Chances are you visit Alaska once in your lifetime.
“The Alaska Cottage” is a well-appointed comfortable, quaint, whimsically theme-based space that visually and intellectually transports guests with snapshots of Alaska's past, and its travel eras gone by. The Alaska Cottage is a safe, calm space, filled with character, wrapped in educating guests about Juneau it’s history, surroundings and numerous locations within Southeast Alaska that have been marketed by many steamers/cruise ship lines and air carriers as destinations for travelers for well over 100 years.
Today travelers choose Juneau and various locations within Southeast Alaska as destinations for many of the same reasons as travelers did over 100 years ago. Since you may be contemplating Juneau and the surrounding area as a destination “The Alaska Cottage” is comfortable, intimate; filled with historic sea and air travel Alaskana, each telling different stories. An intellectually and visually stimulating space to base your adventures out of. Chances are you visit Alaska once in your lifetime.
There are 154 National Forests in the U.S. the Tongass National Forest is the largest. The Tongass is the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on the planet, and the tropical rainforests in Brazil are the largest intact tropical rainforests remaining on the planet. However, unlike over 100 years ago the temperate rainforests of the Tongass National Forest face ongoing threats from resource extraction and are steadily disappearing, much like Alaska's receding glaciers. God isn’t making “old growth” forests or wild places anymore…
There are many lovely vacation rentals in Juneau that tout travelers amenities like fire pits, hot tubs and maybe sit and admire the view etc., regardless of touted amenities, this host believes if Juneau and the surrounding area was chosen as destination, the guest should make an effort to actually be a participant and get out and see and or experience Alaska, so with that in mind this host of “The Alaska Cottage” will encourage you to go out and see Alaska.
It’s well documented that most travelers who visit Alaska hope that during their visit they will see, Humpback Whales, Bald Eagles and Brown Bears. The host of The Alaska Cottage with a 43-year career in wildlife conservation and wildlife research field participating in a wide variety of wildlife research projects from Mysty Fiords National Monument to the south end of the Tongass all along the mainland to Yakutat Forelands and Wrangell St. Elias National Park/Preserve to the north end of the Tongass and including most of the major islands making up the Tongass National Forest. There are few locations within the Tongass this host is not familiar with or has not done some kind of wildlife work in some capacity. With this background, this host is a fountain of knowledge on the flora and fauna that inhabits the temperate rainforests of the Tongass National Forest combined with extensive historical knowledge of Juneau and much of Southeast. With this knowledge, LaVern is all about sharing and educating guests about Juneau and the local area and the entire Tongass natural history as an eco-system. Even if a guest were to just stay along the Juneau Road system, there is lots to see and do, you can’t see it all in 3-4 days.
If guests found it useful, LaVern could help direct guests in what adventures might be worthy to explore for the time-period during your Juneau based visit or beyond Juneau.
Below are just a few well-known and public destinations along the Juneau Road system. If interested this host could reveal privately additional destinations etc.
The Alaska Cottage is located…
1. 3.4 miles to the Juneau International Airport/Car Rentals. The Alaska Cottage has private driveway parking for two vehicles.
2. A 7-minute walk to the closest City Bus Stop.
3. 1 mile to Super Bear Grocery/Safeway/Asian Garden/Dominos Delivery/Post Office/Gas
4. 5.1 miles to Auke Bay/Harbor Master Office/boat harbor/whale watching/sport fishing/Forbidden Peak Brewery/Food/Gas.
5. 5 miles to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.
6. 2.2 miles to the 1930s Skaters Cabin along the shores of Mendenhall Lake/Trail Head to West Glacier Trail/Montana Creek/Shooting Range/Community Garden.
7. 5.9 miles to Alaska State Ferry Terminal.
8. 14.3 miles to Shrine of St. Teres.
9. 14.7 miles to Jensen-Olsen Arboretum.
10. 31.3 miles to Echo Cove boat launch/camp ground. Juneau essentially has four ends of the road; Echo Cove would be the longest drive to one of the four ends of the road.
11. 3.2 miles to Fred Meyer one stop shopping//Gas. The host’s preferred store.
12. 9.8 miles to the downtown bridge spanning across Gastineau Channel from the mainland connecting to Douglas Island. Douglas Island is pretty much a “bedroom community” with few businesses.
13. 12.6 miles to the touted Douglas Island Pub/Pizza.
14. 12.8 miles to Douglas Island’s Sandy Beach, one of four ends of the road.
15. 21.8 miles to Douglas Island’s Eagle Crest Ski Area.
16. 22.5 miles to North Douglas Island and one of four ends of the road.
17. 9.1 miles to Aurora Harbor/Harbor Master Office
18. 10.6 miles to the State Capital.
19. 10.1 miles to Governor’s Mansion.
20. 9.6 miles to Alaska State Museum.
21. 10.7 miles to “old historic Juneau” city center and where up to 8 “Love Boats” moor daily during summer months.
22. 10.1 miles to The Hanger On The Wharf restaurant. Located in a historic airplane hanger from the 1930s built on pilings along the waterfront, never seen before views can be had from the Hanger of the busy downtown harbor atmosphere with massive Love Boats larger than any building in Juneau and commercial fishing boat traffic along with float plane tours going to and coming from the Taku Lodge.
23. 16.5 miles to Sheep Creek along Thane Road.
24. 19.5 miles to the end of Thane Road, one of four ends of the road, plus the trail head for the Dupont Trail.
