Skip to main content

Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Southeast Alaska Episode

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What new bourbon are we pumped about? Which hiking trail are we exploring? Why is the next supercar so cool? The Manual is dedicated to helping men live a more engaged life. Each week, our editors and guests get together for a round-table discussion about what’s new, exciting, and unique in the men’s lifestyle world. So pop open your favorite brew, step into your man cave, and start streaming.

For this week’s episode of Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast, the round-table — the associate editor of lifestyle, Chase McPeak, and the ever-affable host, Greg Nibler — have a tete-a-tete about America’s largest and arguably most beautiful state: Alaska. However, since Alaska is so huge, the guys limit their coverage today specifically to Southeast Alaska.

First, Chase discusses his recent trip to Waterfall Resort on Prince of Wales Island, where he spent a week fishing for king salmon among the islets and islands of Southeast Alaska’s temperate rainforest archipelago. He details how you arrive at the resort (by floatplane), how to fish salmon (mooching), and points out the finer bits of the adventure, like spotting bears, eagles, humpback whales, and even orcas.

Next, Greg does a deep dive into cruising around Southeast Alaska. He offers tips on multiple places to eat, drink, and be merry in multiple little Southeast Alaska towns, all while trying hard not to denigrate the cruise experience. One great takeaway is that a cruise allows you to take your home base with you, wherever you may be wandering; you only unpack and pack once, you always know where your bed is, and you gain a sense of comfort and familiarity on a cruise ship that you might not otherwise get if you were attempting to drive from city to city and natural wonder to natural wonder.

Hear all the great stories that came out of these two guys’ separate trips to Southeast Alaska:

Thanks for tuning in! If you have a question for The Manual podcast crew, give us a shout at podcast@themanual.com — we’re always around! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and keep an eye out for podcast polls so you can join the discussion.

Further Reading

Chase McPeak
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where…
Topics
This Spanish region was just named Europe’s top wine tasting destination
Rioja, Spain comes out on top
Rioja, Spain

Wine lovers, take note. Rioja, Spain has just been crowned the top wine tasting destination in Europe for 2025, and it’s not hard to see why. The team at Quotezone put together their Vineyard Mini-Break Index by diving into the details that matter most for wine tourists, including winery tour costs, hotel prices, local weather, and international wine awards. The result? Rioja poured its way right to the top of the list.

Known as the largest wine region in Spain, Rioja boasts over 600 wineries and more than 65,000 hectares of vineyards. But beyond its sheer size, the region stands out for being surprisingly affordable. The average winery tour will only set you back about $24 USD, and you can snag a good bottle of wine for just $28 USD, making it a wine lover’s paradise that doesn’t break the bank.

Read more
I stopped overpacking and used the 333 method — the results surprised me
Here’s what happened when I embraced minimalist packing
open suitcase with clothes packed inside

Did you know that 40% of people say they have come home from vacation with clothes they didn’t wear? 

I’ll admit it, I’ve been known to stuff my suitcase with options “just in case,” only to come home with half of it untouched. 

Read more
This tiny U.S. state is the most chaotic place to drive, study says
Rhode Island came out on top
cars in traffic

Think your daily commute is bad? According to a new study, Rhode Island has officially been crowned the most chaotic place to drive in the U.S.

The team at eSpatial crunched the numbers using government data and real-time traffic insights, measuring every state across five key categories: traffic congestion, road satisfaction, pothole complaints, total road fatalities, and speeding-related deaths. After tallying it all up, tiny Rhode Island came out on top, or rather, the bottom, earning the title of America’s most stressful place to hit the road.

Read more