Cruise your way to Juneau

Zoomer | January 1st, 2006

Juneau, Alaska may not be high on everyone’s list of hot tourist destinations, if only because it’s simply not that well-known. This is changing rapidly, with the growing popularity of Alaskan cruises making the north-west corner of North America a busy place.

Be warned that Juneau receives a lot of “liquid sunshine” (up to 100 inches per year), but the good news is that it usually falls as a light drizzle, and that April, May and June are the best months to avoid precipitation. Those who like a good walk will enjoy downtown Juneau, especially after a few days on board a ship.

What makes southeast Alaska special are waterfront walks, wildlife watching, forest hikes and historic building tours, all either free or very low in cost. Look up, and you might see a bald eagle on a fishing or hunting expedition. The best thing about Juneau: there are no roads to the city, so the only RVs you’ll see have gotten there on the “marine” highway, and there aren’t that many of them!