Feet casually crossed on the bench seat of the Orca Song, I waited. The 70-foot vessel owned and operated by Major Marine Tours in Seward was one hour into a three-and-a-half hour day cruise around Resurrection Bay. To find whales, Orca whales, to be exact. A calm day, thankfully, to raise binoculars to eyes and […]
Note: A big warm thank you to Pangaea Adventures, most especially guide Emma, for the calm, cool, and most knowledgable three hours I’ve ever spent sitting in a kayak. In 12 years of Alaska residence, I’ve overcome many of the trepidations about living, working, and playing in the Last Frontier. Bears, for example. And small […]
Camping as a form of recreation and travel is moving up within the list of family vacation favorites, according to the 2017 Topline Report published by Kampgrounds of America (KOA), the largest purveyor of franchise campgrounds in the United States. Currently, 61% of U.S. households went camping at least once last year, and of those […]
Sponsored post on behalf of Phillips Cruises and Tours What does the word “discovery” mean to you? For some, it might translate into checking items off a list. For others, perhaps discovery is finding something not previously known. For me, it’s both those things, and in Alaska, both can be handily accomplished with Phillips Cruises […]
by Theresa Hewston Valdez is an adventure paradise offering everything from spectacular roadside waterfalls to intense icefield hiking trails. This family-friendly town is full of history, culture, scenic beauty, wildlife, and adventure. It’s also full of opportunity. Take some time to explore Valdez and it will quickly find a place in your soul forever. GETTING […]
Sponsored by Erin Kirkland Southcentral Alaska’s Prince William Sound is 3,800 miles of pristine coastline bordered by the Chugach range east and north, and the Kenai Peninsula to the west. Known for rugged peaks and abundant wildlife, the sound is a recreationalist’s paradise. It also is the perfect place to spend a day cruising the […]
Given the blowing, driving, and utterly dripping snow falling from a leaden sky between Anchorage and the Whittier Tunnel, it seemed my choice to take a winter day cruise around Prince William Sound was a bit overambitious. Why, oh why did I suggest this trip to visiting family travel writer Heather and her family of […]
U.S. Forest Service manager Tim Lydon was a bit nervous as crowds gathered at a boat dock in Whittier last weekend. Ready to embark upon a day trip into the fringes of the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study area in celebration of the Wilderness Act’s 50th birthday, Lydon and a host of multi-agency bigwigs were […]
Over the past two weeks, I’ve spent more time in Prince William Sound and the community of Whittier than I have during my 10 years of Alaska residence. This scenic area of southcentral Alaska entices thousands of Alaska visitors each year, eager for glaciers, wildlife, and a good dose of “real Alaska.” And they find […]
Just look at what AK Fam found yesterday aboard a Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruise! An entire whale was attached to that tail, and he/she was one big creature cruising around the chilly waters of Prince William Sound. This is what Alaska family travel is all about – scenes like this. Don’t you love it? […]
You’ve been waiting and waiting for AK Fam to come up with our favorite places of 2010, I just know it. Thank you for your patience; the process has been complex, detailed, and involved serious discussion around the dinner table. It’s not easy deciphering a six year-old’s manner of deduction, after all, but we are […]