Nauti Adventures: How a Surprise Cancellation Resulted in the Best Time

Since our up-close glacier tour was canceled (see more here), we decided to explore downtown Juneau on our own. We visited Mendenhall Glacier a few years ago on a cruise, so we avoided the crowds and explored downtown instead. We had very little time in town on our previous visit.

Our Tour Was Canceled, Our Fun Won’t Be

A large whale statue, breaching from the water, is set against a backdrop of forested mountains and hillside homes. Water splashes around the base of the sculpture. — The Beauty of Tahku by Gal Reinventing.

A large whale statue, breaching from the water, is set against a backdrop of forested mountains and a bridge. Water splashes around the base of the sculpture. — The Beauty of Tahku by Gal Reinventing.

Our first stop was the Tahku The Whale Sculpture by R.T. Wallen. It was about a mile from the cruise ship as the crow flies, if you ask me, but it was a nice walk. We put our lives back in our “navigator’s” hands as we traveled along the shoreline. We saw a few eagles on our way, including one with a wiggling fish in its talons.

A bald eagle with dark wings and a white head flies through a cloudy gray sky, carrying a fish in its talons above the roof of a building. — Capturing Breakfast by Gal Reinventing

A bald eagle with dark wings and a white head flies through a cloudy gray sky, carrying a fish in its talons above the corner of a building. — Capturing Breakfast by Gal Reinventing

A bald eagle perches on a branch in the middle of a large, dense evergreen tree, blending into the green foliage of a forested landscape. — To the Victor Goes the Spoils by Gal Reinventing.

A juvenile bald eagle and two crows stand on a mossy, weathered wooden pier near a small shed painted with a large watermelon and red text. — To the Victor Goes the Spoils by Gal Reinventing.

Miraculously, I captured a photo. It wasn’t easy since both the bird and fish were moving. To make matters worse, I was in the middle of changing the camera lens when said eagle took flight. The photo is not as crisp as I would have liked, but I am not mad about it. I got the shot, and that is all that mattered.

We also enjoyed beautifully sculpted totem poles on the path to the sculpture. Both the totem poles and the humpback whale were impressive. I didn’t see many people headed to the sculpture, but I would recommend checking it out if you are ever in Juneau.

A tall, carved wooden totem pole featuring stacked figures painted in red, black, and blue, standing outdoors against a cloudy sky, am three story building with windows and green trees. — He caught a fish!

A tall, carved wooden totem pole featuring stacked figures painted in red, black, green, and blue, standing outdoors against a cloudy sky and green mountains. — He caught a fish!

Time For Refreshments

After our 2-mile (give or take a bit) trip to and from Tahku, we were all a little thirsty and decided to try out a local Alaskan Brewery, Devil’s Club Brewing Co. We mainly did this for my brother, who enjoys trying local brews, but I will admit that I liked the ones we got in our flight. They were lovely and refreshing, especially the blueberry pie one. I’m not a beer person, but it was a fun experience.

A wooden flight board holds three small glasses of beverages in white, red, and gold, with a handwritten menu card listing them as cider varieties. — Sampling the Brewery by Gal Reinventing.

I Will Not Miss Out Again

Our next stop was right across the street. Now, a little backstory. The last time we were in Juneau on a cruise, my main goal was to eat some freshly caught salmon and some fish tacos. I acquired the salmon while on our land tour at the Cabin Nite Dinner (see more here), but I still needed those tacos.

The last cruise line we sailed with kept docking many, many miles away from the ports. This required taking buses into almost every port, which caused huge delays. We sometimes stood in line for 45+ minutes to get on the bus. We faced a longer wait to return to the ship, which reduced our time in port.

Tacos Make Up For Canceled Tours

Even though I was sad that our tour in Juneau was canceled, I was happy that I was finally going to get those fish tacos. I still had the name of the restaurant I had picked out from our last trip… Deckhand Dave’s. It was everything I hoped it would be. I am glad I did not build it up so much in my head that it led to disappointment. I will be dreaming about those tacos and the halibut chowder for a very long time.

A white paper bowl contains creamy soup with herbs and two white plastic spoons. — Creamy Halibut Chowder

A fish taco in a paper tray, topped with slaw, salsa, creamy sauce, and cilantro, served with a lime wedge on a wooden surface. — Creamy Halibut Chowder

Bellies full, we did a little more exploring of the downtown area. This, of course, meant a lot of shopping. My brother was a good sport, and we took him to another brewery towards the end of the day. Unfortunately, the place was packed, so he headed back to the ship while the rest of us continued exploring the shops and buying souvenirs.

Going with the Flow

Overall, it was a wonderful day. It didn’t go as originally planned, but sometimes vacations require you to go with the flow. I am not always good at this, since I am a born planner. It is difficult for me not to let canceled plans turn into disasters.

However, I need to challenge myself, step outside my comfort zone, and let go of situations that I don’t control. That’s what this blogging journey is all about. It wasn’t easy, but going with the flow resulted in a perfect day with my family and bestie. I couldn’t ask for more.

Stick around because next week we explore Skagway and a small portion of the Canadian Yukon. I hope you have enjoyed my travel stories as much as I have enjoyed sharing them.