Today we are docked at the Alaska’s Capital City, Juneau.  Juneau has been the state’s capital since 1906 when the capital was moved from Sitka.  The city is named for a gold prospector from Quebec, Joe Juneau.  Although it has just over 32,000 residents, it is the third most populus city in Alaska after Anchorage and Fairbanks.

We are docked right in the heart of Juneau where the city sits at the base of Mount Juneau.  Juneau receives 16,000+ visitors DAILY from May-September, so I was excited we got the close berth.  Today’s excursion meets on the dock since our call time is not until 11 am.  There are multiple groups that have made the same excursion choice.

When last in Juneau, the three of us started the day taking the popular Goldbelt Tram up to the top of Mount Roberts.  I remember it being warmer at the top of the mountain in the sunshine than it was in the city.  In late April, a tram car came to an abrupt stop at the tram’s bottom terminal hospitalizing two of the five employees on board the car.  The tram was scheduled to reopen a month later after testing and repairs.  That didn’t happen and the tram has been closed indefinitely.   The tram was still closed during our visit.  (UPDATE:  Almost a month later the tram is still closed according to the Goldbelt website.)  It looks like it might lose the season.

Juneau is also a popular city to book major excursions from.  On our last visit, I took a helicopter to tour and land on Mendenhall Glacier.  It was awesome and I recommend it if it fits in your budget.  Boris and Rocky went fishing and had a wonderful time.  Fishing is a popular attraction in Alaska and many summer travelers come to Alaska exclusively to fish.  This trip we decided to try something completely different-visiting a summer camp for sled dogs.

Before our tour, we decided to walk around the city a bit.  We headed straight to the famous Red Dog Saloon.  Boris loves the logo which features a red terrier like our Peabody.  (Well, Peabody is not red, but he is a terrier.)  There was a long line of tourists trying to get in for food and drinks even first thing in the morning.  The workers lean into the iconic western saloon theme although the sound system has updated since “‘Ragtime Hattie’ played the piano in her white gloves and silver dollar halter top.”  The saloon dates back to gold mining days when this land was still was a territory and former owner “Gordie Kanouse would meet tour boats with his mule that wore a sign saying ‘follow my ass to the Red Dog Saloon’.”  Boris went a little crazy in the gift shop and I found a trucker hat for Peabody.  Although I suspect that Peabody would rather we just stayed home than bring him souvenirs. 

About 15 minutes before our tour, we checked in at the canopy over a portion of the dock.  Our driver took our group of 8 to the sled dog camp.  There was a larger group going and prior to the checkin, they had already divided the larger group into mush teams.  Gold Rush Dog Tours‘ facility is literally a summer camp for sled dogs.  The dogs are here to train and get away from the heat in their home states.  When we arrived, we got a look at the layout.  Each dog has his own house with his (actually mostly her) name on it.  The houses are in color groups with each musher having their own color assignment.

We started with an orientation in a yurt setup for the season.  They gave us an understanding of the structure of the camp and our visit.  The dogs had come from several states and have up to three training runs daily.  We are one of the first groups to go out with the dogs.  They are so excited to be going out on a run.  They are harnessed in pairs.  The lead dogs tend to be the more experienced and are often smaller.  Most of the dogs are female. They are usually retired by age 7.  The musher may choose to try out different combinations, both in the pairs and in their order on the line during their summer training.  Sometimes a newer dog is paired with a more experienced one to learn how to handle themselves.

When I heard where the dogs were from, I hoped we would get the musher from Minnesota since that is where my brother and our son Rocky lives.  We did, although Kara Grangroth lives farther north than my family’s homes near the Twin Cities.  We were in the orange group.  Kara has brought 30 dogs with her; 8 of those are her personal dogs (Viper, Emmi, Kenai, Misty, Kip, Katie, Tazer, and Koda). Her sister was the first one to get into mushing.  Kara and her sisters started True North Sled Dogs in 2015. Kara took over sole ownership in 2020 and she is the only one in her family that still competes and runs tours.

Once in the sled, you are not allowed to get out for safety reason and to not confuse the dogs.  Boris and I scored the front seat in the musher training sled.  The dogs were so excited and couldn’t wait to take off.  They are fast and love running.  We went down the road and through the trees with the mountains as the background.  Gorgeous. We took several breaks so the dogs could rest.  This is very hot weather for them.  Their favorite break spot  was in a water puddle. The puddle is kept filled specifically so the dogs can cool off.

Once back at the shelter where they were harnessed, we were able to interact with our sled dogs.  They were sweet, happy, and tired.  I couldn’t believe how hot they were when we touched them.  The dogs had dirty happy faces.  They like interacting with people and we were encouraged to pet them.  Lots of pictures were taken.

Leaving the dogs to rest, we went to another area where we had a chance to learn a little about sled dog racing and see some of the equipment they use.  They don’t actually put the little slippers on the dogs until the weather is below -4 degrees F.  They are not used for temperature control but to protect the pads of their feet from developing cuts.  Alaskan huskies have a special blood flow system in their legs and paws that keeps their feet warm naturally. Putting booties on in milder cold weather (26°F to 32°F) can trap heat and stop dogs from cooling down properly through their paws. 

Most sled dogs are mutts and you could see a variety of breeds in their appearance.  The tour ended with what for some people is the highlight (although I loved seeing the dogs in action), getting to hold an Alaskan Husky puppy.  Our puppies are 7 weeks old.  You are given a puppy based on your booking, so Boris and I had our own baby to love on.  (Don’t tell Peabody.). They were sweet and warm and loved to just fall asleep in your arms.  We took more pictures.  We also purchased the action shots of us on the sled and a joint picture with the puppy.

I liked the set up at Gold Rush Dog Tours.  Kara gave us lots of information, while making it personal and creating a greater understanding of Alaska’s state sport.  All of the staff live in tents on site for the season.  You can tell the dogs are well loved and cared for.  

After our excursion, we went back into town and tried to get into the famous Tracy’s for more King Crab.  However, the hordes of visitors that spend the day in Juneau had descended and it was packed. (Boris is not the most paitient when he is hangry.)  We went with our driver’s other king crab suggestion, the Alaskan Brewing Company and got a table right by the window so we could watch the crowds on Franklin Street.  I like a good cider on draft and Boris followed my lead and we each got a cider with our King Crab.  Cold crisp cider and excellent crab; I recommend it.

We walked around a little more, not realizing that Juneau was such a fashion mecca (see photo).  We moved a little out of the retail area and checked out the government buildings.  I just liked being able to look up and see Mt. Juneau whenever I wanted.  When we got tired of fighting the crowds, we got back on board the ship.  A note on Juneau shopping… many of the shops near the Goldbelt tram station along Franklin Street are owned by the cruise lines.  Just avoid those.  You will find more interesting, authentic, regional, and cheaper (but not necessarily cheap) items in the other shops.  You did not come to Alaska to buy fine jewelry, sun-changing tee shirts, and sheets anyway. 

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon on the ship and then returned to the dining room.  Our regular waiter had missed us yesterday and he continued my birthday celebration in the main dining room.  Afterwards, we went to see one of those performers that fills in the days when there is not a big production show.  Tonight it was magician Kyle Marlett.  He is starting a stretch on the Celebrity Summit and this is the first show of his run.  You can check it out on Facebook. He has been featured on The Tonight Show, Ru Paul’s Drag Show, America’s Got Talent, and Netflix’s Magic Prank Show.  He also appears to have taken the same excursions as we did in Sitka based on this social media postings.  It was a great show and we plan to see him again later in the cruise.

Tomorrow is Icy Strait Point, technically a new port for us.  It’s actually one of those made-up destinations like the cruise lines’ private islands in the Caribbean.  We’ll see how that goes.