Gold Panning and Yummy Maple Alaskan Salmon Bake, Juneau, Alaska

This is was an experience that everyone should take.  I can't tell you how much we all enjoyed this wild adventure in Juneau.

I booked this tour before we sailed and I am so happy I did.  The guide looked just like River Phoenix and had a fabulous accent.  We bused to the Chilkoot area where a gold mine used to be and oh the stories we were told about the mine.

Layla starts our adventure by playing her harmonica on the bus to get us geared up. I'm not sure if the video below will work so hopefully it will.  We arrive at the river where we would begin panning for goal.  We sprayed bug spray on us, picked out our gear like our shovels and panning dish and set off for the short walk to the river.  We watched a display on how to pan and I was so glad to see how it was done.  The kids picked up the panning really well.

The interesting thing here for me was when the guide said the water was only 30 degrees, which to me meant Celsius but it was in Fahrenheit and it was cold!!!  We all got into the grove of panning when one at a time shouted out, "we found some gold I think".  Our guide would come over and look and tell us if we did indeed find gold.  After all of us actually found gold in our pan, he then told us to go over other sites on the river to see if we could then find nuggets, so off we went.  Unfortunately, no one found any nuggets but it was fun trying.

We then went to the Chilkoot Gold Mine and had the most wonderful maple salmon bake, considering we three didn't eat salmon even though we live on the East coast of Canada.  I have to tell you though, the salmon was really awesome and they had lots of other foods including great salads to choose from.  While we enjoyed the delicious dinner, there was a singer playing for us and he was really good.  The surroundings of the Salmon Bake was beautiful! There was a little pond by the actual place they baked the salmon.  The kids explore further away near the actual Chilkoot Gold Mine and took amazing pictures of the old mine and wood relics and of the beautiful waterfalls.

Folks, it is truly one adventure you all need to take once in your life and we are so glad we did!  Enjoy the pictures.

Off we go with our panning equipment.

Our guide

I can't believe we were actually panning.  There is another group in the back ground.

He does look like River, doesn't he??!!

This was the pond by the Salmon Bake

The eating area.

This is where they cooked the salmon.

Amazing water fall near the Salmon Bake.

A piece of the old Chilkoot Gold mine floating in the river.

More pieces of the old gold mine.

Wonderful to see the relics of history long gone.

Hard to describe except to say INCREDIBLE!

A broader picture of the Salmon Bake and eating area.

The kids with the statue of an old gold miner.

Kids eh!!!?

My sore feet resting on the ride back.