*This story originally appeared in the Alaska Dispatch News 10/4/2016. Gold was on our minds as we drove the Seward Highway south toward the small community of Hope. Not the kind one mines, although that is there too. No, we were looking for the colorful signal of a season that appears to be lingering this […]
Eagles chattered a welcome from the treetops as our boat slowly made its way into the sheltered refuge of Kasitsna Bay. A 30-minute ride across yawing Kachamak Bay from Homer had deposited our party of six onto a rocky, shell-strewn shoreline for a weekend of marine-based fun at Across the Bay Tent and Breakfast Adventure […]
This article originally appeared in the Tuesday, May 3 issue of the Alaska Dispatch News. When I first approached my family about driving to the small town of Homer to attend a birding festival, I received a look of incredulous trepidation followed by a solid minute of silence. “Birds?” my son asked. “Why can’t we […]
Some sad news from our friends at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward this afternoon. “The Alaska SeaLife Center is saddened to announce the passing of Woody, a 22-year-old male Steller sea lion who was one of the Center’s original residents. Woody was humanely euthanized Monday following a rapid decline due to age-related complications. Since […]
by Bryan Bearss Dorothy clicked the heels of her ruby slippers to get back home to Kansas, but if you’re looking for family fun and outdoor learning, slip on a pair of XtraTufs and head down to Homer, Alaska. On the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, 230 road miles from Anchorage, Homer may seem […]
*GOOD DEAL ALERT* What does a dog have to do with river rafting? A lot, especially if you’re Porter James, self-proclaimed “Top Dog” of the so-named Kenai Riverdog Adventure Rafting and Photography company based in Cooper Landing. AK Dad is away, and I hated to waste last weekend’s sunny autumn weather, so I packed up […]
Oh, mercy, was that indeed a snowflake I saw floating on the chilly breeze this afternoon?? Looks like Old Mom Winter (that’s what we call it, anyway) is about to come calling. Perfect timing, families, for a little weekend fun with the kiddos. Our weekend o’ harvest fun is proudly sponsored by the ever-supportive Alaska […]
AK Fam is resting comfortably now after a heart-stopping tsunami warning that sent our cozy cottage of family and friends scrambling up the hill Thursday evening. Poor AK Kid, he was just settling down for the night when we rousted him, sleeping bag and all, and stuffed him into the truck. I think this calls […]
Who better to review Alaska campgrounds than real, live Alaskans? We asked, they responded, and now we’re sharing it with you. The 49th state is full of campgrounds and unofficial campsites that, believe it or not, fill up quickly with locals and visitors during the summer months. Between fishing season and tourist season, finding a […]
With all the fishing going on down on the Kenai Peninsula these days, one would think there is no room for sightseeing. Shoulder-to-shoulder, lines out, fishermen and women are into some serious salmon time, and woe to the one who gets in the way. Or so I thought. AK Fam, during our explorations of Cooper […]
We spent our day today across Kachemak Bay, in the little community of Seldovia, home to 265 hardy souls and probably double that in watercraft. Like many towns in Alaska, Seldovia is accessible only by boat or small plane; we decided to take the new Seldovia Bay Ferry, owned by Seldovia Village Tribe, to make […]