AK on the GO

Sunny skies and smiling faces await our Valdez adventure!

Blue skies, smiling at me…Oh yeah, AK Fam’s got blue skies, and they’ve been keeping us in a happy place since our departure from Anchorage Thursday morning. No kidding. Valdez is the spot of choice this long Labor Day weekend, where we’ll engage in a little fishin’, a little funnin’, and a whole lot of Alaskan end-of-summer fun.

Our trip began via the Alaska Marine Highway System, departing Whittier aboard the fast ferry Chenega for the savory seas of Prince William Sound. More about that, later. Cutting down the trip via roadway from seven or eight hours to a mere three on the ferry, the Chenega was a delightful experience that landed us in Valdez mid-afternoon.

We’re cozied up in the Eagle’s Rest Resort, an RV park within (kid) walking distance of downtown that offers full hook-ups, hot showers, and in our case, little cabins that while tiny, provide just about everything we need. Shower, microwave, fridge, little deck; it’s all here. And views? Oh yeah, there’s a view. In fact, just about everywhere we look affords a stunning of mountains that shoot straight up from sea level to around 6,000 feet in an instant.

Colleen Stephens of the fab Stan Stephens Cruises and David Peterson of the Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau met us at The Harbor Cafe across the street from the bustling small boat harbor, where silver salmon streaked out and in of the water in flashes of glistening metallic color. We sat at a picnic table at HTC and dined on chicken tenders and some absolutely incredible rockfish tacos with a ginger-lemonade slushie to ease it all down. Ahhhhh.

Not wanting to waste the remaining sunshine, we drove six miles from town towards the Valdez Fish Hatchery and terminus of the Alyeska Pipeline, where bears frequent the fish wier and people frequent the shorelines for more salmon fever. Cool.

I think we’ve worn ourselves out for now, more tomorrow if I can find a workable internet connection. There’s some kayaking and hiking awaiting us, too.  Keep on the sunny side, everybody, and we’ll be back real soon!

PS  Do bear with us on Twitter, folks. My smartphone is not acting very smart down here, and so any Twitterverseing will have to be done as we can….

Skiing Alaska's backcountry is a great family experience, and the Ski train makes it even better

Hooray, hooray, the famous Anchorage Ski Train has returned, thanks to a cooperative effort between the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage and our friends at the Alaska Railroad!

Since 1972, with a break of only last year, the Ski Train has taken skiers of all ages on a day-long excursion into winter paradise. Grandview and Curry have been the two main destinations, and for 2011, NSAA and the AKRR have developed a kick-booty trip to Curry as a reintroduction to the experience, slated for Saturday, March 19, 2011.

Membership has its benefits, folks. Members of NSAA have the opportunity to purchase tickets for $100 on October 1; the rest of you have to wait until November and pay $130. If you think you might like to take the trip, act fast and join, for this train always, always sells out. AK Fam has decided we’ll make the trip this year, as AK Kid has become an adequate skier able to manage the bumps and twists of this mostly-ungroomed terrain, and also able to handle the long day (6 a.m.-8 p.m.)

I think it’s worth it for the skiing family. This is a trip some families use as a sort of pilgrimage for togetherness, and the entertainment can’t be beat, either. Polka bands and other interesting forms of amusement are featured in distinctive cars, including one just for families.

Visit the NSAA web site  for full info and a great PDF of “Stuff You Need to Know”, and get ready to jump on the Ski Train. It’ll be a day to remember!