I’ve had a brand crush on Alaska Seafood {ASMI} since I met their team at the FoodBuzz Blogger Festival in 2012. Growing up in Florida with a pescatarian mother I consume A LOT of seafood, so naturally I was a magnet to a brand focused on domestic seafood and sustainability. When I found out our cruise ship was making a stop in Juneau, Alaska {where the ASMI office is located} I had to use the opportunity to meet their current team and pick their brains about everything seafood.

My mom, aunt, and I headed straight from the cruise ship to meet Arianna and Christine from ASMI at Taku Smokeries, an Alaskan seafood processing company. Taku is a smaller processing facility that places a heavy focus on quality. Here, we learned how they use each part of the fish: the roe is carefully removed and processed in a special area within the facility, the heads are taken to an area where they grind for uses like pet food, and the rest is carefully cleaned and trimmed before shipping out to retailers. I loved that we were able to visit every square inch of this facility and witness how clean the process is. The question was asked, “would a beef processing facility allow you to see the entire behind the scenes?”. We unanimously agreed probably not.

My favorite experience of the tour was trying freshly cured roe. The Taku roe was very delicate in flavor and saltiness and the exterior at a slight chew when it burst in your mouth. If I had bagels and cream cheese in my purse, I could have spent all day snacking on nothing but bagels and roe. Is the takeaway that I should keep bagels and roe in my purse?

Scroll to the bottom of this post for answers to seafood FAQ. 

Luckily our next stop was food related, so I was able to part ways with the bowl of roe. We walked across the way to Tracy’s King Crab Shack, where we enjoyed everything crab: king crab legs, crab bisque, and crab cakes. I was blown away by the richness of the king crab legs {in the best way}. And the straightforwardness of the crab bisque and crab cakes was really delightful. I am always a fan of simple and perfect over an over-complicated classic.

When we were filled to the brim with crab and butter, we went to Sheep Creek to see salmon spawning {laying eggs}. The amount of salmon packed in the shallow creek was incredible – every square inch for as far as eyes could see was filled with fish.

The female salmon were flapping their back fin, making holes in gravel to bury eggs. And the male salmon were pushing through the crowds before arriving at the eggs they’d fertilize. And after fertilization, both the female and male chum salmon went to chum salmon heaven.

The limited life span of salmon may be common knowledge, but it was surprising news to me. I immediately texted my boyfriend and, since we’re both passionate about eating a more sustainable diet, we both committed to eating more salmon.

From there we hiked to Nugget Falls. Hanging with locals, we were able to escape the hiking crowds and take the super scenic local route. The water fall was nothing short of majestic and, after hiking in an unseasonably warm 80 degrees, its powerful mist was the perfect reward.

And then, because we were at the height of cruise-mode, it was time for afternoon cocktails at a new local hot spot, Amalga Distillery.  Everything about this joint was lovable: the name of the spirits {Juneauper!}, mason jar cocktails, custom wallpaper. It would have been a fantastic end to our day in Juneau, but since we were on a 10-minute feeding schedule…

We had to sneak in a final feast before hopping back on the ship! And I’m so glad we did. I’m still thinking about the freshest fried fish we devoured at Deckhand Dave’s. The fried halibut and rockfish in both the tacos and fish ‘n’ chips were our favorites. And it was such a treat to meet Deckhand Dave himself, who discovered his love for cooking while cooking for his fishing boat crew.

Facts we learned about Alaska Seafood

• Which species of salmon come from Alaska?
  • King, Sockeye, Silver, Pink, and Chum

• Which species has the highest levels of Omega 3
  • King Salmon

• Are any of these species endangered?
  • None of these species have ever been on an endangered or protected list.

• Does salmon have a high mercury content?
  • Salmon has a low mercury content as it is a relatively small fish with a diet that consists of mostly insects, invertebrates, plankton, shrimp, and other small fish. Salmon also contains selenium, which binds to mercury and helps it exit the body before lodging into fatty tissue.

• Where can Alaska seafood be purchased in Austin, TX?
  • Whole Foods, Central Market, HEB, and Coscto {!}

• Which seafood at Costco comes from Alaska?
  • Sockeye Salmon, Halibut, and True Cod

• How do you know where seafood comes from?
  • Brands are required to indicate the source of seafood on the label, so be sure to check that your seafood is coming from Alaska.

• When is salmon in season?
  • May through September

• Is the salmon you purchase in your local seafood department always previously frozen?
  • If salmon is purchased while it’s in season, May through September, it may be fresh {check signage or ask}. However, salmon has been previously frozen if it is purchased out of season.

I’m at the very beginning of what promises to be one of the best vacations of my life. My mom, aunt, and I are spending 11 days together, flying to Seattle, riding a train to Vancouver, and then cruising around Alaska. And although it’s an extended adventure, our time in Seattle was limited. And we were determined to make the most of it.

We started by selecting a cozy hotel in the perfect location. With the comfiest beds, walkability to a cluster of tourist stops, delicious in-hotel restaurant, and quick cab ride to the train station, the Sheraton Seattle was the perfect choice.

We were greeted with chilled champagne, fruit-filled pastries, and a panoramic view of Seattle’s skyline. It was the most incredible spot to have our first champagne toast.

The second we hit the street, we faced a sign that guided us in the right direction. This sign appeared before Google Maps loaded, that’s how close we were to our destinations. Everything was falling into place quite nicely.

Our first stop was the Seattle Aquarium. Growing up in Florida, it’s always fascinating to me to see sea life from the other coast. The fish were electric and the sea lions and otters were as adorable as could be. I also spent too much time staring at the octopus, which made me oddly hungry for polpo.

After the museum, which took less than an hour, we walked over to Pike Place Market. My mom and I visited the market during a recent Seattle trip, but my aunt hadn’t been since she was a flight attendant over 20 years ago. It was definitely worth another visit – we all dreamed about having a market like this near our homes. And we also picked up some pastries for early morning train ride the next morning.

That was about all we could fit in before our dinner reservation. I dine super early these days so I have appropriate amounts of daylight for photos, so 6pm reservations are a real thing for me. But we promised ourselves we’d make it back out for more touristing after dinner.

Upon first glance at Loulay, you could tell it was going to be a lovely meal. The scale of the restaurant was intimate and unlike an ordinary hotel restaurant. And the hostess guided us to a window seat, which made me happier than you could ever imagine.

We were presented with some more bubbles, which was such a wonderful surprise. And from there we ordered both innovative and classic cocktails while we glanced over the menu.

Dungeness crab everything grabbed our attention. The Dungeness crab salad and Dungeness crab risotto were must-order-dishes for us. And we supplemented our crab fix with the oysters on special and a charcuterie plate. After we finished each dish, it was the consensus among the table that we were beyond pleased with every single dish that hit our table. We were the perfect amount of satisfied.

After dinner, we changed into lounge clothes and headed to the Seattle Great Wheel. On the way there it dawned on us that it was about to be sunset, which was an ultra exciting revelation.

I highly recommending riding the wheel at sunset. The water and the city had the most beautiful glow and it was a super memorable way to spend an evening. And walking to and from, with all of the hills and stairs, allowed us to sneak in some much-needed steps.

After a fun-filled half-day in Seattle, we were pleased to post up in the fluffiest bed with crisp, white covers {perhaps my favorite thing about hotels}. And in the wee hours of the morning, there were cabs waiting outside that carted us to King Street Station, which was only one mile away.

Regardless of how much time you spend planning and how perfect an itinerary looks on paper, it’s always a beautiful thing when your experience exceeds your expectations. If you find yourself in Seattle for a quick trip, whether it be for work or before a cruise, I highly recommend staying at the Sheraton Seattle to make the most of your stay.

Disclosure: Although the Sheraton Seattle kindly hosted our stay, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.