With longer days, warmer weather, and almost-green hillsides, hiking trails are beckoning to AK Fam as we prepare for yet another summer of outdoor recreation, the Alaska way. Last summer I guest-blogged for Trekaroo and listed some good choices for family hiking in Alaska, but felt there was so much more to share. Plus, AK […]
It’s often challenging to mesh the excitement of a family vacation with an equal amount of cultural experiences in a way that engages children. While parents still desire a requisite amount of R & R, most moms and dads do want to expose their offspring to their new and (hopefully) different destination. Within Alaska lie […]
We wind up our Alaska tour with wee ones in the southeastern section of the state. “Southeast,” as it is called by Alaskans, is that panhandle-shaped, rainforested area where most visitors capture their first images of the 49th state. Cruisers will certainly spend the majority of sailing time in this region, moving through the gorgeous […]
We’re heading further north to the Golden Heart City of Fairbanks this week as part of our three part series for parents of smaller children. Last week, we explored southcentral Alaska and found some pretty fun stuff for kids age 0-5, and now we head to the other major hub city, Fairbanks. Fairbanks, located 360 […]
If ever there was an age group who stumps vacationing parents, it would be the preschool-and-younger crowd, especially for a destination like Alaska. Besides the mere act of actually getting to the 49th state, moms and dads want to know that a bona fide meaningful experience awaits the entire family, not just those who happen […]
It is going to be a GREAT weekend! I know this for several reasons. One, it’s light out past 6 p.m., and as any winter-weary Alaskan can tell you, that alone is cause for happy dancing in the slush-covered streets. Two, the lineup of special events happening in Alaska this weekend is simply incredible. Three, […]
Got your hippety-hop on, this morning? You’ll sure need it to get anywhere in the 49th state, lately. There’s more snow than most of us have seen in a long time, and aside from shoveling it all into an enormous cone-shaped configuration in the front yard, one activity in particular comes to mind – snowshoeing. […]
This was going to be a typical “Top Five” list. AK Fam had already engaged in a number of spirited conversations, arguing and pleading and lobbying for favorite destinations to achieve AKontheGO-greatness. But we couldn’t agree. AK Dad, Kid, and I were busy in 2011, traveling in all directions to expand our sense of adventure, […]
Until now, most dogsled tours in the greater Anchorage area consisted of summertime spins around a field or parking lot with passengers placed in a wheeled conveyance. An admitted challenge for mushers who use the rides as a two-fur of exercise for the team and an oh-so-brief encounter for visitors, summer dogsled rides just aren’t […]
Santa Claus and I have always had a bit of a tenuous relationship. As a child, I would spend the weeks before Christmas working myself into a frenzy of excitement, absorbing the essence of all things tinsel and holly. The night before Christmas, my brother, sister, and I would take turns begging my parents to […]
My teeth chattered in an off-key rhythm. My fingers, numb and wooden, were now useless as a result of too many removals from mittens to capture yet another inspiring photograph of the scene before me. The scene, by the way, was Ice Alaska 2011, an early spring tradition in Fairbanks that felt anything but springlike. […]