Juneau by rental car?

[PennStateMom]

Can anyone recommend some sites to see around Juneau if we are able to drive?  We are planning a visit to the Mendenhall  Glacier Visitor’s Center and have a car reserved for the day. We are doing whale watching in other ports and flight tours are too pricey for our budget. Open to suggestions!  Thank you!

[AKStafford]

The Shrine of St. Therese is nice and so is the drive: https://www.shrineofsainttherese.org/

[dfilpus]

This has been discussed at 

 

[swdke]

On 2/25/2023 at 3:17 PM, PennStateMom said:

Can anyone recommend some sites to see around Juneau if we are able to drive?  We are planning a visit to the Mendenhall  Glacier Visitor’s Center and have a car reserved for the day. We are doing whale watching in other ports and flight tours are too pricey for our budget. Open to suggestions!  Thank you!

Where are you renting your car from? Thanks 

[Coram]

2 minutes ago, swdke said:

Where are you renting your car from? Thanks 

We rented a car in Juneau.  You can easily drive the whole length of the road north and south of Juneau.  If you drive all the way north there is a good chance that you will see whales from the road.

[swdke]

1 minute ago, Coram said:

We rented a car in Juneau.  You can easily drive the whole length of the road north and south of Juneau.  If you drive all the way north there is a good chance that you will see whales from the road.

Where did you pick up and rent your car from?  Thanks 

[Coram]

15 minutes ago, swdke said:

Where did you pick up and rent your car from?  Thanks 

I want to say it was Alamo, but it hasn't been since 2016.  The rental place is within walking distance of the ship dock.  I would make reservations sooner than later though.

[wolfie11]

Halibut and chips at the Sand Bar, Eagle Beach, University of Alaska Southeast campus, Douglas Island, Eaglecrest ski area, Skater's Cabin on Mendenhall Lake, West Glacier trail, hiking trails around the airport, photo stop on main road for Mendenhall Glacier, Friends of the Library used book store, Governor's mansion, ugliest capitol building in the US

[CRUZBUDS]

I had to Google the picture of the capitol building -- I figured you may have been exaggerating a bit  - you are right - that is the least impressive of any of the state capitol buildings we've seen.  Maybe Alaska spends their money on more important things  😉

[wolfie11]

8 minutes ago, CRUZBUDS said:

I had to Google the picture of the capitol building -- I figured you may have been exaggerating a bit  - you are right - that is the least impressive of any of the state capitol buildings we've seen.  Maybe Alaska spends their money on more important things  😉

Yes, lobbying

[Northern Aurora]

On 3/20/2023 at 1:28 PM, CRUZBUDS said:

I had to Google the picture of the capitol building -- I figured you may have been exaggerating a bit  - you are right - that is the least impressive of any of the state capitol buildings we've seen.  Maybe Alaska spends their money on more important things  😉

I is “officially” the ugliest state capitol as the result of a public vote held across the country.  And it is not interesting inside either.  At best is functional.

[jeromep]

4 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

I is “officially” the ugliest state capitol as the result of a public vote held across the country.  And it is not interesting inside either.  At best is functional.

As all government buildings should be... functional.

 

On 2/25/2023 at 12:49 PM, AKStafford said:

The Shrine of St. Therese is nice and so is the drive: https://www.shrineofsainttherese.org/

It is a beautiful drive, and a beautiful location  We visited there the last time we were in Juneau, it feels like eons ago.  If it weren't for friends we were cursing with, I doubt we would have made it there since it is not on any of the organized tours.  We did have a snafu with our rental car, or rather their rental car.  Supposedly they booked it for 8am, like when we were able to get off the ship, but they went to the rental car center and they were closed.  We waited around on the dock in a junk shop for an hour and a half until our friends finally arrived with a convertible (yes a convertible Mustang, in Juneau, on a typical foggy, misty day there); which they eventually got when the rental car office opened.  Not sure where the miscommunication was there.

 

I don't have first hand experience renting cars in Juneau, but I do have some experience driving out to the shrine and visiting it.

 

When our daughter was born we named her after St. Therese, whom the shrine is in honor of.

[Living the Dream 67]

On one of my cruises, I rented a car in Juneau and it was a very nice day.  I think there are two rental companies close to the port, one local and one a national.  I'd stick with the national as I had a bit of an issue or miscommunication with the local one many years back.  

 

As for the drive, I would recommend driving up to NOAA.  They do a nice free and interesting tour.  I would also go to St. Therese Shrine.  It is absolutely beautiful, a place I said I would get married at if I were ever to do that.  Alaskan Brewing Company is always fun for tasting and hanging out.  Of course Mendenhall Glacier visit is on the list.  I'd get in a 1 - 2 mile hike either at Mendenhall or another location. Also there is the Alaska State Museum.   Depending on the time of year, Glacier Gardens can be pretty.  All in, renting a car for $100 for the day was a very nice day and one I would recommend.  

[Glaciers]

If you are going early in the season there can be black bears along the road north towards the Shrine of St Therese eating dandelions. The hatchery began dumping fish at the shrine years ago and there are sometimes humpbacks closer to shore in that area.

[dfilpus]

We saw marmots on the causeway out to the Shrine of Ste. Therese. Marmots normally live up in the mountains, but for some reason, a small population has moved down to sea level. There was a display on the research into this phenomenon at the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

 

[erienetuser]

On 3/21/2023 at 3:49 AM, jeromep said:

If it weren't for friends we were cursing with,

 

 

I want friends like that lol

[erienetuser]

The only car company I see near the port is Avis and they want $240 for the day. The airport location is much cheaper but it seems like I'd either have to  take an Uber or a bus to get there and back. How are you handling the logistics  of renting a car?

[jean87510]

On 3/22/2023 at 6:13 AM, erienetuser said:

The only car company I see near the port is Avis and they want $240 for the day. The airport location is much cheaper but it seems like I'd either have to  take an Uber or a bus to get there and back. How are you handling the logistics  of renting a car?

I'd try Turo.  It's like Airbnb for cars.