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Day 1

To reduce anxiety caused by possible flight delays, we arrive in Juneau, Alaska, 48 hours before our cruise sets sail.

Exiting the airport, we are struck by the gorgeous mountains.

The hotel we are staying at provides airport pickup.

The driver loads our bags into the back of the van, and we are off.

As we make our way to the hotel, we receive lots of useful information about Juneau.

When people asked us what our next trip was, and we said,

“Alaska,” no one responded,

“Alaska, I never want to go there.”

It seems that everyone has Alaska on their bucketlist, even those who have no bucketlist. With this being the case, people start planning their dream Alaska trip well in advance. At least a year in advance. We didn’t start planning until 6 months before our trip, and the choice of accommodations had already dwindled.

The Drifwood Hotel isn’t fancy, but it has everything we need. A clean, comfy, room to sleep in, and location.

We drop our bags in our room, then take the short walk to Juneau’s waterfront.

I wanted to eat at The Alaska Fish and Chips Company, more for the view than the food. Fortunately both impress.

The fish is light and flaky. The breading isn’t too heavy. The thin fries are crisp. My meal is made even better by an Icy Bay IPA from the Alaska Brewing Company.

After dinner, we take a brief walk, then head back to the hotel to sleep off a long day of travel.

Day 2

The night before I scoped out a cute looking coffee place.

As morning clouds roll slowly through the mountains, we caffeinate in preparation for our Juneau Food Tour (will write about the Juneau Food Tour in the next post).

The Juneau Food Tour ends at the Alaska Hotel. On our tour guide’s advice, we take the quick walk to the Amalga Gin Distillery.

After giving the gin a sample, we order one of the distillery’s cocktails.

Reminding ourselves that we aren’t on a schedule, and have no where to be, we take our time sipping our drinks, enjoying Amalga’s bright, happy, atmosphere.

I have been Instagram friends with Tanja well before we planned our trip to Alaksa. Tanja owns a fantastic store in Juneau called, Caribou Crossings. We stop in the store to choose an Alaska Christmas ornament to take home. There are multiple ornament displays, making the choosing pleasantly difficult.

We talk to several of the store’s staff, including the lovely Madison. I also get to meet Tanja in person.

Tanja is so friendly and kind. She gives us invaluable information concerning where to eat and what activities we could squeeze in during our short time in Juneau. If you visit Juneau, be sure to pick up some great Made in Alaska items at Caribou Crossings.

Though the price seems a bit high, the Mt. Roberts Tramway is one of the obligatory things to do in Juneau, so we hand over our cash, and step into the hanging red box.

We are immediately excited by the stunning views,

that get even better as we exit the tram car to wander around the mountain.

The soaring trees and fresh air call our names, so we embark on a hike.

It quickly becomes clear that we are hiking up the mountain.

Soon, I find that due to my Pulmonary Hypertension, I have to stop and take a break. A few breaks later, we come upon a pretty lookout point.

There’s a waterfall off in the distance, the sound of rushing water somewhere below, and green as far as the eye can see.

The feeling of being immersed in nature is intoxicating. I know it’s a taste of what is to come.

I admit that I’m not up for the frustrating challenge of climbing up the rest of the trail, so we reverse course and enjoy the downhill trek. I’m happy we decided to do the tram.

While researching for our Alaska trip, I read a lot of comments stating that Tracy’s King Crab Shack was a tourist trap. After getting a taste of their offerings during our food tour, we elect to have dinner at Tracy’s. It felt like we couldn’t say that we really did Alaska without eating at least one King crab leg.

We each get one crab leg and one cup of crab bisque. We get an order of crab cakes to share, cole slaw, and our meal comes with Tracy’s signature, melted butter and garlic rolls.

Not being regular eaters of crab legs, anyone around us would be quite entertained as we awkwardly hack at our legs.

All of our food is delicious, and the atmosphere is energetic and cheerful. Tracy’s is a fun time. It’s a good lesson that sometimes it’s good to take internet comments with a grain of salt.

The rest of the evening is spent just milling about. We find the fish that constantly jump out of the water to be endlessly entertaining. The water and mountain views create a sense of calm that makes our cubicle lives back home, seem worlds away.

Day 3

After checking out of the Driftwood Hotel, we drop our bags off at Uncruise’s hospitality center.

Since we don’t have to be back until 4:45pm, we have one more day to enjoy Juneau.

Evidenced by the line that is in place before it even opens, The Rookery Cafe, is a popular breakfast spot.

The lattes are large and go down smoothly. The tots have a delightful crunch.

We have every intention to take the hike that Tanja recommended, but after lingering a little too long over our lattes, and noticing the beginnings of a rainy day, the hike idea is abandoned.

Knowing of the week of physical activity ahead, strolling along the waterfront seems the best way to spend our last few hours.

Approaching the waterfront, we’re jolted to attention. Although there were a few large cruise ships in port during our stay, the crowds remained low. Today, there are multiple gigantic cruise ships in port. Large, looming, floating cities, expel their human loads.

In the water, the fish gleefully jump. A couple of seals swim about. The drizzly weather casts lazy clouds into the tree filled mountains. The nature remains alluring, but we can’t recapture the relaxed vibes we enjoyed the past two days.

The atmosphere feels chaotic, as numerous cruise ship passengers, buzz about like bees, searching for flowers to consume.

No one takes time out to watch the fish or breath in the view.

Our last meal in Juneau is Deckhand Dave’s Sockeye Salmon and Chips. It’s glorious. I fear it will ruin me for future salmon.

Finally, it’s time to return to Uncruise’s hospitality area and prepare to go into the wild.

Juneau was the perfect place to ease us into Alaska.

The scenery is pretty, the food and drinks are yummy, and the locals are friendly and kind.

Places to Stay Before your Alaska Cruise and/or while visiting Juneau, Alaska 

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