5 Things to do in Juneau, Alaska

Today we're talking about five different activities you can do when visiting the cruise port of Juneau, Alaska on your Alaskan cruise.

Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, is landlocked. While you can drive all around Juneau, the only way in or out is by boat or plane. It's also big. The Juneau area covers over 3,200 square miles and covers almost as much land as the states of Delaware and Rhode Island put together. With that much space there is plenty to do.

1. Take a seaplane to see the glaciers from above. Glacier flighseeing tours give you a birds eye look at the numerous glaciers in the area. They are quite popular - and a bit expensive.

2. If you'd like another way to see a glacier, check out Mendenhall Glacier. Ship excursions and independent tours go to Mendenhall. If you want the cheapest way to get there, a city bus can get you within a mile or so of the visitor center.

There are several trails around Mendenhall Lake, where the 13 mile long glacier ends. Our favorite one leads to Nugget Falls. More details about the walk to Nugget Falls can be found here.

3. Take a ride up the Mt. Roberts Tramway. Soaring 1,800 feet in the air, you'll get great views of the Juneau and Gastineau Channels. At the top you'll find observation areas, a nature center, gift shop, theater, a place to eat, and hiking trails. 

View from the top

View from down below

 4. Go on a whale watching tour. The area is abundant with whales. Flukes? Yep. Breaching? If you're lucky.

5. Eat like a local. Breweries and restaurants and cafes. Fish and pizza and local beer. The ship docks within walking distance to tasty food and drink.

How about a Dungeness crab BLT from the Rookery Cafe?

Enjoy Juneau!

How to Make Money Pockets and Encouraging Words Labels - Easy Kindness Project

It's Tutorial Tuesday and today's project is one dear to me. It's probably not technically a craft project, but it's something you can make so maybe I can count it as one. I definitely count it as a project that helps make the world a better place. Or at least one that makes someone's day.

For the last several years I’ve been giving away dollar bills with notes of encouragement. I used to hand write notes on packs of Post-It notes but I found the adhesive wasn’t sticking in high-humid climates we were traveling to. A couple years back I switched to making my own little money pockets and printing labels for them. I’ve left them in restrooms and airplane magazines and sugar containers. I’ve left them in windowsills and tip jars and hotel room drawers. I’ve left them on buses and taxis and trains. Sometimes I place one somewhere once a day and other days I drop them off multiple times.

For this project you will need:

• colored paper - l like the bright kind
• 1 ½” x 1 ½” printable labels - I use Avery labels, #22805 
• glue stick - I use Elmer's purple glue stick
• scissors
• dollar bills
• template downloaded from here
• If you'd like the template for the labels themselves (it's a Word document) just email me - link is on the upper right of this page - and I'll send it your way.

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you sewing and crafting content.

You can find the step-by-step how to tutorial video for making the encouraging words pockets project here:

Looking for more sewing and crafting projects? 

Click here to see all my tutorials!

Today I will be delivering my money pockets all throughout Boise as I make a birthday-freebie run today.  Happy Birthday to me! I'm taking notes today so come back on Friday to find out how the food-filled, freebie-filled birthday went. It's going to be a crazy one.
If you'd rather not make your own pockets, a library pocket might be larger but could be a nice substitute.

Cruise Ship Excursions

It's Cruise Ship Saturday! Today we're talking about cruise ship excursions.

An excursion can be a great way to see and do a lot in one port. Ship-sponsored excursions can be reserved through the cruise line’s website ahead of time. They may also be available once onboard at the shore excursions desk. The length and amount of activity on an excursion varies. Tours can run from a sightseeing trolley which requires no walking to hiking a glacier to snorkeling to a helicopter tour of volcanoes. Tour lengths range from 30 minutes to full day. Be forewarned – excursions can be expensive. You can spend $29 for a tour of the city or $599 for a bear watching trip. Shoppers, know that some of the longer excursions may not leave time for you to hit up the stores.

If booked on a ship-sponsored excursion there are procedures common to most cruise lines:

• A tour ticket is issued with a number or number/letter combo.
• Passengers are given a place and time to gather where representatives will have signs with corresponding tour name/number/letter combos.
• After handing over the tour ticket passengers may be issued a sticker or wristband.
• Early arrivers may be allowed to board the transportation or may have to stand and wait. Your transportation could be a bus, van, taxi, shuttle, trolley, ferry, boat, or train.
• Some tours have several buses of passengers. Paying attention to the driver and bus/shuttle number can be important as you may be required to return with the same driver.
• The smaller the group, the more individualized the tour.

Excursions can also be booked independently. Non-ship excursions can be cheaper in some cases. These can be booked ahead of time or at the port. Hiring a driver to give a tour of the area is another option. This may require some preplanning or may require nothing more than showing up at the taxi stand. Talk to the representative about what you want and agree on a price before leaving. You may be able to negotiate so don’t be afraid to ask. In some ports free or fee-based shuttles take passengers to and from shopping centers or town centers. If renting a car, reservations will need to be made ahead of time.

Both ship and private excursions may be canceled because of weather but some excursions operate rain or shine. 

Swimming with sea turtles excursion. Not canceled.
Yes, I was in the water.

Don’t feel obliged to keep busy with tours the entire time. In many ports wandering can lead to great restaurants and shops. Some of the restaurants may have free Wi-Fi with a food or beverage purchase. There is nothing wrong – in fact there is a lot right – with sitting at a restaurant in Cozumel with delicious margaritas, chips and salsa, banana leaf wrapped tamales, good music, and free Wi-Fi. A very relaxing way to spend a Friday.

Excerpt from CRUISING WITH CONFIDENCE: HOW TO BE A FIRST TIME CRUISER WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE ONE by Deb Pfeifer

Suck the Marrow Tour, Spring 2018

It's Wanderlust Wednesday! Today we're wrapping up our Spring tour.

With our health and mobility issues it is imperative that we make the most of each day we have. So each time we go away we adhere to my tattoo, a quote from Henry David Thoreau.

"Live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."

Between May 5 and June 4 of this year we:

• Took three cruises
• Rented two cars
• Stayed in 12 different hotels
• Visited four National Parks
• Spent time in two countries
• Traveled to four states
• Traveled by plane, ship, converted school bus and converted prison bus, double decker bus, coach, train, taxi, car, and shuttle
• Went to two Major League Baseball games
• Won $1279.07 on a penny slot machine

Yeah, we sucked the marrow. But when we take these kinds of trips the same question comes up, a question that is hard to answer.

What was your favorite part?

Let's go with some of the prettiest views instead.

Harbor at Icy Strait Point, Alaska. There was a whale out there on the day we visited.

Flowers at Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada. 

Glacier Bay National Park

Moose in the road, Cantwell, Alaska

Penny Slot Win

Nugget Falls at Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

Denali

Dogsledding Tour, Skagway, Alaska

Drive from Denali to Wasilla, Alaska

Island Princess

Just my prettiest views for the month.