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Alaskan Vacations - JuneauWhat we haven't shared is we are blessed with a special needs son who is speech delayed, he is a joy but is not always compatible with most vacation locations, so we survey locations a head of time just to be sure. Last month we went to Juneau for an Alaskan vacation. Alaska was unexplored territory for us but we thought a bit of adventure was in order and my only requirement was we needed to see glaciers. Juneau is a town of about 30,000 people and is the capitol of Alaska, the majority of visitors to Juneau arrive by cruise ships that are traveling the Alaskan inside passage. Over 1 million tourists arrive by cruise ship and ferry, about 75,000 arrive by airplane. We flew into Juneau on a Sunday morning on Alaska Airlines. We had very little idea of what to expect, surprisingly the town and surrounding mountains were beautiful and the people were very friendly and helpful. Alaskan Vacations- Our Trip to the Glaciers
Monday morning we boarded the Adventure Bound boat and were off on our full day glacier cruise to the Tracy Arm Fjords, 45 miles south of Juneau. The Adventure Bound Company is owned by Steve Weber and he also captains the 56' Adventure Bound. You will spend about 10 hours (depending on weather conditions) on the boat trip viewing the beautiful Alaska's sceneries, wildlife including bears, bald eagles, seals, porpoises and possibly whales depending on the time of year you visit, and of course the amazing icebergs and glaciers. The trip was truly spectacular; as we traveled out of Juneau we saw many fishing boats and several cruise ships. As we got closer to the Tracy Arm Fjord we started seeing icebergs floating by the boat, it was quite strange having never seen icebergs. As we got closer to the glaciers the quantity and size of the icebergs kept increasing. The deck hand said you hadn't seen anything yet and he was right. By the time we could see the glacier there were icebergs of all shapes and sizes everywhere, seals were on the icebergs and would popup right next to the boat as if to say "hi". We spent about an hour just 1/2 mile in front of the glacier (with the boat motor off) and just took the scenery in; listening to and watching ice break off of the glacier and the seals playing everywhere. I don't think we will ever forget this beautiful Alaskan vacation experience.
Steve Weber seems to make it his personal mission to be sure you feel the trip was worth every penny you spend. We had a wonderful time on this day long boating adventure thanks to the "Adventure Bound. It was truly a fantastic adventure and we took over 700 digital photos in one day. The icebergs were amazing, as well as the glaciers and the wildlife. Click here to see some of the better pictures from our day cruise to the glaciers (note this may take a little time to load depending on your internet connection but it will be worth it). We can recommend an Alaskan vacation with The Adventure Bound without reservation; you will get more than your money's worth on this trip. We are currently planning when we can go back to The Adventure Bound to experience the glaciers again. Visit the the Adventure Bound website where you will find information about the company and great quotes like this "The icebergs are big!" Our skipper (Adventure Bound) Steve Weber explained that the large pieces "calve" or break off from the face of Sawyer Glacier. "The water at the end of the fjord is nearly 600 feet deep and when an underwater calving takes place the ice remains intact. In other glacier areas the calved ice generally crumbles." Steve continued, "I've seen them surface like giant submarines. They'll rise over 250 feet and then settle in like large blue ships. Tracy Arm is by far the best place to see big icebergs." Alaskan Vacations- The Mendenhall GlacierIf your Alaskan vacation is by cruise ship you may not have a 10 or 11 hour layover in Juneau to go on the Adventure Bound cruise then by all means visit the Mendenhall Glacier. The Mendenhall Glacier is a short drive or bus ride just 13 miles outside of Juneau.At the Mendenhall Glacier you will see some icebergs floating in a lake and the ice fields flowing down the valley to the lakes edge. There are paved trails and overlooks with a visitor's center set into a cliff above the valley for viewing. For those of you looking for a bit of hiking on your Alaskan vacation there are several trails here ranging from .3 miles to 6.8 miles. Remember to dress in layers and wear a rain coat as you are in the rainforest! Alaskan Vacations - Juneau other ActivitiesThose of you with short layover times and not afraid of heights will want to take the Mount Roberts Tramway tour as part of your Alaskan vacation. This unforgettable tour begins at the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau and provides an exhilarating to the 1800 foot level of Mount Roberts. On the way you will experience one of the most beautiful views in Alaska from the Chilkat Mountains to the north, down the Gastineau Channel to the south and east into Silver Bow basin.It takes 30 minutes up to the top of the mountain and 30 minutes back. Once at the top enjoy the mountain viewing complex. The complex houses the Chilkat Theater, Raven Eagles Gifts, Timberline Bar and Grill and offers access to the nature center, an eagle exhibit and Mount Roberts trail system. Tram tickets allow all day unlimited rides. For those of you looking for shopping in your Alaskan vacation you who love little shops in Juneau. The shops start just across from the cruise ship docks and run the full length of town both sides of the street there is something for everyone here. Juneau really isn't a kid friendly vacation destination. There really isn't much for kids to do here. The hotels don't have swimming pools, Nintendo nor air conditioning (something to remember). If you have older kids who have been raised hiking and boating with you for the sake of the scenery they would probably do well, but young kids would soon run out of things to do. While Juneau is not the best Alaskan vacations stop for kids, most of the kids we saw were from the cruise ships which of course have everything for kids. Juneau itself was very inviting for a short 2 to 3 day adult vacation and is rated as the best stop for the cruise ships who offer cruises on the inside passage. The port at Juneau had at least 4 cruise ships docked each day.
Recommendations for your Alaskan Vacation to Juneau1. If you have a full day on your Alaskan vacation and you love boats The "Adventure Bound" full day glacier cruise to the Tracy Arm Fjords, 45 miles south of Juneau, is the best glacier boat trip you will find. While you will see ads for other larger tour companies for glacier viewing you will not get the personal attention or the length of time spent at the glacier as you do with the Adventure Bound.2. Wondering what to wear on your Alaskan vacation? Well first travel in the summer months. Then always wear layers; jeans, tee-shirt with a fleece/sweatshirt and rain coat on top are perfect. You can throw in a pair of shorts just incase but the temperature even in July only gets to about 72. If you are going on the adventure bound or any glacier viewing trip I would also throw in another sweatshirt/fleece layer, gloves and a stocking cap. 3. Take a camera and binoculars, the wildlife and scenery are spectacular. 4. On your next Alaskan Vacation look into the following other attractions:
If you're planning an Alaskan vacation we suggest you include Juneau as a destination it has a lot to offer. More vacation information besides Alaskan vacations back at the home page.
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