

There were three large cruise ships in Juneau and lots of people wandering around but the town didn't seem overly crowded.  However, we were pretty lucky to miss most of the mess.  One of the first things we decided to do was wander around where the cruise ships  were.  

After walking around the cruise ships we purchased tickets on the Blue Bus to take us the short distance to the Mendenhall Glacier.  It’s not everywhere that they have glaciers and that one we wanted to see.  I’m not sure the Blue Bus was the best option but there were lots of tour companies with all kinds of prices for getting to the glacier.  This worked for us.  We were also glad we went early because as we were leaving quite a few buses started pulling in stuffed with people from the ships.

Our timing was wrong for the bears catching salmon under the walkway. We were a few weeks too early. 

It seems our timing was wrong on a few other things too.  However, what can you say when you plan a trip on a moment’s notice and don’t want to wait?  That doesn't mean we won't try again.

  

We absolutely loved this area of Alaska.

There was a lot to see in Juneau.  What a great little town that is.  When dinner time rolled around we stopped at The Hangar at the Wharf.  I had a combo plate of fantastic salmon and halibut.  Now that’s the type of food you expect to find in Alaska !  It was amazing too.

Clouds hung around a good portion of the day but we were dressed for the weather and didn’t really get too wet or too cold.  Being out early meant we had a full day.  We even saw tons of eagles as our Blue Bus whizzed past them.  That wasn’t exactly what we had in mind regarding looking for the eagles.

Wyatt Earp traveled to Alaska on a steamship.  He was required to check his gun while in town.  However, he never stopped back to pick it up and you can now see it at the Red Dog Saloon.   This saloon is a pretty big attraction.  However, it’s not the original one.  The current saloon is a fairly new build.

We also stopped and watched workers prepare smoked salmon to sell.  There were free samples but those samples were pretty small.  The good thing was I got one sample for me and Terry got one sample for me.

The day went fast and eventually it was time to head towards the ferry terminal. We caught the shuttle back to the hotel where we had checked our bags.  Once the bags were collected, the hotel driver drove us to the ferry dock which was about 13 miles from the town area of Juneau.   

We were glad to see our ferry was in port and waiting for us.  Well, not just us but waiting for others too.  

We had booked an outside cabin with full facilities (aka a full bathroom).  Yes, these ferries do have cabins.  

They also offer comfortable lounges and a cafeteria.

The ferry wasn’t full but it was very late at night for this one and early in the season.   We love, love the ferry .... 

We discovered we were being followed into Skagway …….  This was a port we had looked forward to but soon discovered we preferred Juneau to Skagway … more to come on that. 

  Previous blog is here  ........   Arrival in Alaska - Part I

‘Tis life on the road.