Places to See On Your Alaska Cruise, Welcome To Juneau!!

Well my sister in law is in town this week and we're playing tourist here in Juneau. Very funny how folks react to us because we're locals.

Anyway, we went to the Gold Creek Salmon Bake in Juneau last night and we had a blast. You have to think of it not as a dinner but more of an experience. The grilled salmon was very good although I was disappointed that they were using Chum Salmon as the choice of the evening. Local Alaskans don't eat Chum Salmon!!

It wasn't until I finished eating that I noticed that it was Chum and actually it was rather good. It depends on what time of year that you come here as to what kind of salmon that you'll get. Early in the Alaska cruise season (May-June) you'll get King Salmon but in early July Chum salmon are more available. Sockeye salmon are next in line and they happen to be my personal favorite. They call them reds because their meat is more of a red color then the traditional 'salmon' color that you get from Chinook (Kings) or silvers (Coho) or even humpies (Pink Salmon). Chum tends to have more of a whiter color and most of the seafood processing plants actually add food coloring to spoof people into buying Alaskan Salmon for next to nothing.

With that in mind for around $25.00 per person you get an all you can eat meal of grilled salmon, potato salad, Caesar salad, baked beans, cornbread as well as cole slaw. It's a pretty good deal and the salmon is usually wonderful and cooked to perfection. The cooks there know how to cook the salmon right since they barbecue so much of it on a daily basis.

You can treat yourself to an Alaskan Amber or any of the local award winning Alaskan Brewery's products or get a glass of wine if you choose. They also have coffee, tea and hot chocolate for the non-drinking folks.

While eating you'll be treated to a live performance of folk music, there's always someone playing a guitar for entertainment.

After dinner you can walk by the side of Salmon Creek all the way up to the waterfall which by the way is a beautiful place to take some pictures, it's the perfect backdrop. Once at the waterfall you can try your skills gold panning and even a beginner can find some powdered gold here. Salmon creek was actually one of best place to find gold in Juneau around the turn of the 1900's.

All along the trail (which is only a couple hundred yards in length) they have information plaques that display information on the local plants as well as stories complete with pictures of the life cycle of the salmon.

Once back to the 'camp' don't forget to check out their little gift shop! The shop is first class and my wife dropped about $50.00 in gifts that incorporated Alaskan gold in them. Overall she got a great bargain for the gifts.

And before you leave don't forget to take the kids over to the fire pits where there are plenty of marshmallows and sticks to roast them on. My kids absolutely loved this part of the trip and we thought that we would have to hose the stickiness off of them before we left.

The whole experience should take you about two and a half hours to complete and it's well worth the price. So when taking an Alaskan cruise and stopping in Juneau don't miss the Gold Creek Salmon Bake!!

Earl Lear lives in Juneau year round and enjoys writing about the joys of living in Alaska. You can preview his site for up to date information on the Alaska Cruise industry and visiting Juneau at http://www.touring-juneau.info or learn what it's like living in "The Last Frontier" at http://www.touring-alaska.com

In The News:


Ed Perkins on Travel: It's a great time to cruise
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 7 hours ago
An early season (April 25) seven-night sailing to Alaska on the Norwegian Star starts at $429 per person. A mid-January 10-night trip to the Canary Islands, ...

Times Online

Pirate attack on cruise liner is 'unlikely to put off cruisers'
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 8 hours ago
The attack on Nautica happened at around 9.30am on November 30, when the ship was sailing through the Gulf of Aden, in an area patrolled by anti-piracy task ...
Video: Cruise Ship Attacked by Pirates Is Now Docked AssociatedPress
Cruise lines react to pirate attacks TTG live
Could Pirates Attack Your Cruise Ship? Cruise Critic
NYU Local - CBS Newsall 1,227 news articles

Cruise lines slash prices to lure consumers
Palm Beach Post,  United States - 20 hours ago
That dictates that cruise ships sail full with two passengers per berth; often, they fill the third and fourth berths available in cabins. ...

Royal Caribbean to Open Office in Australia in Response to Rise in ...
MarketWatch - Dec 2, 2008
... cruise experience." Next year, Rhapsody of the Seas will embark on its third season in the South Pacific and Australia. Rhapsody of the Seas will sail ...

Home and Away

Kids Cruise Free, Ships Add Balconies
Home and Away - Dec 2, 2008
By Marge Peterson Kids sail free this winter on Costa Cruises when traveling with their parents. This value is available on all 12 seven-day ...

North Sails - A wealth of experience
Sail World, Australia - 36 minutes ago
... and his love of sailing brought him to New Zealand in 1999, when he purchased a Lidgard 44 called ‘Hijacker’ and spent two and a half years cruising the ...

2008 Sailing Industry Study
Cruising World, FL - Dec 2, 2008
Simply fill out this form to receive a complimentary issue of Cruising World! If you like it, pay just $19.97 for 11 more issues (12 in all) and receive ...

Carol Cronin's first book is full of surprises
Jamestown Press,  USA - 5 hours ago
She has since retired from Olympic sailing and now focuses her life on writing for magazines such as Sailing World and Cruising World, as well as Seahorse, ...

Sailing in Hawaii at King's Cup
Sail World, Australia - Dec 2, 2008
As Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Matt Allen said after winning the IRC Division 1 aboard his Beneteau 44.7 Ichi Ban, ‘Today it was like sailing ...
Phuket King's Cup Day: Classic conditions YACHTe.com.au
all 3 news articles

UK & France. 'Gordon Brown could learn from Fountaine Pajot' says ...
BYM News (press release), Spain - 14 hours ago
Sales success has also coincided with further improvements with the fleet’s sailing performance, with the option of Fountaine Pajot’s new CST (Cruising ...
cruising sailing - Google News

Water Molecule Alignment for Increased Speed In the Water

A submarine can move faster thru the water if the... Read More

Find Many Cruise Deals That Suit Your Personal Style And Needs!

Finding Cruise Deals are half the battle when considering a... Read More

Bingo At Sea?

Under the "G" for Great Holiday. Bingo players can take... Read More

Learning How to Sail

When it comes to sailing, there are all kinds of... Read More

Orient Beach Shore Excursions - Beauty on the Beach!

When cruising to St. Martin (or Sint Maarten), some of... Read More

Boat Timeshares - A Unique Vacationing Experience

If you've dreamed of sailing the seven seas, but don't... Read More

What Is Best For You; An Inflatable Kayak Or A Hard-Shell Kayak?

If you are buying a kayak for the very first... Read More

Artic Tours

Take an Arctic Tour by flying north of Fairbanks to... Read More

Whats Involved With Honeymoon Cruise Packages?

With so many honeymoon cruise packages to choose from, it... Read More

Bermuda Cruise Expert Guide

At just twenty-one square miles in size, the island of... Read More

Diving Philippines is Impressive, Varied, and Spectacular

Scuba diving Philippines does not get any diverse, anywhere in... Read More

Short Cruises - The Perfect Match For First Time Cruisers

Would you like to try a cruise, but aren't sure... Read More

Those Ellusive Crab and Prawn Traps

If you are a boater, in particular a sea or... Read More

Defeating the Drug Smugglers in Ultra Fast Boats, Skimmer Craft and Hydrofoils

The drug smugglers have ultra fast boats, skimmer craft and... Read More

What You Need to Know About Cruise Holidays

Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of driving,... Read More

Stocking up Your Boat

There, you have just got a boat. A nice new... Read More

Alaska Cruise Expert Guide

The Alaska cruise is a breathtaking adventure that you'll never... Read More

Types of Cruise Ship Cabins

Many cruise ships today have standard cabins of similar size... Read More

Alaska Cruise Ship Vacations

Alaska is one of the world's great cruise destinations, particularly... Read More

Cruising Glacier Bay

You can watch movies about it, you can hear about... Read More

Shape Up and Ship Out

For some, the ideal cruise consists of a lounge chair,... Read More

From Ocean Cruises and Ocean Liners to Vacation Cruises and Cruise Ships

The golden age of transatlantic ocean shipping and travel began... Read More

Radisson Cruises- A Six Star Luxury Experience / Radisson Cruises- Best Cruise Value

Radisson cruises come under the flagship of six star luxury... Read More

School for Sails, by Capt. Cary Hanna

Gorgeous, acrobatic, and lit-up, Sailfish rank as the # 1... Read More

Carribean Cruise

Caribbean Cruises are among the most demanded cruise vacations in... Read More