“North — to Alaska. Go North, the rush is on.” ~ Johnny Horton, “North to Alaska,” 1960 The great Gold Rush of Nome, Alaska ran from about 1899 – 1909, when thousands of people steamed their way to Norton Sound on the Seward Peninsula and staked their claims — when they could. Word of nuggets and […]
Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountain Lodge goes the extra mile with the addition of the state’s only via ferrata climbing route, and we were there to experience it last week. ~EK A relentless sun warmed the back of my neck as I worked carabiners along a stiff steel cable anchored into a stories-high slab of rock. Looking […]
Anchorage-based Alpha Aviation, LLC has long been a name to trust when it comes to helicopter flying around the 49th state. As you begin planning for 2019, read about the company’s newest offerings that appease a traveling family wanting a completely different Alaska outdoor experience. In Alaska, helicopters are often perceived as the aviation vehicles […]
AKontheGO made one final push toward road trip bliss over the Labor Day weekend with a traverse of the Denali Highway, spanning 134 miles between Paxson and Cantwell. We woke up morning before last to a film of frost covering anything not moving at the Brushkana Creek BLM campground 20 miles east of Cantwell. The […]
Home to 82,000 people and a wealth of outdoor recreation to whet the whistle of anyone with a sense of adventure, Bellingham reminds me again and again of why I like to visit. This Pacific Northwest city is home to Western Washington University, is the beginning of the Alaska Marine Highway System, and a gateway […]
Straight out of Merriam-Webster: bush·whack ˈbo͝oSHˌ(h)wak/ verb 1. NORTH AMERICANAUSTRALIAN/NZ live or travel in wild or uncultivated country. Un-Cruise Adventures does a pretty good job of describing their adventurous style of cruising. Small ships, tiny coves, and a loose itinerary that makes allowances for weather, wildlife, or whims. And it’s those whims of […]
The Great Alaska Sportsman Show was last weekend, and my friends at Kennicott Glacier Lodge were there talking up some springtime surprises for those willing to take an early-season road trip to this incredible area of our state. Kennicott Glacier Lodge is located in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, a 13 million-acre park […]
The first-ever Salmon Berry Tours — AKontheGO Ultimate Family Field Trip kicked off in fine style as our traveling explorers arrived from Maine to partake in Iditarod-themed winter fun. What we’ve done: Our first day was spent hiking a section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail near Winner Creek in Girdwood, where access was easy […]
This story originally appeared in the Anchorage Daily News on January 2, 2018. Publisher note: I had intended to jump headlong into 2018 with a comprehensive look at some early-booking deals for the upcoming spring and summer season. However, I was stymied in this effort, thanks to a concussion received after an epic skating fail […]
December is upon us and my refrigerator is full of lists for and by the people I love. AK Kid has stuck his handwritten itemized and alphabetized record of Christmas gift desires at adult eye level. I have records of niece and nephews gift ideas next to that; and further down, what my husband needs, […]
Explorer, photographer, and Alaska Range mapping pioneer Bradford Washburn said it thus: “It is a sight that one just has to see to understand – the magnificence of Alaska mountain scenery at its best.” For some who dream of visiting Alaska, the mountains, most notably Denali, are what draws them here. Even though the High […]