The City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska, USA (August 1995)
Juneau, Alaska (map) is one of the smallest state capitals in the United States. It has a genuinely small town feel and it is easily walkable. This image shows one of the best shopping streets, lined with numerous stores, restaurants and bars to wander among and visit. Notice in the background how quickly the flat plain defining Juneau transforms into steep mountainside.
Downtown has a very different feel once the cruise ships leave port. Tourists empty the streets and locals take over once again. I noticed this rather dramatically during a business trip to Juneau a few years later. We were at a bar packed with tourists. On cue nearly everyone went for the door to catch the last tenders heading back to their ships. Instantly the place emptied and we were left with a bartender and a half-dozen patrons. It became much more laid-back and we could actually enjoy some solitude.
The harbor at Juneau is a busy place during the summer. Cruise ships jockey for berths at the dock next to the Public Library. Others anchor off-shore nearby and use tenders to ferry passengers back-and-forth. Local tour operators shuttle passengers to port-of-call day trips. Seaplane and helicopter rides over nearby glaciers are always popular.
See the article index from the 1995 Southeast Alaska trip.
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