Juneau is a major stop for cruise lines, and for the most part, downtown Juneau catered to this crowd. Three cruise ships lined the dock at all times with another few ships docked a little further. I wasn’t expecting so many people cramped into narrow streets lined with crappy souvenir shops. Do people really travel to Alaska to buy pearl necklaces? Confusing.
There is a phrase known as “out the road” in Juneau. It basically means driving on the Glacier Hwy away from the city and the chaotic throngs of cruisers. In other words, “out the road” means that the further away one gets from the cruise ships, the more beautiful and peaceful (and uncrowded) the surroundings.
We booked a very rustic cabin at the Shrine of St. Therese – a cabin in the middle of nowhere with no plumbing and no electricity, just a potbellied stove and a spectacular view. Unfortunately, they renovated our cabin a day before we were scheduled to arrive. so they offered us their largest retreat cabin that slept like 18 people, and had running water, heat, and electricity. Given the weather, I was almost thankful for this change of plans – walking to the outhouse in the cold rain would have kind of sucked.
