NFRC, RE: Juneau, AK. DH and I are going for 2 weeks to visit friends. Any restaurant suggestions,

B

barbara-in-va

Well-known member
outting suggestions?

I have been reading up a bit. Juneau is the only state capital that does not connect to any other town via roadway. So, in a car in Juneau, you CAN'T get there from here. Also, there are only 45 miles of roadway in Juneau.

Average temp this time of year is about 65°F and 94% humidity. We have been advised to bring no cotton clothing as it gets wet and never dries. I am the queen of cotton.........

There are 130 miles of hiking trails in Juneau so I bought some new hiking boots. Can't test them out because it is too hot here........

Have been told that I must learn to pee in the woods. Girls hold on to a tree and lean back to keep from peeing in their pants..........(I must admit I am NOT looking forward to this part of the trip.) Also, what happens when we go kayaking, out on the freezing water, and I have to pee? I rather like the creature comfort of a bathroom.

In spite of the above mentioned obstacles I am very excited about going and exploring new places. At my age I doubt I will ever get back again, too many other places to see, so I don't want to miss anything! Any suggestions are welcome.

 
Gosh, Juneau is a world away from Anchorage, but here are my thoughts:

I think the cotton thing is exagerated. It's not that humid. You can still be the queen of cotton, but maybe not while kayaking.
Learning to P** in the woods is a good thing, but watch out for the mosquitoes(maybe spray the behind as well with some bug dope)Kayaking or hiking with bug bites on the butt is no fun. Pack some travel wipes.
Kayaking is generally done close to shore, so a potty stop is not out of the question.
I would try to break in those hiking shoes if I were you.
I don't know a thing about the restaurants, but with cruise ships and the government, you should have some good choices. You can always have a fish fry out on the beach--buy a cheap disposable BBQ or make a fire and get one of those basket type grill cookers for fish/shrimp or whatever and have fun.
The light will most likely bother you at night and make it hard to fall asleep, although we are on the downside and losing minutes of light each day. Aluminum foil on the windows does wonders if you cannot fall asleep, or stores sell eye masks. We go through this every summer when the kids come to visit. No way can they fall asleep when it's still daylight at midnight. Although, like I mentioned, the days are getting shorter.
Enjoy the flowers---they are stunning this year.
Drink some good coffee---nice local roasters down there. Have fun and be cool.

 
Two weeks in J-no is plenty of time to see all it has to offer ..

especially if you are visiting friends. They will make sure you see it all. Juneau is a pretty cool place actually ... narrow streets, small buildings, and lots of gift shops.

There are some pretty decent restaurants down there too, although they might not compare to what you have in VA. Oddly enough there are a couple pretty good ethnic places as well. I hope you like seafood and fresh fish cause Juneau is not the place to order steak! It will be pretty easy to find salmon and halibut prepared in ways that will get your attention and hopefully create fond memories. If you like oysters save some room to try some of our fresh critters direct from the southeast Alaska shellfish farms. They are sweet, clean, and fresh tasting and in my humble opinion, can't be topped (unless its with some awesome sauce). They get lots of fresh shrimp, clams, and crab down there too and you should have no problem getting all you want of that stuff too.

Not sure if you like beer but Juneau is home to the Alaskan Brewing Company. They are a relatively small brewery that produces some outstanding microbrews and they have done very well in beer competitions around the world. Alaskan Amber is perhaps their flagship product but they have others as well. You can catch some funky music in the local establishments as you unwind from all that walking and hiking you are going to do! When I go there the Alaska Hotel at night is a must see, along with the Red Dog Saloon.

Juneau is a pretty neat place and I know you will enjoy your time there. Have fun and if you decide to visit Anchorage while you are there (just under two hours by plane)drop a line. And if our legislature is still in special session when you are there you have our permission to invite them to go home and quit wasting our money!!! Enjoy ....

 
The Alaska State Museum is in Juneau, I loved it, could have spent more time there. I loved the

halibut sandwiches, like a burger, just with halibut. Wish I could have one right now.

 
Ang, Brian, and Curious: thanks so much for your thoughts.....

I am so very excited about the opportunity to go to Alaska and see a very different part of the world. I want to take in every site and taste many the specialties of the Pacific.

Thank you all for your suggestions. )Brian, we have been told that a trip to the Red Dog Saloon is a must!) We leave in about 10 days and I can't wait!

 
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