Things to do / Travel Guide
You've flown in, you've rented a car, and now you're all set for you're romantic trip to the Alaska Panhandle. This ain't no weekend getaway! You've got fjords to explore, rainforests to enjoy, mountains to stand in awe at the foot of - all while staying in comfortable bed and breakfasts and eating you're favorite food - fish! (Hope you like fish.)
There are several areas to explore, and you'll by no means be able to reach all of them, but Juneau and Ketchikan should be your guiding lights. You see, Alaska is BIG - bigger than you can imagine, and the Panhandle follows this rule. There are hundreds of islands in the region, some small, some quite big. The city areas of Juneau and Sitka are both bigger than Delaware, and almost bigger than Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined.
Romantic Activities and Accommodations in Juneau
Venture out and leave your amenities behind, for spectacular romantic day trips by helicopter, by foot, by snowshoe, or by dogsled. See where icebergs are born and set out to sea, in Glacier Bay. These views will have you swooning, of beauty beyond words. The mountains loom up spectacularly on either side of the glacier as well.
You'll probably want to use Juneau as a base for your exploration of Glacier Bay. Thankfully, just in time for the cruise tourists, a number of bed and breakfasts have sprouted up the past few years, and these have established names for themselves as welcoming and amenity-filled.
One of the best is Alaska's Capital Inn Bed and Breakfast. The furnishings are arts and crafts and rustic, the furniture comfortable and plush, and the bathrooms include large claw-foot soaking tubs - the Governor's Suite contains a double whirlpool tub and a fireplace. The breakfasts are scrumptious, the perfect thing to wake up to. A highlight is dungeness crab eggs benedict, though the sautéed apples with cinnamon sauce can't be beat.
Another Juneau favorite, located a short distance from Capital Inn, is taking a ride on the Mt. Roberts Tramway, heading to the heights of Mt. Roberts, where there's a restaurant and gift shops, as well as hiking. The views are beautiful, and this is one of the Panhandle's most popular and romantic attractions.
Romantic Dining in Juneau
Juneau boasts some excellent seafood restaurants, the most romantic probably being Gold Creek Salmon Bake. It's outdoors, but translucent domes protect you from the elements. Everything else is outside. The food is outstanding - they really have something special at this joint - and the ambiance is friendly and native. It'll remind you a bit of Hawaii, and not just because of all the rain.
Romantic Activities and Accommodations in Ketchikan
South of Juneau is Ketchikan, the gateway to Misty Fjords National Monument. Misty Fjords is the scene of more natural beauty, the work of glaciers pushing their way for millions of years. Ketchikan also is proud to display the world's largest collection of totem poles. Also, guys looking to impress their ladies, or to propose for that matter, should be aware that the city contains more than 70 jewelry stores in one square mile - you're bound to find something she likes. Just keep looking!
Where to stay in Ketchikan is no problem, and the best place is probably Black Bear Inn. This is a luxury waterfront inn, replete with the best amenities including flat-screen televisions in every room, rooms decked out in carefully-crafted furniture, covered porches and fireplaces, deep oversized soaking tubs in the bathrooms, and more. The grounds are a haven for birds as well, with seagulls, ravens, and eagles alighting on the trees in their respective seasons.
Amidst all the fjords, the mountains, the glaciers and rainforests - or rather because of them - a romantic vacation can be had. It's all practically virgin, and it's some of the most beautiful country in all of the land. How better to experience it all than with someone you love?
We couldn't think of any way either. Have a great romantic vacation.
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