How to Choose the Best Alaska Cruise Excursions in 2024
Alaska is a dream destination, and people are always surprised to learn that I grew up there. After that, they often ask me "What is it like to grow up in Alaska?" I love answering this, as it reveals that – for all its magic – Alaska is a pretty normal place with spectacular scenery. Then, people usually follow up by asking "Can you help me plan my Alaskan cruise/choose my Alaska cruise excursions?"...
The Complete Pacific Coast Highway Guide:
3 Itineraries & 27 Stops to MakeThe Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. Making a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a popular bucket list experience – for good reason...
Where to Eat in Wrangell, Alaska: 9 Big Flavors for a Small Town
Don't confuse it with the national park: the small, Southeast Alaskan community of Wrangell is a very different place than the largest area of protected land in the U.S. (Wrangell-St. Elias National Park). And that's a good thing! Wrangell, originally called Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw by the Tlingit people and later renamed Врангель ("Vrangel'") by Russian settlers, is a unique spot that doesn't make the list for most Alaskan travelers – even those on cruises in the Inside Passage...
The 17 Best Kenai Fjords National Park Cruises from Seward (2024)
The sky is clear and the sun creates a million sparkles of light on the face of the ocean. A humpback whale erupts from the shallow waves in a full breach. A glacier cracks loudly making the phrase "white thunder" make sense as a giant piece of ice falls into the water. An otter rides the wake of our boat, holding onto a rock it will use to crack open the clamshell in its other paw for lunch. These are some of the quintessential experiences you can have on a Kenai Fjords National Park cruise...
Duck Fart Shot Recipe: Alaska’s Original & Only Drink
There are some Alaskan foods and drinks that everyone enjoys during a trip: A fresh filet of Alaskan salmon. Piping hot King Crab legs. A pint of Alaskan Amber (or another Alaskan craft beer). And... shots, anyone? While most of us gave up imbibing from shot glasses some time in our 20s, Alaska has only one alcoholic drink it can claim as originating in The Last Frontier: the Duck Fart shot...
Where to Stay in Whittier, Alaska: A Guide to All Your Options
Growing up, my memories of Whittier are limited to a few things: stormy weather and seasickness are chief among them. But that's not what Whittier is always like, and now that I've visited a few more times (most recently in September 2021), and know better. Whittier really can be "prettier" rather than, well, "poopier" is the nicer way to say it...
How to Make the Most of One Day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Short on time while exploring the Big Island? Learn how to maximize one day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – or even a half-day!
The 15 Best Things to Do in Homer (According to an Alaskan!)
I hear it all the time: "I want to visit the part of Alaska without crowds." "Tell me where to go to avoid the tourists." "We want to go off the beaten path!" Here's the reality: there are tourists and crowds everywhere in Alaska in the summer months – the only places off the beaten path are places off the road network, like smaller communities out in the bush or accessible only by ferry in the Southeast. But if you want to get close to that off-the-beaten-path, crowd-and-tourist-free kind of place, Homer's gotta be at the top of the list...
What are the Newest National Parks?
5 Recently-Established Parks to VisitWhen it comes to America's national parks, there's something for everyone. With over 425 individual units (including National Parks, National Monuments, National Historic Sites, and more) and 63 National Parks specifically, you can get out and explore the wonders of this country whether you like the outdoors, our history, or something a bit quirkier (like me – I love old trees!)...
