The excitement of skiing or riding a snowy hillside is unforgettable, especially for those new to the sport or new to winter in general. Freeing, flowing exercise that feels more like fun, skiing or snowboarding is a skill many of us want, but don’t always have the opportunity to learn. Be it financial or fear […]
*This article originally appeared in the Alaska Dispatch News on Friday, December 10, 2015* “Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!” Those of us who grew up celebrating Christmas will immediately recognize the famous call of Santa Claus, urging his team of reindeer from rooftop to […]
The holiday season in Alaska is always a special time. Snow, reindeer, and Santa Claus are permenant residents, after all, so Alaskans tend to savor every single minute. Last week, I wrote about ideas to celebrate Black Friday in the outdoors, and many of you wrote to say you appreciated the heads up for #OptOutside day. […]
It may have been muddy, damp, and a bit chilly, but no one cared. The brown bear cubs wrassled around their play structure, playfully bawling as they cuffed each other. The musk ox male stood his ground and refused to yield to some red-jacketed journalist who thought his grunts and growls were funny. A porcupine […]
This article originally appeared in the Alaska Dispatch News August 28, 2015. Make sure you keep tabs on my weekly column, “Kids in the Outdoors,” normally appearing on Tuesdays in the ADN Sports and Outdoors section. This week we moved in honor of our fair-themed musings. You can find the KIO column easily by hitting […]
According to AKontheGO sponsor organization AAA Mountain West, the United States will see 41.9 million people traveling 50 miles or more from home to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day weekend. Typically the busiest holiday of the year, and especially so in 2015 thanks to rising incomes and stronger employment numbers, more families are planning a […]
What could be better on a beautiful Friday morning (and the first day of summer vacation) than an announcement regarding my acceptance of a weekly column in the Alaska Dispatch News, the state’s largest newspaper? Not much. I love Alaska; it’s my home, and the place where we’ve chosen to raise our family for the […]
Each spring, when the leaves are just beginning to unfurl, and robins twitter around in my backyard, I get a call from Denise at the Williams Reindeer Farm in Palmer. “Babies are on the way, when would you like to come out?” I love babies of any species, but there’s just something so endearing about […]
You can tell Fur Rendezvous is here when the ferris wheel and swings show up on the Anchorage skyline. Alaska’s largest winter festival kicks off tonight in downtown Anchorage, and even with a lack of snow, enthusiasm is high. For most families, “Fur Rondy” represents the best of an Alaska winter, and with 80 years […]
Yesterday was the first Thursday in February, and that means my favorite morning crew at KTVA 11 Daybreak invited me to sit on the couch and talk about Alaska family fun. (You can watch the segment HERE). What makes February special? A perfect swirl of Alaska culture and history, that’s what, coupled with innovative methods […]
Another winter is upon us, and while Alaska awaits its first significant snowfall of 2014, families around the state are making preparations for Thanksgiving. Turkeys are defrosting, cranberries are simmering, and pies are baking, at least in my house. I love Thanksgiving’s long weekend; a stretch of four days to get outdoors and be grateful […]