Alaska Cruise: Juneau 🏔️

Juneau, the capital of Alaska, is the largest state capital in the U.S. by area, covering over 8,400 square kilometers. In comparison, San Francisco is less than 260 square kilometers—spacious and sparsely populated, with just over 30,000 residents. We docked here for a full day and rented a car. Right off the pier, there were plenty of vendors offering 8-seater SUVs for around $400 a day, including a car seat. We were also given a map and spent the day exploring the recommended spots: 1️⃣ Mendenhall Glacier 🧊 – We were lucky with the weather: sunny, mild, and clear! It’s said that the best way to experience the stunning blue ice caves is by kayaking close to the glacier. We admired it from a distance and also checked out a small waterfall nearby. 2️⃣ Jensen-Olson Arboretum 🌸 – This free, non-profit botanical garden is about a 30-minute drive west of Juneau, another 15 miles past the glacier. A quiet and lovely research garden perfect for a peaceful stroll. 3️⃣ National Shrine of St. Therese ⛪ – A beautiful church with stunning mountain and ocean views. There’s also a stone labyrinth that everyone walked through. The next day, our cruise passed through the same bay shown in Figure 11. We also found a self-service snack shack with water for $2 and snacks for $1—just take what you need and drop the money in the box. Honesty system at its best! 4️⃣ City Walk 🏙️ – The whole street was lined with jewelry stores. Not sure who they’re selling to though! We spotted some ravens—my daughter said ravens are super smart and can even “talk,” but since they’re not as cute as parrots, people don’t usually teach them to speak. They look like oversized crows. The little one got hungry along the way, and there were no snack stands in sight. We didn’t make it to some other attractions, so a pro tip: bring some ziplock bags with snacks for the kids when you get off the ship! We had to go store to store downtown looking for small bags, but all we found were jewelry shops. 😅 Next stop: Skagway! #AlaskaCruise #PrincessCruise 🚢