What should I do in Juneau and Skagway

[DT1304]

I have a day in Juneau (7am to 8:30pm) and a day in Skagway (7am to 4:30pm)

 

My DW is not keen on doing the White Pass rail because we will be travelling by train from Seward to Anchorage a few days later and she reckons the kids (12, 10 and 6) will be bored on a scenic railway.

 

We already have dog sled and whale watching booked at other ports.

 

We are keen to go to a salmon bake. Which out of Gold Creek Salmon Bake in Juneau or Liarsville Salmon bake in Skagway? I am leaning towards Liarsville, because that would free up time in Juneau to go to Red Dog Saloon.

 

I also know Mendenhall Glacier is a must see, but my DW reckons we will have seen enough Glaciers on our cruise, and are also heading to Hubbard Glacier the next day anyway.

 

I am also keen on a zipline excursion, but then would have to leave my DW and youngest daughter out as she does not meet the minimum weight requirements. That is not an issue as they are happy to do their own thing, but which zipline excursion is better for a 10 and 12 year old?

 

I know there are heaps of questions here, and everyone has different interests so it is tough to answer, but any advise would be appreciated. These are the last 2 ports I need to plan excursions, and then the real countdown can begin.

[donaldsc]

I have a day in Juneau (7am to 8:30pm) and a day in Skagway (7am to 4:30pm)

 

My DW is not keen on doing the White Pass rail because we will be travelling by train from Seward to Anchorage a few days later and she reckons the kids (12, 10 and 6) will be bored on a scenic railway.

 

.

 

In Skagway, there is a place that you can do gold panning. It is a bit hokey and the dirty is obviously salted but you and especially your kids will have fun. What you then do it to pool all your gold and they put it into a locket or bracelet. My grandaughter really enjoyed it. We also did gold panning in Ketchikan and between both spots and the 3 of us, we got maybe $100 worth of gold which GD wears proudly.

 

DON

[bonvoyagie]

Here is a web site that might give you some more ideas - remember there are other things to do besides the ships tours as well as independent tours that do a better job - often times for less $ - this is true in ALL AK ports.

 

http://cruiseportinsider.com/index.html

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I cruised on the Radiance last year and did a "Live" report. My description of Juneau begins around post #60. There are pictures of the Glacier at mendenhall abd then of the Hubbard Glacier. You can see it is not the same experience/views.

 

The Mendenhall Glacier would likely give your kids some space to hike and to get pretty close to the glacier. We even saw a mother bear and her two cubs. I got pics.:)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1697232

 

PS--there are views of the Radiance beginning at post # 30. The review bfore that deals with Vancouver.

[rayliang]

if you have car rental in Juneau, I would suggest go to the "Last Chance Museum" to see some old mining stuff. You will also find locals in the creek actually panning for gold.

 

Personally I'd say don't bother w/ Red Dog Saloon, as it be crowded and seriously hokey, IMO. Go instead to the AK Legislature building, which I enjoyed alot

[DT1304]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

I have narrowed down my choices. Will make final decision in a few days.

 

Dragon.....I have read your review a few times. Loved it. and loved your pics. I am also staying in vancouver for a few days pre cruise so that part of your review helped me too.

[Budget Queen]

I have a day in Juneau (7am to 8:30pm) and a day in Skagway (7am to 4:30pm)

 

My DW is not keen on doing the White Pass rail because we will be travelling by train from Seward to Anchorage a few days later and she reckons the kids (12, 10 and 6) will be bored on a scenic railway.

 

We already have dog sled and whale watching booked at other ports.

 

We are keen to go to a salmon bake. Which out of Gold Creek Salmon Bake in Juneau or Liarsville Salmon bake in Skagway? I am leaning towards Liarsville, because that would free up time in Juneau to go to Red Dog Saloon.

 

I also know Mendenhall Glacier is a must see, but my DW reckons we will have seen enough Glaciers on our cruise, and are also heading to Hubbard Glacier the next day anyway.

 

I am also keen on a zipline excursion, but then would have to leave my DW and youngest daughter out as she does not meet the minimum weight requirements. That is not an issue as they are happy to do their own thing, but which zipline excursion is better for a 10 and 12 year old?

 

I know there are heaps of questions here, and everyone has different interests so it is tough to answer, but any advise would be appreciated. These are the last 2 ports I need to plan excursions, and then the real countdown can begin.

 

Only advice I will offer- split up. :)

[DT1304]

Only advice I will offer- split up. :)

 

I assume you mean on this trip, and not permanently? ;)

[vbmom87]

I definitely think differently about Alaska than your wife. I simply cannot get enough of glaciers and scenic areas. That is the main reason I went to Alaska. However, we do all have different priorities and you are wise to seek out some other options.

 

I agree that two train rides MIGHT be too much for the children. Skagway has a ranger guided hike you might enjoy.

 

http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/index.htm (look on the right for the link for the tours)

 

There is also the Glacier Wilderness Safari in Skagway that gets great reviews. It would be pricy though for a family of five. At least in the past, it has only been available through the cruise ships.

 

Here is a link for some hiking trails in Skagway:

 

http://www.skagway.com/skagwaytrailmap.pdf

 

Mention to your wife that you never know how close you will get to Hubbard Glacier, nor do you know if it will be locked in with fog. She may want to reconsider a stop at Mendenhall. There is a great visitor center and some easy hiking trails.

 

Here is a link for an old thread with ideas of what to do in Juneau if you are open to renting a car:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1649874

 

Your children might like to see the Patsy Ann statue if you explain its significance:

 

http://patsyann.com/story/index.htm

 

Another resource for Juneau:

 

http://www.traveljuneau.com/

 

Good luck with your plans and let us know what you decide to do.

[JimAOk1945]

You will have a great time on the Radiance. My wife and I were on that ship last August. We took the southbound route from Seward to Vancouver. It was an awesome cruise.

 

We had great weather for most of the cruise, even in Ketchikan which gets a lot of rain. It drizzled a little the day we were in Juneau, but by afternoon the sun came out. The only time we had cold weather was when we sailed into the area where the Hubbard Glacier is located. Most of the time, we didn't need a jacket because the weather was mild and sunny.

 

In Juneau we went on a ship sponsored whale watching excursion and in Skagway, we did a ship sponsored bus ride tour up into the Yukon and back. Both tours were great.

 

My wife made a slideshows from the pictures she took on our cruise and posted them on her website. If you are interested in seeing them you can click on the link below. Each slideshow will play as soon as the page opens, but you can also go through the pictures by clicking on the thumbnails one at a time.

 

Here is the link http://nancysoasis.com/alaska2012/alaska2012.html

 

Happy Sailing. It's a great way to see the world!

[DT1304]

Thanks vbmom and all the rest of you for your comments.

 

I will check that out and let you know in the next few days what I have booked