Pre-cruise tour to Denali
Our vacation began with a pre-cruise tour of the Alaskan interior. We used Alaska Airlines which has a monopoly on Alaskan flights. We enjoyed extra legroom in comparison with other airlines, and the flights left on time or early. We were met in baggage claim by Karen and quickly whisked off to Pike’s Lodge ( a rustic motor inn with stuffed animals in the lobby who looked better alive) and dropped off at 11. We waited in the lobby until our room was done at 1:30. Passengers picked up from the airport between 10 am and noon would be better served if pickup would start at noon. As Amanda at the front desk pointed out, the rooms are not guaranteed until 3. Since you have been assigned a specific room, you will not be able to check in until that room has been cleaned. There is a room for you to leave your luggage and a shuttle ($5) which will take you to downtown or the grocery store if you want to get going right away and have some lunch.
We were about to finally stick our luggage in the storage room and go for a walk when it was announced that our room was ready. After dropping off our luggage, we walked down the road (no sidewalks most of the way) for 1.1 miles and had lunch at Taco Bell and shopped at the grocery store (which also sells clothes in case you forgot to pack something). There is an excellent ice cream stand across the street from the grocery store as well.
I saw very little of Seward as we drove in on our tour bus from Denali. We past two grocery stores and then turned into the port. Other passengers who checked in earlier in the day were able to go out and explore the town.
Lots of Bald Eagles flying around Juneau, making it one of the better cities to see them. We had done Mendenhall Glacier on our own on a tour bus seven years ago, so this time we went to Glacier Gardens via the city bus. We enjoyed a private tour on one of the golf carts as our knowledgable guide told us about the property and the surrounding Tongass National Rainforest. Lovely grounds and unique "upside down" trees with lots of flowers and plants.
Saw a Bald Eagle sitting in one of the many trees in the area. Bald Eagles fly around the waterfront looking for food. The tourist area has many shops, an impressive record-setting zip line, and restaurants. You can also walk through the exhibit showing how the old cannery operated. The town of Hoonah is a mile away.
Pretty town. We hiked on the Rain Bird Trail which is lovely, but also is a moderately hard trail to cover. Lots of rocks and roots to make your way over; there are also steep stairs leading up to the trail from the road. The last part of the trail leading to the university was closed on the day we there. It was scheduled to open the following week for those who want to start or finish at the university.