3 questions about Juneau; aerial tram, Mendenhall Glacier, & Red Dog Saloon

[DisneyGirlJess]

Juneau is the only city on our upcoming cruise that we don't have shore excursions booked through Carnival. We're only docked in Juneau from 7am-3pm so I have the following questions.

 

- I've seen pictures of an aerial tram in Juneau, does anyone have more information on this? How far from the dock is this aerial tram ride? Does it stop at the top & you can explore or is it just an up&down straight ride? How long would you give to explore this experience?

 

- I heard you can get some "blue bus" out to the Mendenhall Glacier right near the dock. Anyone know or have experiences with this? Does the bus just take you to the banks near the glacier & you look around. Do you have to actually schedule the bus? How long would you give for this experience?

 

- Red Dog Saloon. I read really bad reviews of this place & also rave reviews. Any opinions out there?

[trophy_23]

The tram is very close to the terminal, basically a 5min walk if that. You can go to the top and wander around, catch the show or go for a hike. They have a recovering eagle that is in a cage uptop that is quite amazing to see.

 

The blue bus is just a first come first serve system from what I understand and will take you right to the turn-around near the visitor center at the glacier. The trip to Mendenhall is very worthwhile I would say. The amount of time will depend on whether you want to go for a hike or just walk around the visitor center. A couple hours should be enough, plus travel time.

 

As for the Red Dog, looks like an interesting place, but that is purely based on sticking my head through the door. I have not eaten there or actually gone in.

[dancing lady]

I can only comment on this part of your question. Just returned from our trip and took everyone's advice here on C.C. and didn't book this in advance. We waited till that day, which was absolutely gorgeous and we could see forever from the top. Takes less than 5 minutes to get to the top. We watched the 20 minute film on the Tlinglits, saw the wounded eagle, ate the so-so food, saw the great scenery and took pictures. You could hike but there was still snow on the ground so we didn't do that. Gorgeous day in Juneau.

 

Dancing Lady

[PennyAgain]

From the top of the tram there is a trail that goes up to the observation platform. Not an easy walk if there is still snow or if it has been raining, but a nice view on a clear day.

 

With your short day you can do the glacier and the tram, weather permitting. No food sold out at the glacier.

[drmerwoman]

Juneau was the only place we didn't book an excursion on our Alaska cruise last year. We walked to the tram and it was a very short walk. Quick ride up. As others have mentioned the Eagle they have up there is beautiful. Wear some hiking shoes and explore on your own. My husband and I saw a porcupine in a tree which was really cool and even a bear. The views are amazing from up top. This was one of my favorite days of the week.

Mendenhall glacier we decided to hire a cab and we took their cell number and called when we were ready to be picked up. Made it so much easier!!!

[DisneyGirlJess]

Thank you everybody, that info really helps. Nobody's ever been to Red Dog Saloon?

[AussieVisi2r]

My husband and I saw a porcupine in a tree which was really cool and even a bear.

 

Do Porcupines really climb trees??????

That is one of the animals we really want to see. I would never have thought of looking UP A TREE for one!!! Pick the dumb tourist...

But I suppose you might not know how to look for a Kangaroo...well maybe a Platypus. Kangaroos are easy to see. They are the ones wrapped around the crashed cars.

Raina :o:):o

Australia

[birdylady]

Do Porcupines really climb trees??????

That is one of the animals we really want to see. I would never have thought of looking UP A TREE for one!!! Pick the dumb tourist...

But I suppose you might not know how to look for a Kangaroo...well maybe a Platypus. Kangaroos are easy to see. They are the ones wrapped around the crashed cars.

Raina :o:):o

Australia

LOL Sounds like your Kangeroos are like our Deer. They see to be drawn to cars and trucks.

 

Erika

[ecslady]

Just returned from our cruise. If you go to Mt Robert's Tramway first, they have a combo ticket for the tram and the glacier at $35. That is less than the $27 for the tram and $14 for the blue bus. They have their own "nice" coaches. The bus driver even did a narrrated tour on the way to the glacier. Saved money and didn't have to hassle with getting to the blue bus.

 

Then we walked into town and went to the Red Dog also.

 

Nice Day.:)

[gameluver]

The tram is right at the cruise ship dock. Not a far walk. We did not go up in the tram as we had two other excursions booked. We did take the time to go to the Red Dog Saloon and have a beer or two. We even ate there. The beer was good but we were not impressed with the food or service. We ordered fish and chips. The fish were small and the chips were potato chips, not fries. When we ordered our drinks we ordered the food. The waitress gave us a price that did not include the food. When questioned about the food she said that the fish just arrived by truck and it would take about 5-10 minutes. We think that she forgot to put the order in as she was always sitting down at a table talking to a couple of guys instead of working. I would not eat there again. I would sit at the bar and have another beer though. The beer was good. :)

[Sargent_Schultz]

A treed porcupine!

 

 

The rest of our experience in Juneau (2009) - including the tram

 

Juneau, Sat, May 30 - 9:00am - 11:00pm - Docked { Carnival Spirit (FKL), Seven Seas Mariner (AS) }

Page1 - Intro, Pre-cruise info

Page2 - Scenery approaching Juneau, No Bacon police at this station (with turkey bacon, chicken sausage, etc),

Mount Roberts Tram, Captive Bald Eagle, Bear Can

Page3 - Supper Club, Whale Quest Tour, Humpbacks, Bald Eagle, Humpbacks, Gold Creek Salmon Bake

Page4 - Ship pics, Bubba (CD) & BobbleHeald, Juneau Night pictures

 

 

[bottom-dragger]

Nobody's ever been to Red Dog Saloon?

 

you don't travel to paris to visit euro disney.

[Yukon]

Nobody's ever been to Red Dog Saloon?

 

The Red Dog Saloon is a must-visit! Well it is if you're really into mediocre food, zero service and over-worked waitresses with attitude :)

[Sacramento_Kat]

Ok - we went to the Red Dog Saloon and ate lunch there. But I've never visited Euro Disney when I went to Paris! It is a bit contrived, but we thought a cold beer was nice after all our walking, the halibut and chips were fine (not awesome, but they were good and we liked the fries that came with). And the piano player was decent (again not great, but good). We are people that like to stay off the beaten path and do as much as we can on our own. That being said, we were tired, it was convenient and we wanted to check the place out for ourselves. You know what? Sometimes you know a place is a tourist trap, but it can still be a fun experience (and hey, we were tourists!)! If we had a car, or more time, we would have probably tried to get to somewhere more "authentic", but it was fun for what it was. The place was crowded, but our service was quick and efficient.

 

We took one of the bus shuttles from the dock to Mendenhall (all are $7 each way) and loved it. We were also going to do the tram, but they were booked until later in the day so we ended up skipping it. We did take our time getting off the ship, so if we had not waited until 10am or so to check out the tram, we probably would have had no problem.

[lorilea]

Thank you everybody, that info really helps. Nobody's ever been to Red Dog Saloon?

 

We initially looked in when we went to Juneau last year but wouldn't have actually stayed had our 12 yr old daughter not insisted that we stop for a drink. She had seen pictures when I was researching and really wanted to go. We each had a drink, listened to the piano player and it was kind of a break in our busy day. My daughter loved the place and took pictures of the decor etc.

We didn't eat anything though as we had already eaten at Tracy's King Crab Shack - yummy!

[NPSfan]

Just returned from our cruise. If you go to Mt Robert's Tramway first, they have a combo ticket for the tram and the glacier at $35. That is less than the $27 for the tram and $14 for the blue bus. They have their own "nice" coaches. The bus driver even did a narrrated tour on the way to the glacier. Saved money and didn't have to hassle with getting to the blue bus.

 

Then we walked into town and went to the Red Dog also.

 

Nice Day.:)

 

The combo ticket sounds like a good deal if it's a nice day out. How long did you have at the Glacier? Were there other buses you could take back if you wanted to stay longer?

[NMLady]

Juneau is the only city on our upcoming cruise that we don't have shore excursions booked through Carnival. We're only docked in Juneau from 7am-3pm so I have the following questions.

 

- I've seen pictures of an aerial tram in Juneau, does anyone have more information on this? How far from the dock is this aerial tram ride? Does it stop at the top & you can explore or is it just an up&down straight ride? How long would you give to explore this experience?

 

- I heard you can get some "blue bus" out to the Mendenhall Glacier right near the dock. Anyone know or have experiences with this? Does the bus just take you to the banks near the glacier & you look around. Do you have to actually schedule the bus? How long would you give for this experience?

 

- Red Dog Saloon. I read really bad reviews of this place & also rave reviews. Any opinions out there?

 

I am currently on Amsterdam and it is docked right at the base of the Mt Roberts tram. Weather today is 70degrees. View from top of tram is awesome. There is a nature center there, gift shop, restaurant, hiking trails, and lots of awesome views.

 

Red Dog is a few blocks from there. Okay for a beer, as a touristy stop.

We booked a city tour with M&M tours that visited the city, Mendenhall, Auke lake, and drove out to the beautiful wooded area of St Therese Shrine. The driver Mike was great and the views were awesome. I'd highly recommend them. You can find them through the Juneau website.

 

I"m on Juneau library's internet -- limited to 30 minutes, so am being brief.

[mytime53]

You know what? Sometimes you know a place is a tourist trap, but it can still be a fun experience (and hey, we were tourists!)! .

 

Amen!!!

[R&D'sNona]

We took a helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier and walked around on top of it. It was thrilling - but really expensive.

 

Never did Red Dog Saloon so I can't comment. When we got back, we took the tram up to Mt. Roberts and got great views of our ship. We hiked around a lot but didn't make it to the summit. We also saw the captive bald eagle - take note of Sgt Schultz's FABULOUS photos (thank you Sgt Schultz for sharing.) The eagle only shows her "good eye" in the pictures - the hunter shot the other one. Because she is blind in one eye, she can't hunt and can never be released in the wild. She also has permanent damage to her beak (see the hole?). One thing about Alaska, it really made me feel close to nature like no place we've ever been before or since.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Putterdude]

The Red Dog Saloon is not in its original location, it is in at least its third location and in a completely different locaction then when I was first there in 1963. It is fun and worth a visit to, however, it is touristy and don't expect to find a table or have great service when there are 6,000 to 8,000 people from cruise ships in town on any given day.

[DisneyGirlJess]

Thanks guys for the advice. I knew nothing about the Red Dog Saloon, that's why I was asking. I have two scottie dogs so I am always attracted to that image, if it's a crappy restaurant I won't go. I was just curious.

[tee_harbor]

If we had a car, or more time, we would have probably tried to get to somewhere more "authentic", but it was fun for what it was. The place was crowded, but our service was quick and efficient.

 

We haven't quite given all of our downtown over to tourist clip joints. There's several good local eateries within walking distance of the docks.

 

However, in the interest of full disclosure, bad food and service isn't just reserved for tourists. I continue to be amazed at how bad service can be and the odd things that have appeared on my plate.

[ladycanuck]

We did all 3 of your questions. We were in Juneau August/02 (going back this September). We took the Mt. Robers tram (I think it was about $25 each) and because our day was nothing but blue sky, we could see forever. There are trails at the top to wander around and go even higher. We didn't eat but did watch the movie. Then we came down and took the bus to Mendenhall Glacier and again, there are beautiful trails to walk through. There was a mother bear and cubs that we stayed far away from, but amazing how many people think they are there to be fed by tourists!! It will be interesting to see how much of the glacier has melted since our last visit. Once back in town, we went to the Red Dog Saloon. It was a hoot! We didn't eat (why bother when such wonderful food awaits onboard) but did have a beer, and stayed for over an hour because the piano player was so entertaining. Go in, sit down, order a beer and keep looking around. This September we are going to golf - the local course has $30 offer, 9 holes, pull cart and rental clubs, and a certificate of participation on completion. Hopefully we have nice weather - you never know. (we are mid-60s age).

[DisneyGirlJess]

We haven't quite given all of our downtown over to tourist clip joints. There's several good local eateries within walking distance of the docks.

 

Can you suggest some names? :)

[Ron AKA]

The tram is very close. You can't miss it. Avoid the white Juneau Tours buses to the glacier. They are the booth on the left before you get to the tram. They overbook their dilapidated buses. The Mighty Great Tours buses which are light blue and you find them right down by the tram looked better.

 

The glacier and information center are great. Don't miss it. I would suggest this is by far the main attraction of Juneau.

 

The Red Dog Inn is worth a visit, a drink, and a few photos. Don't forget to get a photo of Wyatt Earp's gun hung up over the bar.