A Hidden “Nugget” of Beauty
October 1, 2020
By: Leslie Dinunzio, Vacation Experience Architect
“Juneau” the capital of Alaska?? Get it?? Yes, no? Either way, when on a cruise to Alaska, Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is a very common and popular port. When in Juneau, a visit to Mendenhall Glacier is equally popular. You can book a tour directly through most cruise lines who will typically bus your family out to the glacier. For the more adventurous family, you can also rent a car and trek out to the glacier on your own, which is what my family chose to do. We booked a vehicle through Juneau Car Rental Company which is walking distance from where our ship, the Norwegian Bliss, was docked. Note: we booked our minivan several weeks ahead of time due to the popular tourist season and necessity of a larger vehicle. There are also two different port areas and your Wishes Family Travel agent will help make sure you book the correct car company for the correct dock! The staff was friendly, thorough, and provided us a local map. It’s a short and easy drive out to the glacier with lovely scenery along the way. Once at the glacier, you do need to purchase tickets from a kiosk (in August 2019 I believe they were $5 a person) for entry into the park.
The park itself consists of extensive trails, some of which are gravel and some of which are plank, several places for photo opportunities, and a Visitor’s Center. Before even making it into the Visitor’s Center, we encountered a stream filled with migrating salmon as well as a Park Ranger pointing out a mother bear and her cubs. What a sight to start our first day in Alaska!
The Glacier itself can be seen from many areas of the park. My family chose to also take the one-mile Nugget Falls Trail for a closer look at the glacier and also a glacial waterfall. This was by far a highlight of the trip. It’s an easy trail, flat and gravel-lined. The trail leads you to a large waterfall, Nugget Falls. My children climbed and stacked rocks which were adjacent to the glacier. There is also a stunning blue glacial (read COLD) lake/shoreline. Other than a family photo of our hands in the icy water, we shied away from the lake.
This was a fairly simple excursion, but one that easily sticks out in our memories of one of the most beautiful places we have seen. I would love to help you plan your own cruise to Alaska! Leslie@wishesfamilytravel.com