Juneau is the capital city of Alaska. It is quite small, very isolated, but interesting to hundreds of thousands of cruise passengers each year.
It was settled in 1880 when gold was discovered by Joe Juneau and Richard Harris. Large-scale mining replaced panning in short order. During that first year, the area grew. A number of general stores sprang up, China Joe started a bakery, a blacksmith shop and a drug store went into operation, plus several saloon doors swung open. Indians from surrounding tribes were attracted to the mining district, too. By May 1881, an estimated 450 Indians and 150 whites populated the town. The city, which had been laid out in 1880, was formed in 1900, when it was named the territorial capital.
Today, Juneau is a wildlife hotspot and cultural jewel, rich in history, art, music and Native heritage. It has a population of about 35,000.
Cruise passengers only stay for about 12 hours but in that time there is much to see. There are several glaciers to choose from, but Mendenhall Glacier is the biggest and easiest to get to as you can actually drive right to it.
Wildlife enthusiasts are likely to catch a glimpse of a bear, bald eagle, or even a humpback whale while moving around and a variety of tours can get you near a black bear, Dall's porpoise, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, mountain goats, and Sitka blacktail deer.
The historic district has more than a few sights to offer in a small, walkable stretch. Don't forget to give yourself time to take in one of the many museum galleries. You should dine on locally caught seafood, visit one of the old saloons, and pick up handcrafted Native artwork to take home.