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You think we could present that as evidence when we enter a "guilty with reasonable cause" plea after sinking a couple of big ole floaters? I liked the one that ran into an iceburg...
If you don't think you can handle wading through 11 pages, here's the highlights... I'd still read through it when you get time, it's chock full of linkies and pics.
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Originally Posted by DannyL
in juneau, by all means, team up with some other folks, hire a cab/van (6 can ride for the price of one) and go see the glacier. great photo op, and worth it.
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Originally Posted by Xa'at
I'm going to respectfully disagree with Danny, here. In the summer the glacier is always packed with people and YES, it's cool, but you will probably see other glaciers along the way so it's not very original.
Myself, I'm a fan of things that are free, so I offer up this small list of things you can do here that are without charge (or very cheap). Hike Mount Roberts
The trailhead is within walking distance of the cruise ships. It takes about an hour to two hours, depending on how good shape you are in. Not very many people do it, so it's usually quiet and you can see some cool wildlife, plus excellent views of Juneau. There is a ton of stuff at the top to do, some interpretive videos, the Juneau Raptor Center usually has an exhibit, plus a restaurant and some more hiking trails. You can take the tram back down the mountain, it takes only a few minutes, basically for free. Technically you're supposed to pay 5 dollars for the ride down, or spend 5 dollars and show a receipt, but they never check. Mendenhall Wetland Trail This is a fun little trail that winds around the airport and into the wetlands. It used to be that everyone walked their dog there but never cleaned up, earning it the nick "Dog Poop Trail" (we're very creative folks ). Although laws now require you to clean up after your dog, the name has stuck for long time Juneauites. It's very easy to walk, no incline to speak of, and has some great views of the mountains, channel, and glacier. If you happen to time it right, you can experience possibly the coolest thing Juneau has to offer: almost getting run over by an Alaska airlines jet. Yes, it sounds scary, but it's not. The trail is situated so planes inbound from and outbound to Anchorage go right over it at a very low altitude. It's not dangerous or anything, but it is very exhilarating!
Ach, I had one more but now I forgot. I will remember tomorrow.
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Originally Posted by Xa'at
If you want to shop, we have some good locally owned places...
"Once in a Blue Moose" replaced Galli, pretty much the same thing. High quality versions of cheap tourist crap!
Annie Kail's Gallery has tons of funky stuff, definitely recommended.
Shoefly, full of shoes, including stylish rubber boots!
Alaska Nepal, asian inspired clothing and decorations.
Bohème has some nice women's clothing, albeit expensive.
Chico's is good too, some men's stuff too.
For eating, you really can't go wrong with a coffee at Heritage Coffee and a super cinammon bagel from Silverbow. Paradise Bakery has good stuff too, look for their chicken panini. Yum.
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Originally Posted by cobolt
I will second Xa'at's Silverbow recommendation. I love that place and I make it my morning habit whenever I"m in Juneau. Please take advantage of the close proximity of quality trails to downtown Juneau. The Perseverence Trail is another good one. Lots of old mining relics on the way and cool side trails...nice cool water, fresh smells, just beautiful. You can always either take the bus or just walk across the Douglas Bridge to Douglas Island and hike the Treadwell Trail which is another historical trail...pretty easy and nice or if you're adventurous, there are Mt Bradley/Mt Jumbo on Douglas...you get some cool views of the canal and cruise ships.
When I was in Juneau last summer I met a woman who wanted off the beaten path....I met her at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.....so I took her on a hike to the actual glacier ice caves. We met a couple there on the hike who were on one of those cruise ships with their parents (the parents opted to stay in town). The couple said that at every port, they got off the ship and broke from the crowd and found a place to hike or explore while their parents and all the other white tennis shoe tourons raided the trinket shops. This couple said "Every time we return to the cruise ship, we would be dirty and ruffled up from our hikes, but we had a great time and great pictures to show. Everyone on the ship thought we were crazy." See THAT is where the real gold is....Getting out there.
Happy Trails!!!
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Originally Posted by Xa'at
If I wanted to spend a day "doing Juneau", this is what I would do:
6A- disembark boat, walk to Silverbow Bakery for breakfast
8A- Hike mount Roberts
11A-order take out lunch at "Timberline Grill" (about 3/4 of the way to the top) then continue up mountain. Picnic at summit.
2P- take tram down mountain.
2:30P- Walk to the better shops (the ones I listed earlier). Stop at AK Fudge Company for snack along the way.
4P - Get on a bus bound for the Mendenhall glacier
6P- Return downtown. Dinner at Pizzeria Roma in the merchant wharf, dessert at Chilkat Cones (ice cream parlor where they make their own waffle cones fresh)
8-9P board boat
Keep in mind that it's going to be light the entire time you're here, though it may be a little gray depending on the usually drizzly weather.
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Originally Posted by Xa'at
Okay, first of all- Juneau weather. Yes, it's often gray in the summer. Coming in the winter is really a lot nicer, in January it's often clear. You are most likely to get a nice day in August, but it's a roulette. Two weeks without a single sunny day is rare- I like to plan for at least one a week. Sometimes I'm pleasently surprised, but I'm rarely disappointed!
Pizzaria Roma = Best pizza place ever. It's a point of contention in my family whether Pizzaria or Island Pub (in douglas) is best, but there's not really a comparison. Island Pub's pizzas are nothing to write home about it, although their steak sandwiches are the stuff of legends... or so I hear. Xa'at is meatless, as they say. Pizzaria's pizzas are incredible, but they are pretty slow. Try to get a place upstairs, it's usually a lot quieter up there, but it is HOT! Something about poor ventilation. Usually they open the windows in the summer.
Barkingowl- glad to hear you like my plan! It will not disappoint. I'd like to make one alteration, though. Instead of taking a tour bus to the glacier, spend a little bit more and get a local cab (not one of the tour van ones). The drivers are local and they often love to tell you all sorts of off the beaten path stuff about our fair city. Tell 'em a local sent you.
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Originally Posted by Metlakatla
I wish I could tell you somewhere decent to go in Skagway but...I can't. There was an old Alaska bar there called Moe's but next season it'll be a freakin' jewelry store. The Alaska Gourmet cafe was good last summer but the whole damn town bloats up with tourons so bad during the season that even that place isn't at it's best. I loved the Eastern European students students who worked there though...one old bat just about got a piece of Metla when she was harassing this little server girl...yelling at the kid for something really stupid, I can't recall what, but just being a total jerk to this girl. I gave her the old icy Metla stare, and a man at the next table I'd been talking with who was from Fairbanks did the same thing; he was pissed about it too. This poor kid was crying. None of the tourons even lowered their feedbags. I f-ing hate tourons, especially the ones off the ships except for Karla.
Skagway though is geographically beautiful. I've always liked it because it's where the Tongass meets the very beginning of the boreal forests of the north. Even though it's a touron thing, the White Pass rail trip is enthralling. Just bring a little something in a brown paper bag and a pair of earplugs (so you don't have to listen to the tourons squawk) and you'll have a great time.
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Originally Posted by Xa'at
Most of the stores owned by real locals are marked as such, but the outsiders are sneaky. All the names I gave you are locally owned.
Do not wear those disgusting garbage bags they give you. Bring a couple of pairs of jeans, a nice pair of hiking boots, turtlenecks, etc. If you feel you must wear a coat, a fleece jacket or hoodie is the outerwear of choice. An umbrella is acceptable, but you will be instantly marked as a tourist. Bring a real camera, not one of those disposable things.
Please, please, please, do not wear white tennys.
You think we could present that as evidence when we enter a "guilty with reasonable cause" plea after sinking a couple of big ole floaters? I liked the one that ran into an iceburg...
Whoops. Did I say the fecal matter found in the waters here was around 100 times the federal standard? I underestimated.
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Norwegian Sky
Discharged black water (sewage) for 20 to 30 minutes (meaning a waste stream of up to three-quarters of a mile) while the vessel was en route from Juneau to Ketchikan and within 3 miles of the Alexander Archipelago. Fecal coliform counts were 3500 times the allowable federal standard and total suspended solids 180 times the standard.
Whoops. Did I say the fecal matter found in the waters here was around 100 times the federal standard? I underestimated.
Before Boston cleaned up its harbor late last century, I believe the fecal counts were well beyond the ones you listed. The harbor was closed to bathers. Yet every morning when I rode the T into school I could see the local beaches packed with children splashing happily in the fecal blooms...
Sometimes I wonder what happened to those kids.
Met are we still going to be able to meet in August?
Most definitely so, it seems. Just let me know when and where. I just became the new head of the family salmon processing business...so much for rotation jobs. I can be in Ketchikan to meet up with you pretty much whenever.
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