Juneau

I recently returned from an Alaskan cruise and managed to play pickup basketball in four different places, a cruise ship, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. This is Part 2 of 4. 

You can read about playing basketball on a cruise ship here. I’ll be sharing Skagway and Ketchikan later this month. 

For those curious about my day trip in Juneau, minus the basketball obsession, scroll down to the bottom!

When packing for an Alaskan cruise, has anyone in the history of Alaskan cruises ever brought along a basketball and basketball pump just to play pickup basketball? Well, there is a first for everything.

Playing basketball on a cruise ship was difficult since about 90% of the time the court was taken over by pickleball, so I was hoping for better luck on land. The first stop of this 7-day cruise was the state capital, Juneau. This was the only stop where we did not purchase any excursions, which gave me plenty of time to explore the city and look for some pickup basketball.

I did some research on which courts to visit beforehand and decided the best plan was to start with the farthest one and then make my way closer to the ship. That way, if I got delayed, I would already be near the cruise port and have an easier time getting back. The worst mistake one can make on a cruise is to miss the departure time and get left behind, which could end up costing $$$.

Before starting my basketball adventure, I just had to take in the marvelous views of Alaska and made my way to Mendenhall Glacier. I was half hoping to find a basketball court out on the ice, but of course, there was not. After spending some time enjoying the glaciers and salmon, I felt I had gotten everything I wanted from that side of Juneau and was ready for basketball.

Did you know that even though there is no basketball at the glaciers, there is a public basketball court less than two miles away? Excited to find a court so close, I walked my way to Si’t Tuwan Park for my first basketball experience in Juneau.

Si’t Tuwan Park

Si’t Tuwan Park’s basketball court sat tucked between a quiet residential neighborhood and a vast forest, which I can only assume is part of a national park. I figured there probably wouldn’t be anyone playing there, so I brought along my own basketball and pump to get some shots up, hoping the sound of a bouncing ball might attract a few wild hoopers for a pickup game. 

After about thirty minutes of shooting around, a dog walker emerged from the forest, looking surprised to see someone using the court. I guess not many people play there, especially since it’s only a half court. 

With limited time and no players in sight, I decided to head to my next stop at The Alaska Club Juneau Valley Gym.

The Alaska Club Juneau Valley Gym

Juneau supposedly gets rain 230 days a year (thank you, Gemini), so I figured most ballers probably play indoors. I found The Alaska Club Juneau Valley Gym, which had a basketball court open 24 hours a day! Even better, they offered a free guest pass for one day (otherwise it was $30), which worked out perfectly for my basketball adventure in Juneau. I arrived late in the afternoon and checked in. Getting the guest pass was simple, just fill it out online on their website, then the staff, who were super friendly, got me set up and in. Once inside, I had full access to everything, from the workout area to the main attraction, the basketball gym.

When I walked in, there was only one other player shooting around. I went to the opposite side and started putting up shots myself. Since time was of the essence (I still had two more courts to visit), I asked if he wanted to do a three point contest like I had in New Orleans. That turned out to be my biggest mistake of the day. Instead, he countered with a challenge to play 1 on 1. I’ll admit, I have not played 1 on 1 in years, maybe decades, maybe lifetimes. But since I was already there and no one else seemed to be coming, I reluctantly accepted. 

For those who usually play 3x3 or 5x5, playing 1 on 1 is a completely different beast. You have no teammates to lean on, it takes more stamina and endurance, and shots that normally come naturally as a spot-up shooter suddenly feel awkward. In Dallas, when shooting set shots on a machine, I was able to hit 70/126 (55%) from three. But in this 1 on 1 matchup, I probably shot 1/12 (8%) or worse. 

Long story short, I got my butt kicked. At least we both got a great workout out of it. Before we could chat any longer, he wrapped up and left for the day. I should have asked him when players usually show up, but I missed that chance for the blog. With no one else arriving, I made my way to the next court at Chicken Yard Park?

Chicken Yard Park

I’ll be honest, I had no idea what to expect from a place called Chicken Yard Park, but sure enough, it did have a basketball court but did not have any chicken. Unfortunately, it was the first court I had ever come across with a gravel surface. Needless to say, I doubted anyone actually played there, so after about five minutes of shooting around, I decided to leave.

Capital School Playground

The final court I visited was the Capital School Playground, a small and tightly packed half basketball court. As expected, there were no ballers around. Plus, my stomach started to growl as I had some king crab waiting for me at dinner, so I decided to call it a day. I doubt many people play at this court anyway, since it felt a little too cramped for a good three on three game.

Conclusion 

There were plenty of other basketball courts (indoor and outdoor) that I wished I had time to check out, but that was as much basketball as one could fit into a single day, along with the usual tourist activities to at least get a feel for Juneau. While I did not get to play any 5x5 basketball, I did manage to play 1 on 1 pickup basketball for the first time in a very long time. If I had to choose from the four courts I visited today, I would say The Alaska Club Juneau Valley Gym is probably the best spot for actual basketball, though I would love to hear from a local who can point me to the best places for pickup basketball.

Holland America Koningsdam Alaskan Cruise 7-day Roundtrip from Vancouver in August

Juneau - Day 3

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am somewhat becoming a pretty big deal in the travel blogger world (editor’s note: still false), and many people have started asking me how they can make the most of their time in Juneau. So here is my day trip in Juneau, along with some random observations.

The first port stop of this 7-day Alaskan cruise was the state capital, Juneau. This was the only stop where we did not purchase any excursions, so I had plenty of time to explore the city.

One thing about cruises is that once you dock, you have a set amount of time to explore. Different cruises arrive and depart at different times, so plan accordingly. Our ship arrived at 1:30 p.m. and was scheduled to leave at 10:00 p.m. During this window of free time, you can either purchase excursions or plan everything yourself.

The benefit of purchasing an excursion through the cruise is that they take care of all the logistics from transportation, activities, and sometimes even meals. The downside is that they tend to be on the expensive side, but at least you do not have to think too much while on vacation.

Knowing that we already had excursions lined up for the final two cities, Skagway and Ketchikan, we decided to plan our own activities in Juneau. I recommend this approach as well, because Juneau is the only one of the three cities where it is fairly easy to explore on your own. Most activities can be done within the city itself, while in the other ports you may need to cross international borders or deal with more complicated logistics. On top of that, Juneau is the only city where I noticed a reliable car share service (Lyft or Uber) for getting around.

If it is your first time in Juneau, you can absolutely plan your own perfect 9 hour day in the city using Uber or Lyft as your main transportation, while also saving money along the way. For example, booking a cruise excursion to Mendenhall Glacier costs $81 per person for a round trip bus ride plus 2.5  hours to explore on your own. For a group of six, that adds up to $486. By contrast, we planned it ourselves and took a Lyft XL, which cost $46 dollars one way. That also gave us the flexibility to stay longer or leave earlier to see other parts of the city.

We were able to visit these 4 areas in Juneau in 9 hours

• Mendenhall Glacier

• Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

• Tracy's Crab Shack (for dinner) 

• Downtown Juneau

I recommend doing it in that order because it lets you visit the most important sites first, while also traveling in a way that naturally brings you back toward the boat by the end of the day.

Be prepared to leave the cruise ship as soon as it docks in order to maximize your time on land. When the ship arrives at 1:30 p.m., the first thing you should do is call a Lyft to Mendenhall Glacier. For some reason, only Lyft is allowed to drop off and pick up at the glacier. Uber can go anywhere else, but not there, as confirmed by my Lyft driver. Calling a ride from the cruise port area was quick as it only took about six minutes for our Lyft to arrive.

At the Mendenhall Glacier drop off zone, you will find restrooms and a welcome center. Since Mendenhall Glacier is a national park, there is a $5 per person entry fee. If you have an annual park pass, you can get in for free. I am not sure how strictly they enforce the fee since it seemed to run on the honor system, but please, pay the extra $5 to help support the national parks.

I read a lot of online forums (Reddit) that mentioned there may or may not be cell service at Mendenhall Glacier, but I can confirm that there is reception (we had T-Mobile) almost everywhere in Juneau, including at the glacier. Though the closer you get to the glacier itself, the spottier it becomes. At the restrooms and visitor center, there is plenty of coverage to use the internet or to call a Lyft back into the city. 

When you are at Mendenhall Glacier, you can stay at the visitor center and enjoy the views, or better yet, take one of the trails to get closer to the glacier. I would recommend these three trails:

• Nugget Falls Trail – A 2.0 mile out and back trail that takes you to a waterfall and gets you as close to the glacier as possible.

• Photo Point Trail – A short 0.3 mile trail leading to an overlook area that offers great views and photo opportunities of the glacier.

• Steep Creek Trail – This trail was partially closed during my visit, so I am not sure of the full loop distance. What I did see, though, was plenty of salmon swimming upstream. Lots of salmon.

After a couple of hours at Mendenhall Glacier, it was time to move on to the next stop, the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery. While Lyft was generally easy to use, I noticed that getting a ride back in the direction of the cruise port was a bit more difficult. Both Uber and Lyft rides took about 15-20 minutes to arrive, but at least they showed up, and they were still cheaper and more flexible than any excursion.

The ride from Mendenhall Glacier to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery cost $36 for an XL. The hatchery is a facility where salmon are raised to help increase their populations. You also get to learn about how salmon make their way upstream. Entry is $7/person, and it makes for a fun stop where you can watch salmon swim up a ladder.

After visiting the hatchery, it was time for dinner, and we just had to try Tracy’s Crab Shack. Anyone and everyone you ask will tell you to eat there. Be prepared, it is not cheap. Expect to spend around $100 per person, but in return, you get the largest crab I have ever seen. We figured the main Tracy’s Crab Shack location would be packed with cruise passengers, so we opted for the Tracy’s Crab Shack 2 location instead. There was plenty of seating and no wait at all! Uber/Lyft was another $27!

Travel Tip - check out the Tracy’s Crab Shack 2 for shorter wait times! 

We ended up ordering the largest Alaskan King Crab Bucket along with plenty of side dishes to fill our hungry stomachs. I do unfortunately have to mention that almost all of our king crab legs seemed overcooked, previously frozen, or something was off, since the meat was brittle and falling apart. There was two clusters that were fresh (out of eight), which gave us some good meat to compare. That said, it was not all bad. We were hungry enough to finish everything and stuff ourselves, which kept us satisfied for the rest of the day. While I had hoped it was just a one time issue, I later met other people on the cruise who also went to Shack 2 as well and said they had the same disappointing experience with the crab. Maybe it was simply a bad day. Hopefully others had better luck.

After dinner, we still had about 2-3 hours to explore historic downtown Juneau. This was just a short walk from Shack 2 so no need to spend $$$ on transportation. This was the place to pick up souvenirs, Alaskan snacks, and jewelry. As I mentioned in my previous cruise post, there are plenty of jewelry stores where you can walk in and get small freebies here and there. Just be sure to bring the coupons provided by the cruise. Jewelers hated us. 

Once you are done exploring, make sure to return to the ship before departure time. If you’re still hungry or have some extra energy, you can grab more food/desserts on board or enjoy the late night activities the cruise has to offer.

Rest up, because the next day is another full day on land, this time in Skagway (coming soon).