Juneau Alaska
Come rain or sunshine, this picturesque Alaskan capital city is as beautiful as they come.
Juneau Alaska
Come rain or sunshine, this picturesque Alaskan capital city is as beautiful as they come.
Juneau Alaska
Come rain or sunshine, this picturesque Alaskan capital city is as beautiful as they come.
Juneau
Located in the heart of southeast Alaska's Inside Passage, Juneau came about as a gold rush town that preempted the infamous Klondike stampede of the late 1800s by almost 20 years. It was by all accounts significantly more successful, too. Three gold mines operated in the Juneau area, yielding tens of millions of dollars worth of gold over the next 70 years.
Even with such a rich mining history, Juneau today is best known as an Alaska cruise port of call and the Alaska state capital. It's also a wilderness lover's paradise. Mountains, wooded valleys, bay waters, and a sprawling icefield surround the small city.
The steep roads that twist and turn throughout the city have earned Juneau the nickname Little San Francisco. Throughout the compact downtown are quality local restaurants, art galleries, boutiques, souvenir shops, and the Alaska State Museum. The impressive Mendenhall Glacier is a 20-minute drive away. Dozens of other glaciers cascading from the Juneau Icefield can be seen on a plane or helicopter tour. The many other organized excursions available for cruise passengers and independent travelers include city tours, gold panning, restaurant tours, guided hikes, whale watching, and photo safaris.
As the capital, Juneau welcomes more politicians and dignitaries than any other Alaskan city and demands an impressive array of lodging options as a result. Modern boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, national chains, and even fly-in lodges all call Juneau home. For those bringing camping gear along, consider a few nights at the Mendenhall Lake campground near the base of the Mendenhall Glacier.
While there are no roads linking Juneau to the rest of Alaska, it's possible to connect by air to Anchorage, other communities in southeast Alaska, and Seattle via the Juneau airport. Juneau is also a major port of call for all cruise lines sailing the Inside Passage and a stop on the Alaska State Marine Highway ferry system.
