It’s the ultimate trick question on quiz shows. What state capital cannot be reached by road? That’s easy! It’s obvious that you can’t drive to Hawaii and you can drive to Alaska. Gotcha! Juneau, the capital of the state often called The Last Frontier, is surrounded by ice and the sea. For years there has been talk of extending the road to Juneau but for now you and your motorcoach can reach this dazzling city only by ferry.

And therein lies the tale. Just whisper the word Alaska and hearts quicken. It’s a destination so large you could travel it forever and never see it all; so remote many motorcoach travelers can only dream about making the trip; so varied there’s something here for everyone from art collectors to big game hunters. With thousands of miles of eye-popping highway scenery to be seen in Alaska, why maroon yourself and your motorcoach on an island?

Once you’ve made the water jump to Juneau, you can find miles of highway including the 40-mile drive between downtown and Echo Cove. From the cockpit of your coach, marvel at views ranging from tidal beaches and old-growth spruce and hemlock forests to ice fields and alpine meadows. Drive the scenic road that follows Gastineau Channel. Rubberneck the Mendenhall Loop and the Douglas and North Douglas highways. Each day, drive to a new trailhead for hikes ranging from less than a mile to walks of 13 miles or more.

It’s a destination so large you could travel it forever and never see it all; so remote many motorcoach travelers can only dream about making the trip.

Your motorcoach can serve as home base while you see it all. Take the fast ferry day trip to Glacier Bay. Go dog mushing. Sign on with ERA helicopters to take a sightseeing flight over the glaciers: you can even land on one. From the air you’ll see the entire, endless Juneau Icefield, which covers 1,500 square miles of mountains and glaciers. Next, allot an entire day for a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier. The visitor center has plenty of parking area for a big motorcoach. Inside the center, see a live program, film, souvenirs and displays. Hike all the trails, not just the popular trail to the glacier. During salmon spawning, trails and bridges provide a front row seat at one of nature’s most compelling shows.

Sitting at the base of Mount Juneau on the edge of the Juneau Icefield, the little city named for gold prospector Joe Juneau is a major port for huge cruise ships that spill out thousands of people at a time. Crowds downtown can be crushing when two or more mega-ships are in port, but these population explosions support a large concentration of sightseeing attractions in a very small area. In your motorcoach, it’s easy to schedule your own sightseeing to avoid the throngs.

From the cockpit of your coach, marvel at views ranging from tidal beaches and old-growth spruce and hemlock forests to ice fields and alpine meadows.

Pick a clear day to ride the aerial tramway to the top of Mount Roberts for the view from the summit. Dine in the restaurant, see the movie and native artists at work, and hike nature trails. Then take the tramway back down to Franklin Street. The trail up and down the mountain can also be hiked one or both ways (one-way tram tickets are available) but the tram ride over the forest is not to be missed.

Take a day-long sightseeing cruise to explore the waterfalls and glaciers of Tracy Arm fjord. Leave the motorcoach in the campground and climb aboard a wilderness adventure with Cruise West. Its small, expedition ships make week-long round trips out of Juneau to probe deep into glacier country where large cruise liners can’t go. A full-time naturalist is on board to identify wildlife, scout for whales, and lead shore ventures in zippy Zodiacs. It’s a 24-hour nature show and, if you request it, they’ll send someone from the bridge at any hour of the day or night to alert you when another nature sighting is spotted.

Another day trip takes you by floatplane or boat to Fords Terror, a fjord with sheer rock walls that earned its name in 1889 when it trapped a ship for six, terrifying hours. Take day trips to look for whales or bears, fish for salmon and halibut, or just goggle at the awesome shoreline. Fish for Dolly Varden along almost any saltwater shore or get current local knowledge for fishing the king, pink and silver salmon season. Attend services at the old, log Chapel-by-the-Lake overlooking Auke Lake. Drive the gravel causeway to the stone Shrine of St. Therese, where summer masses are sung at 1 p.m. each Sunday, and tour St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in town. It dates to 1894.

Take day trips to look for whales or bears, fish for salmon and halibut, or just goggle at the awesome shoreline.

Compared to the other 49, as a capital city Juneau puts on a modest show. The Capitol with its marble columns dates to 1931; the stately Governor’s Mansion was opened in 1913. Both can be seen on self-guided walking tours in this small, walk-able city. The small, downtown area is a pleasant place to browse specialty shops and galleries, sample the many good restaurants, hang out in coffee shops and Internet cafes, and stop at points of interest. Supermarkets and superstores with large parking lots are near the airport and in the Mendenhall Valley.

City maps are available at the ferry terminal where you’ll disembark in your coach, downtown at cruise ship terminals, and at a visitor information kiosk on the waterfront. Simply walk up one street and down the next. Sold in shops for $8.50 is 90 Short Walks Around Juneau, a must for serious walkers and hikers. Stroll the waterfront boardwalk to see displays describing the area’s many lighthouses. The waterfront also has a memorial dedicated to the USS Juneau. She fought valiantly at the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II, but was sunk by a torpedo with the loss of 700 hands including five brothers.

The Alaska State Museum is an important stop because it depicts the entire state, but don’t miss the smaller Juneau-Douglas City Museum. To see them both can occupy an entire day. Visit Marine Park to photograph the famous Hard Rock Miner sculpture and listen to a free, Friday evening summer concert. Spend a rainy day in the reading room at the Juneau Library. It’s on the fifth floor atop the four-story parking garage downtown. Even if you’re not a reader, stop in for the bird’s eye view of the surrounding sea channels.

The small, downtown area is a pleasant place to browse specialty shops and galleries, sample the many good restaurants, hang out in coffee shops and Internet cafes, and stop at points of interest.

Years before the Klondike gold rush, prospectors came to Juneau to mine gold in Gold Creek. Thousands of miners bored through miles of rock, moved tons of ore, and made millions of dollars for mine operators until the end of World War II, when mining became less profitable. Today, mine ruins seen from the water or stumbled upon in wilderness hikes are merely quaint relics of times long past. They’re so popular, guided and self-guided hikes are offered to see them.

Juneau’s mines may be played out but when it comes to tourism pleasures, the capital-you-can’t-drive-to has hit the motherlode.

For more information: Alaska Tourism, (800) 862-5275, Also, Juneau Convention & Visitor Bureau, www.traveljuneau.com or (888) 581-2201.

Campgrounds: Spruce Meadow RV Park, (907) 789-1990 has full hook-ups. The city also has other public campgrounds and two dump stations.

Getting around: city bus service is frequent and inexpensive and is the best way to get downtown, where roads are narrow and parking spaces for a motorcoach are hard to find. The city’s major highways are the 40-mile-long Glacier Highway, the Mendenhall Loop Road and the Douglas and North Douglas highways.

Getting There

Ferries serve Juneau out of Skagway and Haines. Both can be reached by road. Contact Alaska State Ferries, or (800) 382-9229.

Tote Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) carries vehicles between Anchorage AK and Tacoma WA, sailing twice a week. There is no passenger service, but you can ship the motorcoach one or both ways and fly to meet the ship. Contact In Anchorage, telephone (800) 234-8683; in Tacoma, call (800) 426-0074. From Anchorage, it’s 775 miles to Haines, where you and the coach catch the ferry to Juneau.