End of the Road

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Juneau is self-contained.  While there are a number of roads in Juneau, the only way to get here is by boat or plane.  You can't get here by driving, but you do need to drive once you get here.

Alaska Route 7 is the main north-south road on this peninsula that runs about 40 miles. We drove the entire length to where it ends at Echo Cove some 30 miles north of downtown Juneau.  The views and scenery are well worth the drive.  Most visitors that come, especially by cruise ship, typically don't venture that far, but they're missing out.

When you drive "out the road" as the locals would say, there are several state park areas and beaches with public access.  There is also the National Shrine of Saint Therese, a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Juneau. Saint Therese is the patron saint of Alaska, and this site began some 80 years ago as a place of spiritual retreat and refuge.  There is a lovely stone chapel that sits on a small island jutting out into Favorite Channel and is connected by a permanent causeway.  It is quite the idyllic setting, and I can understand why folks come for a spiritual retreat. 

Japanese Butterbur

Just past the shrine is the Juneau-Olson Arboretum.  The arboretum was a gift to the City of Juneau from Caroline Jensen who was a local master gardener.  Located on about 14 acres next to Pearl Harbor on the Inside Passage, it's home to a nationally-accredited collection of primrose.  They have several species rarely seen in other parts of the United States.

We drove out all the way to Echo Cove and we were driving through lush forest, surrounded by snow-capped mountains on one side and spectacular views of the inside passage and the Chilkat mountains on the other side.  After our initial bout of rain when we first arrived, we've been blessed with abundant sunshine and blue skies.  Plus, with the midnight sun we've been experiencing, we have this awesome scenery most of the day.

Alas, we've reached end of the road of our trip as well.  The past two and a half weeks have been wonderful.  A much-needed, soothing tonic to our recent stresses and an incredible first trip post-covid.  It will not be our only trip to the Last Frontier.