Juneau: A Day in Alaska’s Capital

Our cruise docked in Juneau on a bright, sunny day ☀️. As the capital of Alaska, Juneau isn’t glamorous, but it’s full of lively charm. My first impression was of a clean, transparent city — especially compared to Anchorage’s downtown, where homelessness is visibly more prevalent. We didn’t join any tours and decided to explore Mendenhall Glacier on our own. Right after getting off the ship, we found a taxi waiting — what luck! 🚖 Let’s go! The driver was friendly and told us all about Juneau. Our pier was right in the downtown area. “In summer, this place is taken over by tourists,” he said, “and in winter, it’s all politicians — leaders from across the state gather here for meetings.” He explained that the capital was moved from Anchorage to Juneau because it was a newer city with a smaller population, making it easier to plan and manage. Across from downtown lies Douglas Island 🏝️, home to a ski resort and, interestingly, gold and silver mines on its outer coast. How cool — I wonder if the mines offer tours? 🤔 Mendenhall Glacier looked like softly melting ice cream 🍦, rounded and gentle rather than sharp. We viewed it from across the lake — a small but majestic sight. Nearby, a powerful waterfall roared. Is the glacier melting a bit too quickly? 🌊💧 On the way to the glacier park, we spotted bald eagles perched motionless on streetlights like statues 🦅. At the park entrance, a porcupine was lounging on a tree trunk 🦔, almost camouflaged like a clump of leaves. By noon, we were back in the city, ready for some king crab! 🦀 We chose The Hanger on the Wharf over Tracy’s — more lunch options and just as delicious. The Alaskan fish here is incredible — whether as sushi or sashimi 🍣. The crab legs were super fresh, though a bit of a workout to crack into! 💪😄 #RoyalCaribbean #HiddenGems #TravelGuide #NoTourNeeded