Active or passive — this un-cruise is for you
“We plan the itinerary so that we can stop like this,” says our captain, Dano Quinn, who has been piloting vessels in Alaska for the last 16 years.
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Eagles and starfish. Snorkeling in Alaska? You bet
Did I mention this father and child are Bald Eagles and we are listening to their conversation from kayaks in spectacular Saginaw Bay on Kuiu Island in Southeast Alaska?
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Thar they blow! Humpbacks galore on the Inside Passage
We are cruising around Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska aboard the InnerSea Discoveries Wilderness Discoverer when we spy humpback whales. So cool! Two are off the bow of the ship!
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Heading off on an “un-cruise” in Southeast Alaska
This morning kayaking near the entrance to the Dry Pass, we see giant red sea stars, anemones and the biggest clams I’ve ever see – Gasper Clams (so-called because they squirt water out of their shells). We learn make these clams make for great bear snacks.
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Bushwhacking through the Willows in Denali National Park
What people also don’t realize is that hiking here is far different than hiking in Yosemite or Yellowstone or most other places. There are no defined trails, and no trail signs. You either need to be experienced in the backcountry and know how to use a compass and map or be fortunate enough to be hiking with someone like Brian McCormick who has been guiding visitors for years.
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Camp Denali: fascinating tales from three generations
Wood showed us a film after dinner of the building of “Camp” as they call it—hauling logs with a World War II surplus jeep, sawing huge trees with hand saws, giving climbers who successfully summited the largest mountain in North America (20,320 feet!) a free spaghetti dinner.
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A “moderate/strenuous” hike on the Denali permafrost
They said the views from the ridge at the top of the Tiga Trail are spectacular. We ask can we do a “moderate-slash-strenuous” hike (translation: slower). Everyone laughs and the six of us in our family—three nursing bad knees—head off with the naturalists
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Two weeks in Alaska: Day One on the road to Camp Denali
We’ve already seen a huge Grizzly munching on a ground squirrel, four Dall sheep, Caribou, a moose and two recently born calves, a red fox …and we’d only been in Denali National Park a few hours.
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First stop on a family trip to NYC — Central Park
In my new book The Kid’s Guide to New York City, I do my best to make sightseeing in the Big Apple fun for kids as well as parents, with plenty of tips from local (play soccer in the park!) and visiting kids (try roasted nuts from a vendor! )
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In Virginia, a Tattoo is not what you might think
Traditionally a tattoo is a ceremonial military performance. The Virginia Arts Festival’s International Tattoo is a huge tribute to this tradition.
