This story originally appeared in the Alaska Dispatch News on November 7, 2017. Alaskans have an interesting relationship with Washington state. Even though the two states are separated by some 1,450 miles of real estate, Washington is often viewed as Alaska’s cosmopolitan cousin, a place for shopping, airport layovers and the occasional football or baseball […]
The very first stage production I can recall involved a dragon belching smoke and a lot of mosquitoes. It was the 1970’s and I was about four. My mother and a few other culturally-minded parents had taken a group of us to the Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theatre and while I don’t remember much beyond the […]
For all my drum-banging for unplugging the family during outdoor adventures, there is an exception when it comes to certain things. I don’t often review gear, but when MyCharge sent along the AdventureUltra just as we (and some friends) were headed out for a multi-day camping trip, I grabbed the box at the last second […]
I woke up Sunday morning to the sounds of kids trying to be quiet. Clinks and clanks, coupled with “SHHHHHH” and a few thuds as firewood was loaded into the little wood stove of Manitoba Cabin and Yurts along the Seward Highway near Summit Lake. It was chilly, only about 30 F, and somebody had […]
This story originally appeared in the Alaska Dispatch News on October 10, 2017. Just so you know, there’s a lot more to being a red squirrel than merely looking cute and shaking your bushy tail, and a swarm of little kids at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Education Center are about to find out why. […]
In the fall of 2008 I had a crazy idea: Write a web log, or “blog,” with the intention of inspiring more people to explore Alaska with their children. It was crazy because I had only lived in the Last Frontier for a few years and my street cred was still being established. It was […]
This story originally appeared in the September 27 edition of the Alaska Dispatch News. As the paper is undergoing a tremendous amount of change due to new ownership, my weekly column’s appearances are in a state of flux. I will thus post them here. ~EK PORTAGE — Esha Yang, 9, is pressing a pair of binoculars […]
My first trip with UnCruise Adventures started with what I called an “almost sound” coming from the partially-open door of our cabin. It was our first morning aboard the Wilderness Discoverer and I was snuggled in bed, trying to discern the source of the slight “whoosh” coming from outside. Leaving my husband and son in […]
The verbiage said it all. “Deep time will blow your mind.” The Anchorage Museum proudly unveiled three new exhibitions to media as part of their most recent renovation, and science plays an abiding role in the artful pieces. Well-known artist of Alaska whimsy and quirky prose Ray Troll paired up with paleontologist Kirk Johnson, director […]
This is part two of a two-part blog series on behalf of Phillips Cruises and Tours. The first time I boarded the M/V Klondike Express for a 26 Glaciers Cruise, I wondered if I’d ever actually get off. I’m a catamaran fan, and the Klondike Express is as classy as they come, with wide booth […]
The majority of Alaska visitors (and many residents) make their explorations of the Last Frontier between May and August, when days are long and attractions, open. For Alaska RV enthusiasts, the summer months are also perceived as the “only” time one can hop behind the wheel and roam the highways of our state. Since picking […]