25. Juneau, Alaska

Join Jackie and Jon as they tip toe around the temperate rainforest that is Juneau, Alaska.  There will be glaciers, there will be fjords, there will be adorable baby seals.  Put on some comfy fleece and party like it's your birthday for this Alaskan adventure!

Jackie Reilly: Host
Jon Schaller: Host
Charles: Producer
Email: cozynookexplorers@gmail.com
Instagram: @cozynookexplorers

Community Shoutout:
Perseverance Theatre

Mentioned In This Episode:
Juneau, Alaska Tourism Website
Mount Roberts Tramway
Tlingit People

Transcript

JACKIE: I’m Jackie 

JON: And I’m Jon 

JACKIE: And we are the Cozy Nook Explorers!

JON: Welcome to our show where we explore the world from our cozy nook here in a guest room in Southern CALIFORNIA using the power of the internet!

Jackie: Yes and it’s Wednesday which means it’s time for another exploration!  And today we are going to Juneau, Alaska! I’m so excited to get into it, but first off- We just got back from a very socially distanced holiday to Joshua Tree National Park! And to timestamp this because the epidemic is raging yet again this was in very early November of 2020.

Jon: We sure did. It was a company trip, so Charles came with us and we had a great time. 

Jackie: We will need to do an episode on Joshua Tree eventually. It was AWESOME! I think my favorite part was the cactus garden.

Jon: My favorite part was that I didn’t die from all of the hiking

Jackie: Also, before we go to Juneau- Happy Birthday, Jon! Your birthday is in just a couple of days! 

Jon: Why thank you, Jackie. That’s actually what’s keeping me cozy this week.

Jackie: It is?! Well, I guess that makes sense.

Questions:

• Do you like birthday parties?
• What is the best birthday gift you ever received?

Jon: So, Jackie, what’s keeping you cozy this week?

Jackie: Fleece!!

Jon: Fleece?

Jackie: Yes, Fleece! It’s the holiday season and the weather is getting cooler, so I’ve been wearing all of my favorite fleece cozies! 

Questions: 

• What is your favorite thing that is made of fleece?
• Do you know what fleece is made from?

Jon: Ok, well now that we’ve gone through that lets head to Juneau, Alaska! 

Jackie: Yay! Let’s go!

Let’s get into it

Jon:  Steve and Cindy Boyes owned a Nursery in Juneau Alaska and they had the ambition to create a greenhouse. They purchased 50 acres of land and ordered a good deal of equipment to get the job done including an excavator arm to move plants and trees.  They found that the task was much larger than expected and the expensive equipment that they had purchased became damaged in the ordeal, Steve was so angry, so livid, so beside himself that he used the excavator arm to grab a tree and hurl it into the air.  When it landed, the soft soft ground had swallowed it and the tree stood straight up down.  Well a better description would be upside down with the branches firmly planted in the soil.  Though to most this would have been a waste of a perfectly good tree.  The couple saw an opportunity in the unusual looking accident and a dazzling idea was born-  The Upside down Flower Tree.  They seeded multicolored flowers on the top of the root system and watched as the flowers bloomed and draped down the side of the Tree.  Dozens of these Upside Down Flower Trees can still be adored at the Glacial Gardens Rainforest Adventure. We will include a link in the show notes so you can see how spectacular they truly are.

Jackie: Wow, Jon, who knew the word dazzling was in your vocabulary?

Jon: Jackie, I can’t help it if the upside down flower trees are dazzling.  Can you think of a better word for it?

Jackie: … ugh I really can’t.

Jon: Well that confirms that. 

Jackie: OK- enough about the upside down trees. Huge revelation over here- Did you know that Juneau is a RAINFOREST?! 

Jon:  I did not. But now I do

Jackie:  Juneau gets 55 to 90 inches of rain per year and it’s a wet climate on average 222 days a year- can you believe it?! 

Jon:  I would have said no but-

Jackie:  You would have been wrong because 5 million acres of Alaskan land is RAINFOREST! 

Jon:  You are very excited

Jackie:  Rainforest!!!

Jon:  I am pretty sure that a good deal of that precipitation is snow.

Jackie:  It doesn’t matter- it’s still a rainforest!!!

Jon:  Can’t we call it a snow forest?

Jackie:  Oh that sounds so cozy, but unfortunately we can’t because even though Juneau is in Alaska it’s actually quite mild unlike northern Alaska. In the winter it’s in the 20’s and 30’s fahrenheit and in the summer months it’s in the 50’s and 60’s fahrenheit.

Jon: But, the 20’s is cold.

Jackie: Yes, but not nearly as cold as other parts of Alaska. And the reason that it stays so mild is because it’s on the COAST and because Juneau is on the COAST it’s a TEMPERATE RAINFOREST.

Jon: (Pause). 

Jackie: Aren’t you going to ask me what a temperate rainforest is?

Jon: … What is a temperate rainforest?

Jackie: Glad you asked Jon- SO there are TWO types of rainforests- Temperate Rainforests and Tropical Rainforests.  Tropical Rainforests are the ones we hear about the most and they are close to the equator, but Temperate Rainforests are generally on the coast like Jueanu is! ISN’T THAT THE COOLEST THING YOU’VE EVER HEARD?! I honestly had no clue! A rainforest in southeast Alaska! 

Jon: Welcome to Juneau, Alaska. Juneau is about 2,083,200 acres or about 4,166 Disneylands.  It is one of the largest land municipalities in the United States and the largest capital by land mass of any in the US. How large is it? You did not ask?

Jackie:  I did not ask.

Jon:  It is larger than Rhode Island

Jackie:  A city that is larger than a STATE?

Jon:  Yes the land of the city of Juno Alaska is more than all of the State of Rhode Island.

Jackie: A little less than 9,000 of Juneau’s acres are urban, so most of Juneau is fresh air and wilderness and GLACIERS! 

Jon: According to the 2010 census they had a population of 31,276 people and it is one of the safest cities in the United States. Despite being difficult to get too, it is the closest city to the lower 48 states, so it’s one of the more accessible parts of Alaska in that way.

Jackie: A lot of people visit Juneau when they take an Alaskan cruise, so that’s one of the ways to get there. 

Jon: That sounds like quite the adventure once it’s safe to cruise again.

Jackie: Yeah, that sounds really neat. 

Jon: Because you have to go by boat.

Jackie:  Whoa you have to go by boat to get there?

Jon:  This is because there are no direct roads to Juneau, Alaska.  It is completely locked in with the land and water.

Jackie:  Have you never heard of airports?

Jon:  Yes there is the Juneau International Airport

Jackie:  And did you forget that planes fly into airports?

Jon:  Ok bad phrasing on my part I meant to say that it would be a good idea to take a cruise ship because you cannot drive there.

Jackie:  I would love to fly there when the pandemic is over...

Jon:  Or Cruise there when it is safe.

Jackie:  I will never let you live that down

Jon:  To change the subject to hide my embarrassment even though that was a cool fact.  The city of Juneau has actually undergone name changes a number of times.

Jackie:  And that number is 2

Jon:  Heheheh

Jackie: Well there were these two miners. They were Joe Juneau- 

Jon:  And Richard Harris and they were both prospectors in the year 1880.

Jackie:  Not Sir Richard Harris from Harry Potter.

Jon:  Yes, not the Irish actor for some reason you had to make that clear.

Jackie:  Anyway these two prospectors came to the area to set up a mining town and search for GOLD.

Jon:  And they found some

Jackie:  (In loud old prospector voice) They found Gold as large as beans!!

Jon:  What?

Jackie:  That is a quote that is attributed to them

Jon:  Did they sound like that?

Jackie:  You don’t know their lives.

Jon:  Anyway to try to steer this back onto the rails- let’s get back to the mining town.

Jackie:  Yes they called the town Harrisburg and left mister Juneau out of the title

Jon:  Then later on they changed the name to Rockwell because of Charles Rockwell who was a naval officer that was stationed there.

Jackie:  Then the miners changed the name AGAIN in 1881 to Juneau.

Jon:  So in less than 2 years they had three different names.

Jackie:  But they finally stuck with the name Juneau and that’s been the name ever since. You know, I’d like to talk about Admiralty Island! 

Jon: Is that the island with tons of bears??

Jackie: Yes! You can take a 20 minute float plane ride from Juneau- that is one of those planes that can land on water. So you take it to the island and you can see BEARS! It’s one of the most densely populated brown bear populations in the world. There are about 1,600 bears which is about one bear per square mile of land. Also, if you are a fan of bald eagles, the island has the world's greatest concentration of them. 

Jon: The best months to see bears are July and August and the best place to see them is at the Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary.

Jackie: If you would like to go see the brown bears you do need a permit.  It looks like booking a private tour is recommended for tourists because they can make sure that all the logistics like permits and transportation are worked out for you. I’ve got to admit, this looks amazing, but I am not sure if I’m brave enough to go to see the bears. 

Jon: I’d totally go see the bears. Are you coming Charles?

Jackie: … And that’s a no from Charles.  Hey Charles, what about the public use cabins??

Jon: … That’s a no from Chalres as well.  Come on Charles they are cabins that are open to the public that keep people from dying.  It’s for safety.  He still says no.

Jackie:  And we will be right back to talk about the cabins after a word from our sponsor

Ad: Fleece

Jackie: This episode of Cozy Nook Explorers is sponsored by Everything Is Fleece where everything is fleece! We’ve got fleece pants, fleece bags, fleece hats, fleece leg warmers, fleece dogs, fleece paper, fleece onesies, and so much more! They also take custom fleece requests. 

Jon: Could I get a fleece copy of Looking For Alaska by John Greene?

Jackie: Yes you can, Jon!  

Jon: Really, because I feel like there are a lot of holes in this logic. Like, did they license the book? And, how thick would a FLEECE BOOK be?

Jackie: Don’t question the sponsor Jon… They won’t be happy about that...

Jon: Ehh this one isn’t adding up for me, sorry.

Jackie: Everything Is Fleece- lower your standards until it all makes sense. 

LET’S GET INTO IT

Jackie: I spent quite a bit of time looking them up. So, all throughout Alaska there are 300 public use cabins that you can stay at night. Some are in the wilderness and some are just right off the road. They cost about $20-50 a night and you do need to make a reservation.

Jon: It’s a lot closer to camping than it is to staying at a hotel. You have to bring all of your own things including a way to cook, but you get to sleep inside of a structure. 

Jackie: It seems like it would be quite the adventure, but I don’t know if it would be very cozy.  Maybe one day we will try it.

Jon: Maybe one day YOU will try it.

Jackie Ok, ok… Well, Mount Roberts Tramway looks very cozy. You can take it all the way to the top of Mount Roberts.

Jon: You can also hike to the top. It takes about 4 hours. 

Jackie: The tramway only takes 5 minutes, so that’s definitely the choice if you are short on time.

Jon: I saw one person suggested to hike to the top and take the tram down. Also, it looks like- if you spend $10 at Mount Roberts Mountain House you can take the tram the rest of the way down the mountain for free, so that might be worth looking into. 

Jackie: When you get to the top of the mountain there is a lot to do as well. There’s a restaurant, a nature center, and there are multiple hiking trails up top as well. You can also marvel at the amazing views! 

Jon: There is also the Chilkat (“chill-cat”) Theater that showcases the culture and history of the Tlingit tribe. (“clink-it”)

Jackie: The Tlingit tribe were the first people to settle in the Juneau area, well before it was called Juneau.  There were actually three ethnicities- Tlingit (“clink-it”), Haida (“high-da”), and Tsimshian (“sim-shee-an”).

Jon: It is believed that indigenous people have lived in Southeast Alaska for over 10,000 years.

Jackie: The area was filled with natural resources and a bunch of food, so they were able to flourish in the area.

Jon: Because of all of these resources, the native cultures were able to spend a lot of time being creative. They developed everything from dances, to art, textiles, storytelling and so much more. 

Jackie: When European settlers first made contact with the Tlingit (“clink-it”) people it seems like it was generally peaceful and the main conflicts began after the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867.  

Jon: Alaska was under US Military rule from 1867-1884 and during this time there was violence with no real legal system in place. 

Jackie: Today there are about 14,000 Tlingit (“clink-it”) people living in Alaska and their culture is still thriving. There is so much to learn about indigenous culture and art in Juneau! 

Jon: Yes there is. Oh- let’s talk about the glaciers and the Fjord! 

Jackie: The Fjord! How could we almost forget the Fjord!

Jon:  Tracy Fjord!

Jackie:  You just like saying Fjord!

Jon:  I love saying Fjord.  

Jackie: I do too.

Jon: And I will go to Tracy Fjord someday.  You can see a 7,000 foot mountain covered in snow while you are in a boat in the Fjord.  And when they are not covered in snow they look to be the bluest mountains in the world.  It is like something out of a movie.

Jackie:  You are burying the lead talk about little baby seals in the water.

Jon:  Yes there are seals that hangout near the glaciers

Jackie:  Correction~ adorable seals hang out there.

Jon:  You can watch massive glaciers and tiny glaciers and I can’t remember seeing a deeper blue color in nature.

Jackie:  Sorry all I hear is baby seals.

Jon:  It also seems to be the only ocean location where you will not see a whale.

Jackie:  Though, they have a bunch of whale watching in Juneau.

Jon:  The only time I have ever heard whale watching boats claim outright that you will see a whale is in Juneau Alaska.

Jackie: I’ve been on a few whale watching trips with no whales in Maine, but maybe I’d better luck in Juneau. Whales are just cuteness overload!

Jon:  Whales are cute?

Jackie:  They are majestically cute. And so smart!

Jon:  The other place to mention is glacier bay national park.

Jackie:  There seems to be a good deal of controversy on if Glacier Bay or Tracy Fjord one is better.

Jon:  My suggestion would be to see them both and decide for yourself.  If you want something a bit cozier than massive glaciers and Mammoth whales.

Jackie:  Don’t listen to him, you are VERY cozy adorable whales and dazzling glaciers.

Jon:  You could go to the shrine of Saint Theresa which looks like a little church in the middle of the wilderness and it looks like something out of a storybook.  

Jackie:  I really want to see the Alaska state museum. They have so many artifacts from three different eras.

Jon:  Those eras include when the Indigeonous People controlled the land, the Russian Occupation and when the Americans came and eventually made it into the 49th State.  Anything else?

Jackie: Incase you are a fan of the night sky- Juneau is actually not a good place to see the northern lights, but there is a very slight chance you could see them, so it wouldn’t hurt to check in with the locals if you are visiting.  Anything else, Jon?

Jon:  In a non-pandemic year Juneau gets roughly 900,000 cruise ship tourists. Anything else?

Jackie: Oh, yes, very important- In Alaska it is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are moose hunting.

Jon: And on that note let’s take a quick break for our sponsor before our community shoutout. 

Ad Birthdays

Jojo: Hey parents do you have a melancholy child do they have a birthday coming up.  Well consider hiring me Jo Jo the clown.  And I will perform  (trumpet sound)  Jo Jo the clown's birthday parties for sullen children.  You young miss in the floor length black dress.

Victoria: (Think Wednesday Adamms) Yes.

Jojo:  What’s your name?

Victoria: Victoria Irene Sullivan

Jojo:  Ohh well Victoria Irene Sullivan is it your birthday today?

Victoria:  That is correct I am one day closer to oblivion.

Jojo:  That is true! How old are you?

Victoria:  Nine.

Jojo:  So mature for your age.  Say Victoria would like a balloon animal?

Victoria: No

Jojo:  Are you sure I’m really good at them?

Victoria:  Ok I would like a balloon animal of Emily Dickenson after she went into seclusion.

Jojo: Well she is not really an animal…

Victoria:  All humans are animals 

Jojo:  I suppose you are right….(sounds of balloons twisting) There you go Emily Dickenson after she went into seclusion including white dress.

Victoria:  That’s actually really good. How did you do that?

Jojo:  A lot of practice around sullen children

Victoria:  I thought my parents hired you to try to make me cheerful

Jojo:  No they hired me because they want to let you know they love you even when you are morose.

Victoria:  Your actually kind of good this

Jojo:  Well I am a middle aged man who’s only skills involve being a clown.  And that comes with a sadness that few people can comprehend.

Victoria:  You are a kindred spirit clown.

Jojo: So book Jojo the Clowns Birthday parties for Sullen Children!!  They’ll laugh till they cry (laughs till cries)

Community Shoutout: 

Jon: Every episode we like to research and highlight something special in the community that we are exploring.

Jackie: Today’s community shoutout is Perseverance Theatre.

Jon: Perseverance Theatre was founded in 1979 as a theatre by, for, and about Alaskans. It started out as a grassroots effort and is now the largest professional theatre in the state. They have expanded to also having a theatre in Anchorage, Alaska as well. 

Jackie: In 36 seasons they have premiered over 70 new plays by Alaskan and national playwrights. Paula Vogel’s play How I Learned To Drive which won a Pulitzer Prize was written and developed at the theater as well.  

Jon: They have a lot of great programs for artists like Black Alaska Art Matters and Spirit of the Valley by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse which is about Tlingit (“clink-it”) twins who get separated from their family and end up on the adventure of a lifetime.  

Jackie: Because of the pandemic, Perseverance Theatre had to put their production of the musical Fun Home on hold, but they are hoping to bring their production to the stage or have a chance to at least release it virtually.  

Jon: Hopefully they will be able to perform their production very soon.

Jackie: Agreed. We will include a link to their website so that you can check it out.

Jon: You can donate through their website as well.

Jackie: Well, that’s our show. Thank you so much to our staunch producer Charles.

Jon: Thank you so much Charles. 

Jackie: And of course we are so thankful that you listen to our show! 

Jon: Yes, thank you so much to our listeners!

Jackie: If you’ve been enjoying this podcast please take the time to subscribe, rate us, and write a review on apple podcasts. It helps the show, so we’d really appreciate it!

Jon: Also, make sure to tell your friends! If there is anyone you know who you think would enjoy this podcast please make sure to share! 

Jackie: Also, you can also follow us on Instagram @cozynookexplorers or send us an email at cozynookexplorers@gmail.com. 

Jon: We love getting to hear from you and we are always looking for travel suggestions! 

Jackie:  We will be back in TWO Wednesdays with our next exploration.  

Jon: Yes, on Wednesdays we explore!

Jackie: Stay cozy, and we’ll see you soon.