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Juneau Salmon Bakes?


LMHCruise

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Hi all:

I noticed there are a few different Salmon Bakes in Juneau. We would like to end our day in port with one (I think)..How are they? Is any one better than the other? Are they located in walking distance for the cruise ships?

 

Thanks..

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We did just the salmon bake when we went. My impression is that many other tours end up at the very same salmon bake we were at, because busloads of people kept arriving with people who had just completed other activities. I'm not a seafood person, but my husband really enjoyed it, there was chicken for me. The location is near a river and if you walk a short distance you find a waterfall. It was a very beautiful location, and the food was fine. They also had live entertainment. So I think there is really only one salmon bake, but many other tours end there.

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We have done the Salmon bakes each time we are in Alaska. Our favorite is in Junea.We so the tour thru the ship. You can drive there and pay there for the luncheon. There is also one in Skagway , have also done this , good food and entertainment and lots of fresh air at both places.

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Gold Creek Salmon bake is easy via independent and they run a loop bus at the dock. Buy your tickets at a booth. This does do the cruise ship tours. But I really like Thane Ore House, with reservations they will shuttle to/from the dock, about 4 miles south.

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We took the RCI whale-watching cruise and the salmon bake at Orca Point Lodge in 2004.

 

This is what it looked like then:

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635649

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635650

 

View the pictures in 'original size' and scroll left toright with the browser scrolling bar.

 

P.S. The salmon very good.

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We were planning on doing the salmon bake in Juneau but I think we may have a problem with timing. We will be in port from 6:30a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We're doing whale watching with Capt. Larry from 9:30 to 1:00. And we'd like to see Juneau a little bit like the Mt. Roberts Tram or Mendenhall Glacier. Any insight to our timing would be great. Also, is there a salmon bake in Skagway as we have our longest time there. We intend to rent a car and go up to Emerald Lake and then stop at Caribou Crossing. We'd have time to do the salmon bake there if there is one and if it's a good one....any help is greatly appreciated.:confused:

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This what the salmon bake plate looks like at Orca Point Lodge near Juneau:

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/56069615

 

This is a nice lunch, but not necessarily something to die for. Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I'm going to assume that every place that mass-markets these lunches to hordes of cruiseline tourists in the Juneau area pretty much puts the same thing on a plate.

 

Likewise, a cruise operator that tours Auke Bay, whether it's "Captain Larry" or one of the other boats of similar size leaving from the same marina just north of Juneau, I have a hunch that to be able to stay in business they all offer pretty much the same thing. That is, they cruise the same route and see the same scenery. And they may all get lucky as when we were there to have nice weather.

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635651

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635648

 

We opted for the RCI shore excursion (the same as all the cruise lines offer) because it was convenient and we could do the whale-watching cruise and the lunch in one package. Finally, the bus ride to and from the ship and the cruise boat was mercifully short.

 

All these boat operators have some kind of guarantee that you'll see a whale. I guess we saw a whale. I guess we expected to see Shamu swim up alongside the boat. Not really. For awhile we didn't see anything, and then the guide would shout out "3 o'clock" and everyone would rush to the starboard rail, and by then it was gone. You'd wait there in eager anticipation, and then maybe you see something a half-mile away, a break in the water, maybe a log, maybe a whale.

 

Sea World it is not.

 

Just so you know.

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Thane Ore is a resturant, they used to have some outside tables but haven't been there in 2 years. Hopefully someone can give current information?

 

We were there last May and we loved it! There are outside tables and horseshoe pits as well. It's quite scenic especially when one of the Norwegian ships sailed by on their way out of Juneau! The best part though were the two eagles (one mature and one immature) who were up in a tree, just staring at us! We got some incredible close-ups of them and now about the food.

 

Everything was WONDERFUL! You have a full salad bar; and really tasty Salmon grilled to order; plus Beer Battered Halibut; and if that's not enough, Ribs. My way of thinking though...who would waste stomach room on ribs with all the local fish!

 

I'm hungry just remembering our great meal!

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To Paulmj: "All these boat operators have some kind of guarantee that you'll see a whale. I guess we saw a whale. I guess we expected to see Shamu swim up alongside the boat. Not really. For awhile we didn't see anything, and then the guide would shout out "3 o'clock" and everyone would rush to the starboard rail, and by then it was gone. You'd wait there in eager anticipation, and then maybe you see something a half-mile away, a break in the water, maybe a log, maybe a whale."

 

I assure you that all whale watching tours are not alike. We went with Capt. Larry last September and we saw so many whales we lost count. We saw two breach, there was a momma and baby that we saw repeatedly. Yes, to begin with the whales are some distance away, but then they came to see us. The captain even had some kind of sonar thing that we could hear the whales 'talking' under the water. Do your research and LISTEN to those that have experience like budget queen, brunolvr, and yukon.

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whale sighting guarantees grew from promotional advertising in Juneau (and locating the purple jet boat). There are whales available to be sighted on all of the "reputable" whale watch tours here in Juneau. That is why they offer the guarantee. The quality of the sighting and the experience varies with the operator (Captain).

 

Salmon bakes in Juneau are all excellent. Taku lodge is a great experience with float plane sightings of several glaciers and overall is a wonderfull experience (also spendy for some budgets). Thane Ore House is my favorite, as it offers some wonderfull views at sunset, and the option of indoor or outdoor dining with variable weather conditions. Salmon Creek offers similar food with umbrellas and heat sources which keep it comfortable. Prices vary with all these excellent salmon bakes. Choose what fits your budget and available time in Juneau.

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I assure you that all whale watching tours are not alike.

I said that based on good business practices, I had a hunch that all the boat operators offered the same thing as far as whale watching experiences are concerned.

 

You are definitively assuring me that they are not all alike.

 

Can I assume you've taken more than one whale watching cruise to have a basis of comparison? When I say we had a marginal experience and you say you had a wonderful experience, is it possible the difference may be less the work of the boat operator and perhaps related more the day of the week, the month of the year, and the condition of the sea and sky?

 

This kind of discussion is like people inquiring whether the seas were rough on a cruise they had taken. In real world conditions, what happened on the ocean to someone yesterday has no relationship to what will happen tomorrow.

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Capt. Larry - we have already decided to enjoy salmon at the Thane Ore House but wonder if they are open on Sunday. I've checked their website but didn't find that information there.

 

There are no Sundays during an Alaska summer. Every day is a work day. Sundays resume in late September....

 

Murray

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We took the RCI whale-watching cruise and the salmon bake at Orca Point Lodge in 2004.

 

This is what it looked like then:

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635649

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635650

 

View the pictures in 'original size' and scroll left toright with the browser scrolling bar.

 

P.S. The salmon very good.

 

 

These are some awesome pictures. I can't wait to go. Unfortunately Vancouver is not on my itinerary, but I'll have to make that and Glacier Bay part of my next trip.

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Hi, just wanted to add my recommendation for Thane Ore House. I was there in June 2005, thanks to the recommendation on these boards. I was travelling solo without a car and a very helpful gentleman at the Visitors Center called Thane Ore House. To make a long story short, the manager/owner of the Thane Ore House picked me up in Juneau and drove me to the restaurant where I had one of the best meals I can remember. The salmon & halibut were outstanding; the sides were impressive too. I sat inside and had great conversation with the staff and some other guests. It was a wonderful location and experience -- I'm going back to Alaska in July 2006 and am already anticipating dinner at Thane Ore.

 

They also drove me back to Juneau when I was finished! Couldn't ask for a better experience!

 

Kathy D.

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  • 1 month later...
We were planning on doing the salmon bake in Juneau but I think we may have a problem with timing. We will be in port from 6:30a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We're doing whale watching with Capt. Larry from 9:30 to 1:00. And we'd like to see Juneau a little bit like the Mt. Roberts Tram or Mendenhall Glacier. Any insight to our timing would be great. Also, is there a salmon bake in Skagway as we have our longest time there. We intend to rent a car and go up to Emerald Lake and then stop at Caribou Crossing. We'd have time to do the salmon bake there if there is one and if it's a good one....any help is greatly appreciated.:confused:

 

There is a Salmon Bake in Skagway. Its at Liarsville Gold Rush Camp and is a stoping point for a lot of the ship tours on RCI. You can book either the Salmon Bake or both the Gold Rush Camp and Salmon Bake.

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