Never have I felt so loved and appreciated than the moment I stepped in front of the podium yesterday. Familiar faces, new faces, and young, excited faces – all looking my way and smiling. Super cool! Alaska On the Go is officially out in the book distribution world, and we’re raring to go for volume […]
I saw a tour bus yesterday. Birds are twittering in the trees. Bear tracks are becoming more frequent along my favorite trails. It must be springtime in Alaska, and time to plan the trip of a lifetime. But, alas, I am a chronic over-and-early-packer. Weeks before my scheduled departure, I begin lining up outfits, shoes, […]
I subscribe to the philosophy that small town life can be healthy for kids. Free-range mobility, a sense of community, and that “everyone is watching out for me” sort of security feels pure and good, at least to me. In Alaska, small towns are more the norm than the exception, and in the case of […]
Every time we pull into the parking lot of Great Alaskan Holidays in Anchorage, the clamoring begins. “Whennnnnnnn can we rent an RV? I wanna rent an RV this summer!” AK Kid loves RV travel, so much in fact that he has a working knowledge of chassis and dinette configurations, and can do a pretty […]
Mush on, you huskies! It’s barely three days until the start of Iditarod 2014, when 70+ teams of 20+ dogs and one human apiece will depart from downtown Anchorage for more than 1,000 miles of Alaska backcountry mushing. In its 42nd year, the Iditarod is known as the “Last Great Race,” and a great one […]
Visit Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier during the summer months, and you’d be hard pressed to find a parking space, let alone a few yards of empty trail upon which to find the solitude you seek within Alaska’s wilderness. Mendenhall, like so many Alaska attractions, buzzes with tourists May through October as eager ice-seekers crane their necks […]
Recent survey results generated by the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) suggest that families traveling with multiple generations find the Last Frontier a pretty hospitable place. Surprising? Perhaps not, when one considers the factors involved in Alaska’s travel scene. While Alaska visitors still average around the 50+ age mark, this also provides an excellent foundation […]
A bulky cardboard mailer landed with a thud on my doorstep yesterday, bearing the return address of “University of Alaska Press” and causing no small stir in this household. My book is done. After two years of research, writing, and back-and-forth communication with help from the production team at University of Alaska Press, my copy […]
Happy birthday, Alaska! On January 3, 1959, the Last Frontier became the 49th state, and oh, what a party it was. Visitors to Alaska should never miss an opportunity to learn more about what made us #49, how, and why. It took hard work and passionate teamwork to bring Alaska to statehood, and we’re fortunate […]
In less than a week, reservation floodgates will open and eager will-be Alaska vacationers shall begin a frenzy of planning. From Alaska’s national parks to her hotel rooms, the 49th state begins to bustle come January 1 – not with people, but rather, their internet and telephone presence. With a short summer travel season that […]
Jimmy Stewart, playing the role of discouraged George Bailey in the immortal holiday classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ said, “You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are, Uncle Billy? Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles.” I’m inclined to believe him. What could be more fabulous than filling Christmas stockings with […]