Cruising to Alaska with Holland America - Day Four: Searching for Sarah Palin in Juneau

September 10, 5:08 PMSeattle Travel ExaminerSue Frause

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Seattle Travel Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Hey is that Sarah's car? Nope, but this is the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau. Sue Frause photo.

My first visit to Alaska was a number of years ago. I flew in to Juneau via Alaska Airlines from Seattle, and was somewhat surprised that the Alaska State Capitol was located right smack downtown -- not to mention that it was domeless.

My arrival this trip was a bit different, via Glacier Bay aboard Holland America Line's Westerdam. It was fairly drizzly when we arrived on Wednesday morning, and the clouds seemed to reach down all the way to Gastineau Channel. Surrounded by Mount Juneau, Mount Roberts and the Mendenhall Glacier, there are roads in Juneau -- but you can't drive here from anywhere else. In other words, it's fairly isolated.

It's a fun, historical place to explore, and of course there are the requisite jewelry and gem shops for the cruisers, along with no shortage of Alaska fur. Don't miss the Red Dog Saloon, with live entertainment and plenty of AK charm. I had signed up for a shore expedition on the ship, float plane trip to Tau Glacier Lodge, via Wings Airways. But due to the bad weather conditions, mainly lack of visibility, it was canceled. Although disappointed, I rallied, and went in search for the best fish 'n chips. A local gave me the names of two spots, and I ended up at at the Twisted Fish Company, where I sat in the bar and dined on Tempura Rockfish & Chips along with a pine of Alaska Amber.

I also went on a free tour of the Alaska State Capitol, hoping to catch a glimpse of former Gov. Sarah Palin. Alas, she had long ago left the building, and the only remains of Palin are her photo on the third floor in the Hall of Governors. I did find a cool store where it's reported that that former governor shopped: Shoefly & Hudsons, which was the perfect spot to find a colorful pair of rubber, waterproof boots. And I popped into Hearthside Books & Toys, where I'd spent time before, and picked up a copy of Cold, a new book of non-fiction about "adventures in the world's frozen places" by Anchorage resident Bill Streever. He'll be making an appearance at the book store nextweek, but our ship will be long gone.