Why is whale watching in Juneau so incredible?

Long time Juneau residents and whale watchers Jamie Letterman and Ben Rubenstein sit down with Jennie to talk about why whale watching in Juneau is so incredible and their other favorite things to do in Juneau.

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Transcript

 Welcome to the Alaska Uncovered Podcast with me, your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, my occasional co-host and full-time husband, Jay, and I bring you accurate, helpful, and entertaining information about Alaska Travel and life in Alaska.





 



The Alaska Uncovered Podcast is supported by our Patreon members. We are so grateful for our Patreon members who keep us going. You can join them at patreon.com/alaska uncovered, and as a monthly member of the planning club, you can get your questions answered by me every single week.

It's a weekly ask me anything, and every week there's an extra episode with answering everyone's questions. It's really fun. So find us over there. Alright, enjoy the show.

  my guests today are Jamie Letterman and Ben Rubenstein.

Jamie and Ben are from Harv and Marv's, which is a whale watching company in Juneau, small local tour company. Like many of the group, many of the people who've been guests on this podcast and in fact, Jamie. And Louis who own this company together, were on episode five of the podcast three years ago. Can you believe that, Jamie?

Three years? I 

can't believe it's been three years. 

I know. It's so wild. Anyway, it's so wonderful to have you back. And in that episode we talked about a tour that was new at the time that will. Wrap back to kind of towards the end of this episode. But today we're really gonna focus on whale watching and why it's so special.

So Jamie, Ben, thank you for being here. And welcome. 

Thank you. It's a pleasure. 

Alright, so Jamie, can you just tell everybody, , a little bit about how,, you started your business, how did you get into Will watching? 

I was working in the travel industry for a local CVB and had an opportunity to work with, um, one of my friends who wanted to start a business. Doing statewide tours. So of course I jumped on that opportunity. And, um, fast forward a, a couple of years, I met Louis and, , we had the opportunity to buy the business that we had been working in.

And , yeah, we just kind of went from there, 

so full ahead. That's so, that's so cool. I love it., Ben, how did you get into Wales? 

So I kind of came about it from a back road that could, the same as Jamie., I've worked in the tourism industry for about 10 years. Started out as, uh, a guide in the lower 48.

I led cross country road trips for five years and then was a ski bum in Tahoe for, for the, the winters. But I came up to Alaska in 2019. Uh, 'cause it was, I needed my 50th state and so I, I came up to be an ice climbing guide on the Mendenhall Glacier. , And just fell in love with Juneau. Found some jobs, actually worked at the same CVB that Jamie worked at, uh, a few years ago.

And, you know, have. Stayed in tourism since, and just really excited to be bringing some of that experience and passion for tourism in general to the Whale Watch, , tour specifically. 

Love it. So, um, can you also just say what A CVB is for people who are listening and might not? 

Invention and visitors bureau.

So their function is, you know, bringing, helping to market the destination and bring in conferences and things. Yeah. Mm-hmm. 

Perfect. Love it. Okay, so Ben, can you talk a little bit about wi, why Whale watching is so fantastic? In Juneau. I mean, I really feel like it's the best place in the world and I don't live in Juneau, so I feel like I'm slightly less biased perhaps.

Um, but that's something people often will say to me is like, oh, well I saw Wales this other place. Like what's the big deal? So can you talk a little bit about why Juneau specifically is such a fantastic place for whale watching? 

Yeah. Um, you know, so I think whenever you are looking at wildlife tours, um, whether it's whale watching or bears or a safari or something like that, the most common questions that come up are how consistent do you, how consistently do you see the animals that you're looking for?

Uh, what kind of behaviors do those animals exhibit? In the area that you are gonna be touring in. And then also just, you know, the convenience and the comfortableness of getting to that area., And I think Juneau excels in all three of these. And the reason why we have such consistent whales and,, a lot of whales at that.

Is because we are the end destination for the humpback whales and their migration pattern. And when you think about some of the other whale watching, , destinations, especially along the west coast of the United States, those destinations, you can see a whale there, but that whale is just moving through the area.

It's either moving up. , North to come feed in Juneau, or it's going down to Hawaii or Mexico, uh, for its breeding grounds. And so you're really looking for a moving target. And the behavior that they're exhibiting in those areas is pretty static because they're just trying to move from point A to point B.

But here in Juneau, since we are their feeding ground, we get really unique fun behavior. Uh, and that behavior is tied to the fact that they don't eat. When they're not in Juneau, in the inside passage, you know, the, the migratory waters up and down the coast and then those southern breeding grounds don't really have, , much of any food source for the whales.

And so they come back here year in and year out,, because they know that we have so much food for them. The reason for that is actually because of the beautiful background and landscapes that you'll see on our tours as well. Uh, and it's those glaciers that we are so well known for. The Juneau Ice Field sits just east of town inside the coastal mountain range, and this ice field is the size of Rhode Island and averages about a thousand feet in thickness.

And there are 38 major glaciers that come up off of this ice field. Seven of which. Terminate, right in the Juneau area, you can see four different glaciers, uh, from the road system of Juneau, three glaciers, from our tours. And what happens is as these glaciers are coming down from the ice field, they're sliding and grinding along the rocks of the mountains, and they're creating this really.

Fine sediment known as glacial silt, and they pulverize this rock down to the base nutrients and minerals that it's made up of. And all of those particles eventually find their way to the ocean.. And once they're there, they become the food source for massive populations of plankton and krill. The plankton and krill, you know, they're the base blocks of pretty much every ocean ecosystem.

But here in Juneau specifically, they are the food source for her. Which are small bait fish, they're about four to six inches long. But it's notable because they have a incredibly high fat content. They're very oily fish., And because of that, the humpback whales love them because the humpbacks can get so many calories from.

Such small, tiny little fish. And so the whales come up here to feed on these massive populations of herring that we wouldn't have if we didn't have those glaciers. And it's a nice tie in to the environment and the landscape that you're witnessing these whales in. 

Yeah. 

And. When they're here with that feeding behavior, you know what they're doing to get to that food makes it a lot more entertaining because they're constantly up on the surface and then they're diving down to get to that food.

So you see lots of their humps. You see their flukes and their tails as they go down for dives and. You know, there's even more unique and special behavior with lunge feeding and bubble net feeding, which is where they'll actually work together, despite being really independent animals, uh, to kind of corral and create these large balls of bait fish that they can then.

You know, feed on collectively. And it's super fun and special to witness because you don't see that behavior anywhere else in the world, , because nowhere else in the world has the concentration of food the way that Juneau and the inside passage does. 

Yeah. And. 

That last point that I talked about, you know, the ease and the convenience of getting out to where the animals are.

While there may not be a road in or out of Juneau, uh, we're an easy direct two hour flight from Seattle and it's really not super hard to get here when you really think about it. And once you're in Juneau, it's even easier to get to where the whales are. A lot of whale watch destinations are along coast.

So you're trying to spot these whales against the flat horizon of the, you know, in our case, the Pacific Ocean. And it can be really hard to find them. And again, they're, they don't have consistent behavior. They're not in the same location every single day. And so you can spend an hour and a half, two hours, the majority of.

An entire tour looking for the whales. Where here in Juneau we're protected by all of the islands of the inside passage, so we have nice, calm waters. Yep. No big waves. We have the backdrop of islands in that. You know, contrast of the green forest and trees against the, the ocean and the water, uh, makes it easy to spot those, blows.

Makes it easy to spot those tails, and they're in the same place every single day because. This is where their food is. And so we spend maybe 15 minutes getting from where our boats are at in STAAR harbor, out to where the whales are very frequently and commonly seen. And when you think about how we give three hours, , to see those whales when we're on them in 15 minutes, it just means that you get a lot more time Yeah.

With the animals that you're there to see. And that's really, really special. 

It, it really is. I can attest to that. As someone who's been whale watching with you and in other parts of Alaska, um, several times, it really is very special and unique. One other thing I was thinking about while you were talking to Ben is something that, travelers will often ask me, which is like, well, I'm going on a cruise.

Like, should I go in another boat tour? And I'm like, yes. Because on a cruise ship you can still see whales, but you're seeing them from further away. And I just love when you're observing a whale or a group of whales for a while and you can, you can hear them breathe, you know, you can like hear them come up.

And that is just the coolest. I love that. 

Yeah. It's, there's. You can absolutely see whales, , from the boat. You can see whales from the ferry in Seattle. Right? Yeah. But it is such a different experience to be on a small boat that is purposefully and, you know, responsibly observing these animals. Yeah.

For an extended period of time. Yes. Um, you can get. Close, you know, and we respect all of the industry regulations, to maintain respectful distance from the animals and keep them safe, but you can get closer to them and you're just really with them in such a calm. Environment, you know, the seeing them from the deck of a cruise ship, wall water slides, and rock climbing walls and, playgrounds or going off all around you.

It's very different than being on one of our boats where everyone is there to witness these animals and, and experience that together. 

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So. Thanks for sharing that, Ben. Jamie, can we talk a little bit about like, what people can expect on the tour? So, so things like, this is a much smaller boat than a cruise ship, but it's not like a canoe, you know, like, so can you talk a little bit about like what, you know, are there bathrooms on board?

Is it heated? No. That, that kind of stuff. 

Sure. It's very, very important questions. 

Yeah. 

Um, so we do have, varying sizes in our fleet., And we do have the, you know, the original Harvin Marv six pack vessel, which, you know, anybody who knows us already knows that that's, that's a, that's a big thing for us.

You can also choose a mid-size boat. So we have boats that are 12 to 18 passengers, and then we do have some larger boats in our fleet as well. Some people might be a little bit shy about the larger boats, however, we're crude fully, and you know, there our staff is definitely ready to help anybody, anytime and be very attentive.

So it wouldn't, you know. Anyway, the boats are great. We have very nice vessels. , They all have restrooms. Uh, the larger boats have two restrooms. And I will say they're larger than a standard marine head, which is really nice. 

It is really nice, 

you know, and that is something for people to remember.

They do have restrooms, but they aren't large. Yeah. So, um, you know, they do in a pinch. And our have, all the boats have, enclosed cabins. , We have deck viewing areas on all the vessels as well, so folks can get outside and see the whales or they can watch from the inside because gosh, it's probably gonna rain.

When you're here, right? 

Yeah. Jamie, what if it rains? What happens then? Should I panic if it's raining? 

No. No, actually rains great.

It's, 

well for, for us, you know, it keeps us young. And I, my, you know, my favorite line is that none of the wildlife care that it's raining. 

Yeah. 

Right. They're already wet.

So 

yes, and I think that's really important, Jamie, because sometimes I think people think like, oh, I won't be able to see the whales if it's raining. I mean, that, that has not been my experience at all. No., Can in fact, if anything, sometimes it seems like you see more when it's raining, but maybe that's just anecdotal.

You know, you all are doing this every. Day. So like can you talk a little bit about how to like embrace the rain and not panic and know you're still gonna have a great time? 

Well, the easiest thing to remember is it, rains all the time and nobody's gonna melt and the tour will go on as expected. So, you know, we do get calls quite regularly. Folks will call, they've come into Juneau, they're on the ship, they're looking outside and it's raining. And they'll call and say, are you still going? It's really raining. 

Yes. 

Yes, of course. So unless it's, you know, excessively windy or excessively foggy, which you know, is a little bit unusual. Yeah.

Um, during the regular course of our season, then it's safe,, which is our number one, you know, deciding factor as to whether or not we'll go. . And. As long as it's safe. The whales don't care. The, the eagles don't care. The other marine birds, the porus, nobody cares that it's raining. 

Yeah. 

So put on your rain jacket and just come on.

Yes, yes. 

Wear a rain jacket. Have a great time. Woo-hoo. 

I mean, I've lived here for a very, very, very long time and you know, different people will tell you different things. We get between probably 260 and 300 days of rain a year. 

Yeah. 

And when it's not raining, it's probably not sunny. It's probably overcast.

Yeah. So while it seems dreary, Juneau is so beautiful and it's so beautiful because we have the rain. 

Yes. Yep. Absolutely., One thing I realized I, we should talk about a little bit more, and you know, either of you can, can answer this depending on what makes sense, but primarily you see humpback to, whales on your tours.

Are there other types of whales that you see on your tours or is it exclusively humpback whales? 

It's gonna be exclusively humpback whales. I mean, every once in a blue moon. And I probably would say less than probably twice in my entire time in this industry have I heard of anything different than a humpback.

So, 

yeah. It's 

probably not gonna happen. Although we do have, you know, your harbor seals and the sea lions. Yes. Other green mammals. Yeah. So entertaining. Yeah. We have lots of great stuff to see. 

Yes. Orcas 

are 

a little less, you know, prominent. Those are pretty rare as well. Although we do see them once in a while, so.

Yeah. Yeah. And there are other parts of Alaska. By the way, li listeners, where you do see other types of whales mm-hmm. We're talking specifically about the Juneau area here. Yeah. Yeah. And, and if you do whale watching in like Victoria or Vancouver or Seattle, that's gonna be orcas. So that's a completely different type of whale, different behavior and all kinds of different things.

Is there anything else, either Ben or Jamie, that you wanna add about Whale watching specifically before we transition to talking a little about the lighthouse and about Juneau? 

I. Mm. I don't think so. Other than just, you know, if, if folks are, are coming and they're worried about the weather, don't, don't worry.

Just, you know, grab your layers. Yeah. Don't worry about it. Yes. And be ready. Be ready. And, you know, we'll, we'll make sure that everybody has an amazing time. 

Yes. Yeah. Love that. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about Juneau Lighthouse Tours. So we're gonna come back to booking in a couple minutes, but so far we've been talking about Harv and Mars and um, we'll talk about how to book that.

Regardless of how you're getting to Juneau in a minute, but Juneau Lighthouse Tours is your sister company, and we did talk about that more in depth in the episode when that tour was fairly new three years ago. Uh, so what, I'd love to hear a little bit about how, how you kind of got into the Lighthouse tour and how that's different from your standard whale watching tours with Harv and Marv's.

Well, the Lighthouse tour was Louis' idea. , You know, in this industry we're always trying to think of, you know, interesting things that are appropriate to take guests out to see. And, you know, staying within our wheelhouse, which is things on the water mostly.. It was just an idea to do something different because there isn't a lighthouse tour here.

So it took a very long time. It was about seven years of r and d and planning and working with lots of different agencies, government agencies, local agencies, um, because as you can imagine, installing a dock and,, apparatus on a remote island in Alaska isn't just a one and done thing. No, there's a lot of regulations and rules that go along with that, so, yeah.

Fast forward and, we,, finally got everything in. And the difference really is that partway through the whale watch, everybody gets to disembark onto a remote, private, exclusive access island and explore a lighthouse area. That has been an operation since 1902. And just check out some really cool history that very few people here get to see even locals.

Yeah. So it's, it's just a really super cool component to be able to add to a standard well watch, which in itself is super cool. 

Yeah. 

Um, but yeah, it was just a matter of us trying to think of something new that we could offer people. 

Yeah. It, it's really. It's a really cool and unique tour and I'm so glad that you all took that on and it was really fun when, um, when I did it.

Um, is it Gary? Is that the guy that Louis worked with who was with the Historical Society on the like lighthouse part specifically? 

Yes. 

Gary. 

Gary Gillette. 

Mm-hmm. 

Yes. Yeah, Gary and Louis were, were there. I mean, I was pretty lucky 'cause I went with them and so I got to hear so much of that story and oh, it's just so cool.

And so your timing, interesting timing. 

Your timing for that trip was quite great. 

It really was. It was kind of miraculous, honestly. Oh, that was really cool. Yeah. Okay. So. Um, oh, one other thing that I would add that, that you both might not think is interesting, but I do, is that if you take that, the Lighthouse tour, you also get to do like a one-way drive out the road in Juneau.

Mm-hmm. And like nobody gets to drive out the road if they're visiting, unless they have a rental car. I think that's a really cool thing to experience in Juneau and it doesn't take very long, but it's cool to see something that other people don't get to see. True. Yes. 

Yeah. And I think that's the, I, that's my favorite part of the tour.

And not only is that, does that apply to the lighthouse and the island and the, the drive back, but it also kind of applies to the waters that we go through, uh, to get to the lighthouse. Yeah. And I think that is, it's a really cool part of the tour for me because the lighthouse sits. Kind of right on the cusp of what a, of what many operators would consider reasonable to get to during a regular tour.

Yes. 

And a lot of folks don't go that far north because they don't have to. There Oftentimes there are whales in between the Harbor and Sentinel Lighthouse, and so a lot of those tours, a lot of those boats are staying south. They're not going as far out. And so for that lighthouse tour, as you're going out to the lighthouse, it's very frequent for you to be more or less alone on the water, except for maybe some locals or the ferry or something like that.

It just kind of adds to that feeling of, you know. Experiencing the Alaska wilderness and you know, kind of getting away from what, you know, folks might consider, the tourist crowds and stuff like that. 

Yes. Yeah. I would say, you know, having done this tour that for. Having done more than one of your tours, but just comparing it for people who like to do unique, interesting, local, off the beaten track things when they travel The Lighthouse tour in Juneau is a really great way to do that.

And you know, like you said. It still includes the same amount of whale watching. This is just like kind of an extra thing that you're getting to do as well. It's very cool.

Ben, can you talk a little bit about how the booking process works and listeners, you, you already know that I personally am a big fan of direct booking for any tour in Alaska, including if you're visiting you.

On a cruise and you know, you can go on Harv and Marv's Whale watching Tour or the Lighthouse Tour, whether you're in Juneau on a cruise or on your own. And in fact, I have gone on your tours getting to Juneau both ways personally, right? So regardless of how someone is arriving in Juneau, talk a little bit about how.

To book and how that works. If I'm say, arriving on a cruise ship, how are you gonna know where to pick me up and all that stuff. 

Yeah, absolutely. I think the, like you said, the, the best advice that I can give is to book directly, and there are lots of reasons for this. Not only is that. Most often where you are going to find the best rate for you and your party.

Uh, so you know, that's the financial incentive of doing it. But it's also where you're gonna get the best. Customer service because you're talking directly to the people who are taking you out on the tour? Yes. We have an incredible team of dedicated reservation staff, who man the hour or man the, the phones and are inbox seven days a week.

And when you give us a call or when you email us. You are talking to the experts for that tour. Wait 

a minute, Ben, so if I call you, I'm gonna talk to a real live human being. 

Absolutely. Seven days a week. 

Amazing. Yeah, real people. Yay. Humanity. 

What a novelty. Right? 

I know. 

And you know, that's the exact reason why we do it.

Because we, we understand that there is this fatigue around. Automated systems. Yes. And booking online and trying to be your own detective when you're looking for an answer or a nuance to your situation, and that is. That's why we have that staff to be that resource and be that tool for you and your party.

Because the last thing that, a whale watching tour should be is stressful, right? Yeah. From, from go. Yeah. And so we're there to answer those questions about, uh, mobility and will I get back to the ship on time? Or where do you pick up from? And. You know, we are, we're there to kind of make sure that you feel very confident in what you're booking.

Because we want you to not have to worry about it. Yeah., And to that end,, when you book direct your pre and post, uh, tour communication, it's also gonna go a lot more smoothly. Mm-hmm. Because. We have your contact information and that's not, we're not gonna spam you into oblivion with marketing emails or anything like that, but, right.

You know, truly, when you book direct, we have your email and your phone number so that if there is a weather cancellation, if there is a slight change in timing, for whatever, whatever it might be. We can get in touch with you a lot more easily than if you book through the ship or a third party booking place, like Via Tour or Expedia.

Yeah. Yes. Such an important message, Ben, and I can just vouch for that, that that's very, very true from traveling all over Alaska personally and working with many, many, many travelers, it's a great way to go. Yeah. Okay. So for Lighthouse Tours listeners, Ben and Jamie have a discount for you. So this is just for the Lighthouse tour, not for Har and Mars.



Yeah, so we're, we're super excited to offer the listeners of Alaska uncovered, you know, a, an exclusive discount of 10%. , For our Juneau Lighthouse tours for the 2026 season,, it's, a flat 10% that you get when you book directly, , and it's super easy.

The code is just Alaska uncovered, no caps at all. , And when you input that. At the end of your checkout, you'll have a 10%,, discount applied to, your entire party's tickets. So there's no 

score, 

maximum or minimum ticket number or reservation size. It's just a flat 10% off. And we're really excited to, uh, have, have you guys on the tour.

I am so excited that you all are offering this to everybody. Thank you so much. It's very, very cool. Okay, so we've covered booking. I'll put the links,, for, uh, Harvard, Mars and Gino Lighthouse tours and the code in the show notes also. So let's talk for just a few minutes before we finish up about Juneau, because you both are.

Year round, long-term Juneau residents. So I'd love to know, um, first of all, what would be for each of you, what's one thing that you really think visitors should see in Juneau other than whale watching, obviously like in town? Um, what's something that you think is just a really cool thing for visitors? 

I, I would say, um, our state museum, which is amazing.

Mm-hmm. 

Mm-hmm. But also. , The city Museum, which gets overlooked and there is some amazing mining history and just all kinds of incredible Juneau history in the city museum and I think a lot of people miss that. , And then just walking downtown and kind of looking at some of those old houses. And for me it's more about scenery and seeing, you know, yeah.

Kind of this history side of things. You know, there's lots of good restaurants and things to do. But yeah, checking out those museums. 

Yeah, that's a great suggestion. Especially for rainy days. I love that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. How about you, Ben? What would you say? 

I, you know, not to echo, uh, Jamie, but I think it's just really sound advice.

Personally, it's something that I try to do everywhere that I go is, uh, walk around. , As incredible as, you know, the, the drive out to the harbor and the drive out the road, you know, all of that is when you're in a car, you're moving so quickly that you can miss quite a few things.

Mm-hmm. Um, and so go for a walk. , We. Have a beautiful, uh, dock and system of boardwalks right along the water. 

Yep. 

That's, you know, almost a mile and a half long and there are statues and totem poles and just so much incredible scenery and architecture. Yeah, just right there. Downtown. And then downtown itself, it's kind of a choose your own adventure.

You can stay just in the main, central area and it's extremely walkable. It's very flat. And it's just so saturated with food and stores and, you know, unique. Unique architecture that, you know, is reminiscent of that gold rush era. But for those that you know, might go a little bit faster or want to truly, you know, make sure they're getting their steps in, there are, you know, hiking trails that leave right from behind downtown.

Yep. , 

And you can very quickly find yourself on a path without a crowd around you. Yeah. Uh. When you get that chance, when you get that chance to, you know, walk into the Tonga rainforest and just stop and. Be quiet and still for a minute. I think that that, especially in contrast to some of the, the speed and the pace that, you know, cruising requires or people just kind of inherently accidentally take on when they're planning their vacation.

Yeah. 

Being giving you that chance to be still, I think is a really powerful experience. 

Yeah. It sure is. Can 

I have one more thing, Jennie? 

Of course. 

I just, I have to give a plug because we have some amazing local artists in this town as well. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And, and we do have some really nice local artisan shops.

, That, , are right in downtown. , There's a lot of great native art, but just art in general, and buying and seeing some of that local art is, is pretty incredible. 

Yes, absolutely. I totally agree with that. 

I don't mean paintings like from earrings to anything you can think of. 

Yes.

You're using a a bigger definition of that. Yeah. Okay. Couple more things before I let you both go. Sue. Favorite restaurant in Juneau, or favorite food option? I know this is kind of impossible 'cause Juneau is full of amazing food as our longtime listeners already know.

Good luck. 

Yeah, man. Um, 

I'm still thinking so 

Go ahead. Yeah, well maybe, maybe think about it from a visitor perspective. You know, if I'm in Juneau for the day and I'm visiting, where should I eat? 

My question because we do get asked that question a lot and some people just don't like seafood. 

Yes. 

So they wanna know where to eat in Juneau.

If you really, you know, like seafood, there's some great places down on the wharf. Ben, you might have some great suggestions for seafood as well.. Just so you know, we don't all eat crab legs every day. So I do love a 

burger. Unfortunately, 

it's my favorite food. I, I love salmon. But, um, anyway, you know, if folks like, you know, a good burger or Mexican, you know, there's definitely some different options.

We have some great food carts, and those food carts are so authentic, which, you know, most of them are anywhere you go, but,, I don't know that I have a favorite. 

Okay. Well that's still really good advice that you don't have to eat salmon if you don't want to. Yeah. But if you do want to, you can. 

Sure.

Yeah. Yeah. 

Ben. 

When I think of, you know, especially from the tourist or the visitor, uh, perspective, I think that there are two places that kind of combine both the culinary experience but also an entertainment. Experience, ah, in some way. Mm-hmm. Um, and you know, with, without it being one of those, you know, kitschy dinner and show things, but, you know, the environment is just unique enough that it feels like its own benefit.

And I think the, , the first one is, , probably the seafood restaurant that, , Jamie was mentioning or referencing on the wharf, and that's Tracy's Crab Shack. Yeah. , And there, you know, there's no doubt about it. Crab legs are expensive. Um, but they truly do such an incredible job and they move you through the line quickly without feeling like you're being rushed.

Yeah. 

And the, you know, German beer hall shared table seating, , I think it really breaks down or quickly breaks down. Some of those social barriers that I think, uh, especially American travelers are used to having. 

Yes. 

Um, where you kind of have to walk down the row and be like, Hey, are these seats taken?

And you're instantly, you know, talking to new people and you're all there in Juneau for the same reason. Yeah. And you're all there sharing that experience. And I think it's a really special one. Um, that kind of breaks down some of that. And then the other one would be the food trucks that Jamie was talking about.

Yeah. Yep. It's, they're all kind of in one area. There's,, fire pits, there's covered sea seating, there's uncovered seating, there's a full bar., There's a variety of food trucks, so there's something for everyone, but it sits. Right in the heart of downtown and you have kind of the, the bustling of a main walking corridor.

So the people watching is incredible. And then you turn around and there's a 4,000 foot mountain towering behind you. And it just is really, uh, such a fun, vibrant atmosphere. Yeah. You'll probably find yourself sitting there well past when you're done with your food just because it is such an enjoyable.

Unique spot. 

Yeah, absolutely. 

Nice. Can I add one thing? 

Of course. 

As a local, um, I will say that if you walk past a, a, a little um, hole in the wall restaurant called Pelini. Hmm, that's one of my favorites. 

Yes. That is a good spot. 

Yeah. I mean, if we're defining favorites as, uh, where I go most frequently, 

yes.

That's 

maybe a slightly different question. 

Yeah. Slightly different. Uh, but yeah, Pelini or, uh, devil's Club Brewery would 

be Yeah. Double's Club. Very high up on that 

list. 

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um. I was also thinking Pelini. There's also a Pelini in Sitka and one in Anchorage, and I believe they have the same owners.

Yes. I dunno about the Anchorage one, but the sit to one I can vouch for is just as good as Juneau. 

Yeah, it's pretty great. Uh, pmi it's Russian dumplings by the way. If you're like, what the heck are these guys talking about? They're 

really good. Yes. Potato or meat, you can have your choice. 

Exactly. And, , probably most of, you've heard me say this before, but like in general with Alaska restaurants, um, don't necessarily judge it by the exterior.

Like, like what you were saying, , hold wall place. Um, you know, it's a, Alaska is a place where people take their food seriously and don't necessarily take building exteriors super seriously. So, so 

that's a good way to put it. 

Like, just don't worry about that part. Um, yeah, it's, oh yeah. Juneau has great food.

Okay. Last but not least. Ben and Jamie, if you were giving Alaska Travelers coming for the first time, one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Dress in layers and don't be afraid of the rain. 

Oh, love that. Solid Ben. 

Slow down. 

Mm. 

Uh, Alaska is huge. 

Yeah. 

And. It is super tempting to fill every moment of your trip with a tour or a flight to a different destination.

Mm-hmm. Um, and you would be doing yourself a really big disservice, and you would not be experiencing the depth. Of the small communities Yeah. And incredible environments that we call home if you're constantly onto the next one. Mm-hmm., Totally understand the temptation of, you know, wanting to tick off the biggest and the best, uh, but you will have such a better, cooler, genuine experience.

Mm-hmm. 

You pick one or two things that are absolute must-dos, and then for lack of a better term, kind of fly by the seat of your pants for everything else. 

Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Great wisdom there to both of you. Well. Once again, everybody, Jamie and Ben are from Har and Mars whale watching in Juneau and Juneau Lighthouse tours.

So don't miss out on this awesome opportunity when you're in Juneau this summer to get out on the water with them. It is just really wonderful. So Jamie and Ben, thank you so much for being here. 

Thank you, Jennie. It was such a pleasure and good to talk to you again. 

Yes. 

Yeah. Thank you so much 📍 



 

 





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