The chain's 1,681 restaurants are nothing compared to true mega-chains, like McDonald's, which has more than 34,000 restaurants worldwide, or Starbucks and its 20,600-plus shops. Today, Chipotle has only 17 restaurants overseas, with plans to open more company-owned stores internationally in the coming year.
Whales & Whale Watching. Once hunted for oil and bone, today the whales of the northwest coast are recongnized as being unusually intelligent, gentle creatures. The most common whales you are likely to see in Alaska are orcas, or killer whales and humpbacks.
My favorite month is May. Tourism is light, the wildflowers are out, the weather is pleasant, the island is green and late May, early June is usually the most active time of year for Orca whales. The typical season for Orcas is from April through July.