Years ago, I started following an account on instagram of a guy who would go find shark teeth and other fossils in the river beds of South Carolina. I was fascinated by all his finds and I started dreaming about someday having my own experience. When we found out we were moving to South Carolina, one of the first things I started looking into was where exactly to find shark teeth! There are many places that pop up when you start looking into where to find fossils in South Carolina. We had been to a couple beaches and did our own hunting around but it wasn’t until we actually did a charter that we learned exactly what to look for and where. This post is going to address some of the frequently asked questions, if you will, that I see when it comes to finding shark teeth in South Carolina, and maybe even inspire you in your next hobby, because we certainly have found a new obsession! And then we’ll get into the charter that we took! Why?First up, why? Why are there so many shark teeth in South Carolina?? Well, the easiest way to answer this question is to imagine what South Carolina would’ve looked like millions of years ago. Before the ice age, the coast of South Carolina was actually about 120 miles inland from where it is now, which means the Lowcountry was considered the deep sea. I’m no paleontologist, but in lamen’s terms, the coast of South Carolina went through many time periods for millions of years with different shark species coming into and out of existence just off it’s shores. There is even evidence of prehistoric “shark nurseries” in the area which have similarities to shark nurseries you can find off the coast today. So to make the answer even simpler, sharks and other marine life have been here for tens of millions of years. Each shark - and it’s ancestor - has tens of thousands of teeth. Over time, these teeth become fossils that are constantly (twice a day with the tide) being washed up/uncovered on the coast, leaving treasures from the past for us to collect! What?Secondly, what? What exactly are we looking for when we’re looking for shark teeth and what kind of fossils are there to be found in South Carolina? A really fun website to peruse is https://www.fossilguy.com/sites/coastal-south-carolina/south-carolina-fossils.htm He talks about the identification of fossils in South Carolina and has helped us identify what we’ve found on the coast. What kind of fossils can you find in South Carolina? Shark teeth! Sharks, sharks, and more sharks have lived here for millions of years. We’ve found teeth of all sizes, from tiny little sand and hammerhead sharks, to the larger Angustidens shark which lived 22-33 million years ago. But there are also plenty of bull shark, great white, and even the occasional prized Megalodon teeth can be found in South Carolina. We’ve also found lots of shark vertebrae and even the vertebrae of a small whale, or large dolphin! People have also found mammoth fossils and other bones so definitely be on the lookout for other things…but the easiest to distinguish is the teeth. While on the beach, training your eye to look for shiny, black, triangular shaped objects is really what will get you going. Fossilized shark teeth are usually black but you may find them in lighter colors as well. It’s actually extremely rare to find a “fresh” shark tooth but the color doesn’t necessarily tell us it’s age. The color depends on the type of minerals the fossil absorbed while buried in the ocean floor. Pro tip: while looking for teeth on the beach, don’t wear sunglasses! It will make the darker colors harder to see. How?We got a lot of questions as to how we found everything that we found and I’m going to let you in on a secret: all of this was from one shark teeth hunting trip!! We actually took a charter with Coastal Expeditions and booked their beach drop to Morris Island. With this “tour”, we boarded a boat in Shem Creek, near Charleston, and took a short and scenic trip to the uninhabited barrier island. They have a naturalist on board as well as a very knowledgeable captain who both shared a lot of information about the local wildlife and history. We were dropped off on the island for a few hours - we had packed a lunch and were mentally prepared for no bathrooms - and we all had a blast! I honestly wondered how my kids would fare out on the island for a few hours but we were entertained the entire time by hunting for teeth, shells, watching the dolphins hunting in low tide and coming across other wildlife. Honestly, even my 3 year old found some shark teeth and we all had such an amazing time! On our way back from the island, we drove past Fort Sumter and had a great little lesson on the history of the first battle of the civil war at the actual site, which was pretty cool because you do have to board a ferry to get a tour out there normally. Also, on the way back, the naturalist onboard went around and identified some of our fossils, which was very cool to learn about. I kind of wanted to go around with her to see what everyone else had found, too! We are just getting started with our adventures here in South Carolina, but I can honestly say that this excursion was one of the coolest things we’ve done! It was so cool to see each of us have such a fun experience together and thoroughly enjoy it at all our respective ages. Just a few tips for going on this trip: First, we all wore swim suits and packed lots of sunscreen and hats. We brought towels and all the beach gear for all of that (even though we didn’t end up swimming because we were having so much fun finding little treasures! We also packed all the snack and food, because we knew it was going to be awhile and it was recommended for us to do so by the employees. Second, once we got to the island, we also kind of booked it to the other side of the jetty. The naturalist had mentioned there was usually more success there, and while it was a little bit of a walk, we did *not* regret it at all! It was kind of funny because, as soon as we got to the other side of the jetty, I put all our stuff down and my three year old immediately asked me to carry him. I told him, “I can’t. I’m looking for shark teeth…” and I bent down, and picked one up and said “…just like this one!” Haha it was crazy. Once we all realized what we were looking for…again - black, shiny, and triangular… we all were finding things the whole few hours. My 10 year old was the best at finding the tiny guys and eventually, I went down to wade in the water with my 7 year old and that’s where we found the larger one. Jon was very successful with finding all the vertebrae, most of which were actually found on our walk to the other side of the jetty at the beginning of our trip! So what do you think? Are you going to start a new hobby with us? Did you know any of this info or learn something new? Are you an expert shark tooth hunter and have more to add? Please let us know! If you have any questions about our experience, we’re always happy to answer! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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We might’ve just been introduced to one of South Carolina’s major hidden gems! The more people we talk to, the more we realize just how much this place is flying under the radar and - given the fact that it has jumped to the top of our kids favorite family vacation spots - we feel it is our duty to share it with you here! Fripp Island is the most seaward island in South Carolina. It’s right near the southern tip of the state, midway between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia (with Savannah’s airport being the closest). Getting to Fripp Island includes a beautiful drive through Beaufort, South Carolina and Saint Helena Island which is the closest town to Fripp. Fripp Island is only about 6 1/2 square miles. Fun fact: the island was a popular pirate’s hideaway back in the day and local legend suggests that Blackbeard left behind some buried treasure somewhere on the island! Along with three miles of pristine beachfront overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, it is home to one of the largest undisturbed marsh and coastal areas on the Atlantic Coast - which means an amazing diversity of wildlife. In fact, Fripp Island is a designated wildlife sanctuary! It is the home of a large herd of whitetail deer, more than 80 species of birds - including everything from blue herons to bald eagles. Loggerhead sea turtles also make Fripp Island a nesting place each year, and the marsh is home to resident bottlenose dolphins. And I can’t even count how many alligators we saw in our short time there! Where to StayOne of the best things we liked about Fripp Island was that it is off the beaten path. Fripp Island is actually a private resort. To get onto the island, you have to pass through a security gate and it is only accessible to those with reservations at one of the many rental properties in this private community. There are many different types of rentals at the resort, but we were lucky enough to have a hosted stay at Heather’s Happy Shack which is a condo in the Beach Villas. Heather’s rental includes a gate pass and guest cards for up to 6 people. The guest card is what gets you access to each of the resort’s amenities - including restaurants, pools, fitness center, and more (a $300 value!) Also included is a 4-seat golf cart rental for your stay which is the preferred mode of transportation to explore the island! Heather’s Happy Shack is centrally located on the island. It was perfect for our little family of 5 but it can comfortably sleep 6 people. We loved that it was a top floor condo and had an incredible view of the marsh! We saw alligators and sting rays swimming by, fish jumping, and birds fishing all while sitting in the beautiful screened-in porch area. Because Fripp Island is a turtle nesting area, the island is kept quite dark at night which was a whole different experience to look out upon from the screened in porch. We enjoyed listening to the frogs and bugs at night and we could easily imagine how South Carolina looked to the first people who thrived here long ago. We also enjoyed the fully stocked kitchen! While there are restaurants on the island, as well as a small grocery store, we enjoyed the ease of stocking up on food in Beaufort on our way and being able to have slow mornings making breakfast and late nights cooking dinner at our leisure. The rental also has a full-sized washer and dryer. On this small, majestic island, there is so much to do! Fripp Island is home to two designer golf courses, tennis and pickle ball courts, and multiple relaxing pools for all types of vacationers. We spent 3 days in the area and had the best time! The first night we arrived, we took care of business by checking in and getting all our passes as well as grabbing our golf cart. It was love at first night ;) Exploring the island by golf cart, spying baby alligators and all the cute, little white-tailed deer all over the place and then making it official with a quick visit to the beach Day 1If we weren’t sold by our first night, we were definitely in it for the long haul when we woke up to this view! We started off the day by going to check out the nature center, but on the way we spotted this big guy sun bathing in someone’s back yard. Once at the nature center, we loved checking out all the animals. They had frogs, snakes, turtles, a baby alligator, and even a baby raccoon which was so fun to see. We had just gone to see what it was all about but the nature center has so many activities going all the time for all ages. There are kids crafting activities, guided nature tours, even a weekly kids story time and so much more. This is definitely a spot to become familiar with when you first get to the island. Our next stop was a couple hours at the pool. Our family loved the pools at the Cabana Club. There they have 3 pools, with one being a kiddie pool and it’s right on the end of the island so it looks out over the ocean. Along with the peaceful views, they had live music and good poolside food - definitely try the fries! After lunch at the Cabana Club, we were onto our next stop, which was actually the neighboring island known as Hunting Island State Park. Fripp and Hunting Island is actually where they filmed the Vietnam scenes in the movie Forrest Gump! So if that doesn’t demonstrate just how beautiful and tropical the island feels, I don’t know what does. The state park is home to South Carolina’s only publicly accessible lighthouse! This historic lighthouse (built in 1873) is actually a recreation of the original lighthouse - which was built in 1859 - because the original one was burned down by Confederate soldiers to prevent the Union from being able to use it for navigation. We’ve heard there’s a fun nature center on the island as well as a beautiful marsh boardwalk. There are rumors that you can find shark teeth on the northern part of the island as well! We weren’t so lucky but we did stop by the visitors center to say hi to the resident alligator. We hung out at the beach exploring the little tide pool areas and even venturing down to the driftwood area. There is nowhere you can go wrong when visiting Hunting Island State Park. It’s beautiful from all angles, which I guess explains why it’s one of South Carolina’s single most visited State Park! Day 2Our next day started out with another jaunt around the island on the golf cart. We spotted more gators just chilling on the golf course, which never got old to see haha. And then we headed off the island again and went to explore Beaufort a little bit. I already mentioned Beaufort is extremely close as well. If you are looking for a change of pace, it’s an excellent place to visit! Established in 1711, but with Europeans making their mark on the area since the 1500s, there is incredible history here! We started off our day with a dolphin and history tour with Coastal Expeditions. It was a very well-rounded tour where we learned so much about the local wildlife and history. We saw dolphins and all kinds of birds and we are big fans of just being out on the water. Afterwards, we kind of hung out at the marina and we actually saw the drawbridge move to let through a sailboat, which was really cool! The waterfront park located there has a few swings where we could hang out and watch the boats for a bit which was pretty fun. Next, we grabbed lunch at the Lowcountry Produce Market and Cafe, which was super cute inside. They sell a lot of local art and foods so it was fun to browse while waiting for a table. The building started out as a post office in the early 1900s so it was also just really cool to see that. While the food was okay, they do serve “brunch” foods all day and the donuts were a big hit for us! There is a variety of historic tours you can take but in Beaufort but we enjoyed just roaming the area around Old Point neighborhood where you can find the oldest homes in Beaufort. This neighborhood is within walking distance from the restaurant we were parked at as well as the incredible visitors center, which is inside the actual Beaufort Arsenal. It was really cool to hang out here for a bit and would be fun to go back when the history museum, located in the upper level, is open. As we drove back to Fripp Island, we drove over that drawbridge we had watched earlier in the day. This bridge has some fun history in that it was also a backdrop for another famous scene in the Forrest Gump movie, although in the movie it’s labeled as “Mississippi River”. But you’ll recognize it in the part of the movie when Forrest is doing one of his cross-country runs. After some dinner back on the island, we got some ice cream at Island Bites and went on yet another gold cart ride around the island. As we were exploring, we realized some of the deer were very curious and when we stopped the cart, they came right up to us and let us pet them! It was a true Snow White moment and super cool. Then we went to watch the sunset on the marsh and ended another beautiful day on Fripp Island. Day 3This was our last morning on the island, and it was with heavy hearts and promises to come back that we said goodbye. We hit up a few more places in Beaufort before heading home. Some major scenes from Forrest Gump were also shot with Gay Fish Co, which is right near Fripp Island. If you go inside the building, they have framed receipts showing how much Paramount paid Gay Fish Co. for all the shrimp they used in the iconic scene in the movie. Another highlight was visiting the Penn Center. Penn Center was the first school in the South for formerly enslaved West Africans. It’s a beautiful national historic district that preserves the history of the Gullah culture and the communities that literally built the South. Learning about this property from the guides was a special experience. They were so knowledgeable and happy to share points of interest that our whole family would enjoy. We became junior rangers at the National Park building on the property and we even got to see the little cabin where Martin Luther King, jr. wrote his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Another place that we really thought was cool was the Old Sheldon Church Ruins just outside of Beaufort. This is a must see! These ruins were originally known as Prince William’s Parish, built between 1745 and 1753. It was partially burned down by British loyalists in 1779, rebuilt during the Revolutionary War and then again dismantled by the Union just before the end of the Civil War. The grounds are scattered with historic graves, including Colonel William Bull who was a key figure in establishing Savannah, Georgia. Again, there is so much history to take in in this area that ranges from all periods of this country. Such an amazing place to explore. Fripp Island is a true oasis and we can say we 100% fell in love with this little slice of heaven on earth. We have every intention of coming back with friends and family to share this extremely special place. We haven’t been to many places in South Carolina yet, but I have a feeling that Fripp Island will stay at the top of our list of places you need to experience! Have you been to the area and have something to add? Please let us know! Never heard of Fripp Island and have questions about our trip? We’re always happy to answer! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live! We just got back from a fantastic little beach vacation off the coast of South Carolina. I’m talking about the kind of vacation that your kids beg for an extra day and there’s a little sadness in the air on the drive back home. You know that kind, right? The kind of vacations you leave with resolve to come back and bring all your favorite people with you because you just have to share it? The beauty of this specific little trip is that it was only a short driving distance from our home so we really could recreate it any time! Our extended weekend trip was to a little place called Fripp Island, South Carolina. Fripp Island is the most seaward island in South Carolina. It’s only about 6 1/2 square miles. Along with three miles of pristine beachfront overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Fripp Island is also home to one of the largest undisturbed marsh and coastal areas on the Atlantic Coast - which means an amazing diversity of wildlife. In fact, Fripp Island is a designated wildlife sanctuary! It is the home of a large herd of whitetail deer, more than 80 species of birds - including everything from blue herons to bald eagles. Loggerhead sea turtles also make Fripp Island a nesting place each year, and the marsh is home to resident bottlenose dolphins. I can’t even count how many alligators we saw in our short time there! Before we go any further, let’s talk about how to get there. Fripp Island is near the southern tip of South Carolina, midway between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia with Savannah’s airport being the closest to Fripp. It is 67 miles from Savannah including a beautiful drive through Beaufort, South Carolina and Saint Helena Island which is the closest town to Fripp. On this small, majestic island, there is so much to do! Fripp Island is home to two designer golf courses, tennis and pickle ball courts, and multiple relaxing pools for all types of vacationers. Our family loved the pools at the Cabana Club, but there’s also an olympic pool and an adult’s only pool. My kids got a kick out of the local mode of transportation - golf carts! Cruising around the island was so relaxing and beautiful as we took in scenery ranging from white sandy beaches to giant oaks covered in Spanish moss. Besides exploring on land, there is a nature center which offers many outdoor excursions including guided kayaking tours, fishing charters, dolphin cruises and more. If fishing is your thing, there are multiple crabbing docks and Beaufort, only 30 minutes away, is home to some of the best fishing in the country. One of the best things we liked about Fripp Island was that it is off the beaten path. Fripp Island is actually a private resort. To get onto the island, you have to pass through a security gate and it is only accessible to those with reservations at one of the many rental properties in this private community. There are many different types of rentals at the resort, but we were lucky enough to have a hosted stay at Heather’s Happy Shack which is a condo in the Beach Villas. Heather’s rental includes a gate pass and guest cards for up to 6 people. The guest card is what gets you access to each of the resort’s amenities - including restaurants, pools, fitness center, and more (a $300 value!) Also included is a 4-seat golf cart rental for your stay. Heather’s Happy Shack is centrally located on the island. It was perfect for our little family of 5 but it can comfortably sleep 6 people! We loved that it was a top floor condo and had an incredible view of the marsh! We saw alligators and sting rays swimming by, fish jumping, and birds fishing all while sitting in the beautiful screened-in porch area. Because Fripp Island is a turtle nesting area, the island is kept quite dark at night which was a whole different experience to look out upon from the screened in porch. We enjoyed listening to the frogs and bugs at night and we could easily imagine how South Carolina looked to the first people who thrived here long ago. We also enjoyed the fully stocked kitchen! While there are restaurants on the island, as well as a small grocery store, we enjoyed the ease of stocking up on food in Beaufort on our way and being able to have slow mornings making breakfast and late nights cooking dinner at our leisure. The rental also has a full-sized washer and dryer. If none of this has you convinced to visit Fripp Island, there’s more!! Fripp Island is located right next to South Carolina’s Hunting Island State Park. Fripp and Hunting Island is actually where they filmed the Vietnam scenes in the movie Forrest Gump! So if that doesn’t demonstrate just how beautiful and tropical the island feels, I don’t know what does. We did make our way over to Hunting Island for sunset one of the nights we were there and it was stunning. The state park is home to South Carolina’s only publicly accessible lighthouse! This historic lighthouse (built in 1873) is actually a recreation of the original lighthouse - which was built in 1859 - because the original one was burned down by Confederate soldiers to prevent the Union from being able to use it for navigation. We’ve heard there’s a fun nature center on the island as well as a beautiful marsh boardwalk. There are rumors that you can find shark teeth on the northern part of the island as well! Visiting Hunting Island was a super easy activity to do while staying on Fripp Island. I already mentioned Beaufort is extremely close as well. If you are looking for a change of pace, it’s an excellent place to visit! Established in 1711, but with Europeans making their mark on the area since the 1500s, there is incredible history here! There is a variety of historic tours you can take but we enjoyed just roaming Old Point neighborhood where you can find the oldest homes in Beaufort. Another highlight was visiting the Penn Center. Penn Center was the first school in the South for formerly enslaved West Africans. It’s a beautiful national historic district that preserves the history of the Gullah culture and the communities that literally built the South. Learning about this property from the guides was a special experience. They were so knowledgeable and happy to share points of interest that our whole family would enjoy. We became junior rangers at the National Park building on the property and we even got to see the little cabin where Martin Luther King, jr. wrote his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Another place that we really thought was cool was the Old Sheldon Church Ruins just outside of Beaufort. This is a must see! These ruins were originally known as Prince William’s Parish, built between 1745 and 1753. It was partially burned down by British loyalists in 1779, rebuilt during the Revolutionary War and then again dismantled by the Union just before the end of the Civil War. The grounds are scattered with historic graves, including Colonel William Bull who was a key figure in establishing Savannah, Georgia. Again, there is so much history to take in in this area that ranges from all periods of this country. Such an amazing place to explore. Some other random facts: there is a shrimping company close to Fripp Island called Gay Fish Co. Some major scenes from Forrest Gump were also shot with this company, as they used one of their shrimp boats in the movie. They also filmed the storm scene in these waters. If you go inside the building, they have framed receipts showing how much Paramount paid Gay Fish Co. for all the shrimp they used in the iconic scene in the movie. You may also recognize the Woods Memorial Bridge, which connects Beaufort to Lady’s Island from Forrest Gump as well. This is the bridge Forrest runs across during one of his many cross-country runs…though in the movie it is labeled the Mississippi River. Another fun fact is that Fripp Island was a popular pirate’s hideaway back in the day and local legend suggests that Blackbeard left behind some buried treasure somewhere on the island! Fripp Island is a true oasis and we can say we 100% fell in love with this little slice of heaven on earth. We have every intention of coming back with friends and family to share this extremely special place. We haven’t been to many places in South Carolina yet, but I have a feeling that Fripp Island will stay at the top of our list of places you need to experience! Have you been to the area and have something to add, please let us know! Never heard of Fripp Island and have questions about our trip? We’re always happy to answer! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live! Homer, Alaska is a little coastal town at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. Right on the stunning Kachemak Bay, it is a beautiful town with a population of just under 6,000 people. We recently visited Homer for the second time and it quickly jumped to one of my personal favorite places we’ve explored in Alaska. And, much like most places we’ve visited in Alaska, both times we’ve left Homer, my list of things I want to do there got longer instead of shorter. Homer is a beautifully scenic 4 hour drive from Anchorage. Once we arrived, we checked into our adorable Airbnb and got started on dinner. We knew our kids would need a break from running around so we decided to grab some groceries on our way down so we could have an easy dinner and settle in for the next few days of adventures. So our first full day was actually our second day there and that’s where we’ll begin our itinerary: Day 1Last time we visited, we didn’t plan ahead for this particular adventure so we made it a priority for this trip. On our first day we booked the ferry to explore the tiny coastal town of Seldovia. Seldovia is 15 miles from Homer, across the Kachemak Bay and it is not on any road system so it is only accessible by plane or boat. It has 255 residents, according to the last census, and is just the epitome of authentic, Alaskan vibes. We were first greeted with the stunning harbor…who doesn’t love a small, moody harbor? Where my girls took awhile leaving the dock after spotting jelly fish and anemones along the walk. We sauntered over to the “Historic Boardwalk” and came up to a bridge with the beautiful scenes of houses built on stilts along the river. We also saw some kids fishing from the shore and the bridge and we sat and watched an otter feasting on mussels. We made our way into “downtown” and grabbed some delicious lunch at Jack and Aiva’s and afterwards, we rented a couple of golf carts to get around town before we had to get back on the ferry. We explored a few of the beach areas and had a good time racing each other along the dirt roads out of town. I do want to say that we really had no plans for what to do when we got to Seldovia. It was a pure exploration day and it was just so much fun. Tourist areas are what they are for obvious reasons but there’s just something about those little towns that help you appreciate the majesty of Alaska and the heartiness of the people who live here. After we got back into Homer, we grabbed dinner at Fat Olives! Always a hit with their pizzas. Day 2The next day was a grand adventure for me in particular. Both times we took my parents to Homer with us with the goal of doing a bear watching tour. Last year we went to Lake Clark National Park, which was such an awesome experience, but this year, we booked at flight with Northwind Aviation and had a once in a lifetime experience visiting Katmai National Park - specifically Brooks Falls. Brooks Falls is a popular annual fishing ground for the big brown bears living in this coastal region of Alaska. Think the Disney movie Brother Bear in real life ;) It was an indescribable experience. There are many ways to get to Brooks Falls but I’m going to argue that flying from Homer is the best way. We flew past volcanoes and around mountains in our float plane, following the rivers that lead the way around the vast landscape of untouched wilderness. All the while, hearing stories and chatting with our pilot/guide who is local to Homer and very knowledgable about the area and history. This trip was incredible and definitely something to look into when visiting Homer. You can read more about this particular experience here. Day 3This day was particularly fun because we put the kids in charge of the itinerary. Mom and the Grandparents had ditched them the day prior so I told them they got to choose the activities for the day. First stop, Wild Honey Bistro for the most delicious crepes for breakfast. Do not sleep on this one! Only open Wednesday-Sunday from 8-2 this is *the* place for a hearty breakfast that everyone will enjoy. True to form, my kids will always order the Nutella crepes. Last time I had their cinnamon roll crepe but this day I was craving something savory and the crepe madam hit the spot! And now that I’m drooling on my keyboard just thinking about it… After breakfast, the kids chose to head to the beach. Bishop’s beach is just down the road from Wild Honey Bistro and is a great place to explore when the tide is out. It is worth mentioning here that beach days in Alaska are much different than beach days in other places. It’s cold, for one, and commonly rainy, so everyone is geared up in rain boots and rain jackets. But the kids were in heaven looking for little sea creatures in the streams of water heading out with the tide. Last year we spotted so many sea stars but this time we saw clams and crabs and even a little halibut that had gotten stuck in the low tide. This spot is also a popular spot that the planes fly over for tours, which is especially exciting for a little 2 year old boy so it’s fair to say that we took our time here. Next we took the crew down to the “Spit”. The Homer Spit is a long, narrow, piece of land extending 4.5 miles into Kachemak Bay. It’s an extremely rare natural formation created from glacier deposits and tidal forces. In Homer, this is where the tourist shops and restaurants are located. But our main goal - or the goal of the kids - was to find the swings under the boardwalk. An obvious attraction. Exploring the spit is always fun with the eclectic shops along the way. Our pilot from the previous day had suggested the rock fish tacos from the Boardwalk fish and chips and my dad said they hit the spot. We also wandered over by the harbor and saw seals swimming and star fish waiting for the tide to come in. It was a very relaxed day of exploring and there’s not much better than that. We left the next day and slowly made our way back to Anchorage. We ended up staying the night in Cooper Landing, which is a great halfway mark. My Dad and Jon wanted to do a little fishing in the world class Russian River. Because it is such a great place for fishing, it draws in humans and creatures of all sizes. We didn’t see any bears but we saw lots of signs posted of recent bear activity. We saw bald eagles watching over their domain, which is always a fun sight. While this concluded our trip to Homer, it didn’t conclude my list of things to do there. As previously stated I always leave places like this with more things on my list that I’d like to do rather than shorter. For instance, our pilot and guide from our bear tour told us about a new tour they offer where guests are flown to a yacht in a scenic/remote location and are then taken on a jet ski tour to water falls and spot wildlife. He even shared a video of one of the guests getting a close up visit of a whale (smh in disbelief as I fight back my fomo). Guests are then treated to a dinner on the boat with a private chef and flown back to Homer. What an epic experience! As in any of the major coastal towns in Alaska, there are obviously many fishing charters to choose from. We haven’t taken any but we love watching them come in, bring in their catch and weigh every thing. We saw a few nice sized halibut! Homer is the halibut fishing capital of the world so if you’re into fishing, this is the place to do it! If you’ve been around our social media for any amount of time, you know my love of glaciers. So it tracks and another epic experience I think would be incredible is to explore Grewingk Glacier. Grewingk Glacier is located across the Bay from Homer is located in Kachemak Bay State Park and is accessible by a water taxi that drops visitors off at the trailhead and comes back at a designated pick-up point at the end of the day to take visitors back to Homer. The Glacier itself is 13 miles long and can be seen from Homer but as with other glaciers, nothing beats getting up close and personal with these incredible geological formations. Visitors can expect the hike to take about 2 hours each way. The view from the lake is supposed to be stunning, where you can watch icebergs calve, lounge on the beach, or even take a guided kayaking tour. There is so much to do in Homer and the surrounding areas! If you’re interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live! One thing you should know about visiting Alaska is that finding a place to stay is a little different than in other parts of the world. If you’re looking for a luxury vacation, there are exactly 0 5-star hotels, even in Anchorage, which is the biggest city in Alaska. Sure, you’ll find all-inclusive resorts that will fly you out to there properties in remote locations but if you’re looking for an affordable place to stay that acts as a good hub for all those Alaskan adventures you have on your bucket list, you’ll want to read this post. We’ve been exploring Alaska for 4 years and we’ve learned that the best places to stay when you truly want an Alaskan experience are those places away from the bustling “big cities”. Okay, I don’t know if any city in Alaska really qualifies as a “big city” that most people think of, haha. But if you’re coming to Alaska, wouldn’t you agree that you want the full, well-rounded experience? If you’ve been around for a minute, you know how much we rave about the Palmer/Wasilla area of Alaska. It was love at first sight when we first visited this little heaven on earth and out of all the places we’ve visited in Alaska, this area is one that we’ve frequented much more than any other. This part of the Mat Su Valley is under an hour from Anchorage and is the perfect jumping off point for some of our favorite Alaskan bucket list adventures. The mountain views, the cozy neighborhoods, and the community feel just has us continually coming back. We’ve stayed in many different places in the area and on our most recent little vacation down south, we were invited to spend some time at the Meier Lake Resort. We wound through little neighborhood streets to get to Meier Lake, but the property is nestled into 120 acres of secluded wilderness. With just 12 rooms, visitors feel as if they are "off-the-grid" without having to go far from the amenities of comfort (like shopping and restaurants) or go out of the way from planned adventures. The grounds are quiet and calming and there's a sense of intimacy that comes with the natural surroundings. The beauty of Meier Lake Resort is that the current owners purchased the property that had been run as a summer camp for youth since the 70s. After a few years of extensive remodeling, they have done a remarkable job with keeping the nostalgic summer camp atmosphere but mixing it with upscale and luxurious details and theming. First, we’ll start with the rooms. Going to summer camp as a kid, I know exactly what to expect when I think of summer camp cabins full of bunks of young kids whispering and playing games into the night. But walking into the cabins at Meier Lake make you feel like you’re staying at an upscale resort. The comfortable beds with the thoughtful details of fresh flowers and clean robes will have you feeling refreshed and ready for the day’s adventures. Each room is it’s own Alaskan experience decorated with different maps of the beautiful state. But waking up to the view of green trees and a pristine lake is just what the doctor ordered. The no phone/no TV policy of the property is welcome with the theming of serenity and unplugging from the bustle of everyday life, though wifi is available for those who choose to use it. Second, the location is a great hub for adventures in the area. Meier Lake Resort sits just at the base of the stunning Hatcher Pass, a little over an hour away from our favorite Matanuska Glacier Recreation Site, or even just 30 minutes from our favorite beloved Reindeer Farm experience. This is such a good area to look into when looking for a good hub. Boasting a private lake complete with a sandy beach, Meier Lake Resort offers a calming start or end to a fun adventure-filled day. But beyond that, staying at Meier Lake is an adventure all on it’s own. Every guest on the property has full use of all the water amenities including kayaks, paddle boats, canoes, or paddle boards. But nothing can compare to enjoying the wood fire heated sauna right there on the shore after taking a dip in the lake. Take advantage of the provided hammam towels and pour some water over the coals to get some steam for a relaxing end of your day. Spa packages are even available with prior notice. Other outdoor amenities on property include a PDGA championship disc golf course, which is the only tier A disc golf course in Alaska. The course boasts a 3.5 mile loop around the lake and through the woods with 18 holes and 36 baskets. Grab a frisbee from the main lodge and try your hand at this popular sport. In keeping with the summer camp feel, all the cabins on property are dry, which means no running water inside the individual cabins. However, the shower house at Meier Lake leaves nothing to be desired with larger private bathrooms and showers. It is kept clean and fully stocked of fresh fluffy towels throughout the day. At the time of our visit, Meier Lake was working on getting a liquor license and as well as getting their kitchen up and running so they can operate at restaurant there at the property in the near future. The main lodge was already inviting but we’re excited to go back and see how this addition adds to the property. Though there was no dining on site while we were there, breakfast is included in every stay and we had it delivered to our door every morning, complete with a thermos of fresh coffee, fresh fruit, yogurt and muffins. We loved waking up to breakfast with a view. If you’re looking for a place of gathering for a group of people, look no further because this resort would be the perfect place for such an occasion. There’s even a cabin with strictly bunk beds specifically for families with children. Individual families could enjoy the privacy of their own cabin while still enjoying the space as a larger group. This really would be a wonderful place to host a wedding or family event. One of my favorite things about Meier Lake Resort are the events that they host themselves. If you follow their instagram, you’ll be up-to-date on all things Meier Lake, including disc golf championships and clinics, beach club days, wellness retreats, yoga classes, cooking classes, self care retreats…the possibilities of activities to enjoy on the property are endless. We loved our stay at Meier Lake Resort and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to people looking for somewhere to stay to complete that Alaskan aesthetic when visiting this great state. What do you look for when looking for a place to stay? If you’re interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
I don’t know how else to set the scene for our visit to Wrangell St. Elias National Park/McCarthy, Alaska except to start with some facts about this mind-blowing national park. Wrangell St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States. It is also one of the least visited national parks in the country. Covering 13.2 million acres, this park is 6 times the size of Yellowstone. 9/16 of North America’s tallest peaks sit inside it’s borders. This means it’s bigger than Switzerland and has taller mountains. It’s landscape includes one of the most active volcanos in North America as well as many glaciers including the world’s largest, Bering Glacier, which is 100 miles long. There are only two roads that lead into the interior of the park, both of which are very rural, meaning gravel, are one way, and have no services (minus the occasional outhouse). Nebesna Road is only about 40 miles and McCarthy Road ends it’s 60 mile length at McCarthy, Alaska. This is the road we took. Greeted with a sign that was anything but welcoming, we slowly made our way as deep into Wrangell St. Elias National Park one can get by car. The gravel road was rough with all the pot holes and our confidence wasn’t boosted when passing spots just waiting for some heavy rains to wash it out. About a 1/3 of the way in, we came to the Kuskulana bridge, and my husband was ready to turn around and go home, haha. This one way bridge sits about 240 feet above a sheer sided ravine and is 525 ft long. Built in 1910, it was originally a train trestle that has since been reinforced with steel - guard rails being added in 1988. I climbed in the driver’s seat while my husband sat in the back with his eyes on the ground as we passed safely over this scenic spot on our journey. Adding to the stunning scenes of our drive was the historic train trestle. The whole train track from Cordova to Kennecott, Alaska was built for the sole purpose of transporting copper out of Kennecott. As the mine operated year round, so did the train, where workers had to overcome obstacles such as -60 degree Fahrenheit weather, heavy snow, and avalanches. Sometimes the train would become derailed and it was more cost effective to just add more track to get it back on course instead of trying to lift it back onto the existing track. Another interesting fact we came across was the purpose of these platforms along some of the trestle. Workers would stand on these platforms and pour water on the support beams to stop fires from catching as the train chugged along above them on the track. McCarthy, Alaska was built up as a town about 5 miles down from Kennecott Copper Mine. McCarthy was the rough and tumble town that offered miners “services” that weren’t allowed in the Kennecott mining town. Still a very rural town, with only 20 year round residents, visitors aren’t allowed to drive cars into McCarthy. There’s a large parking lot at the end of the road where visitors park and walk across a footbridge over the river, and if you catch it in time, a shuttle will drive you up the mile walk into downtown McCarthy. Along this path, you can see the old hand trams that used to by the only way to cross the river. You’ll also be able to see gorgeous views of the Chugach Mountain Range to the South and the other view I couldn’t get over was the view of 4 glaciers converging into one giant ice wall to the north. A stunning view that we’ll revisit later in our trip. We caught the shuttle just in time when we first were entering McCarthy. It was a short drive to downtown and then we caught a free shuttle up to Kennecott. Once up at the old mining town, we got to explore some of the old buildings while we waited to check in for our tour. You can roam the old post office and commissary, some of the old cabins, and even the community hall where they held dances, church services, showed movies, and other entertainment. St. Elias Alpine Guides is the only tour company with exclusive access to Kennecott Copper Mill. We started by up the short path to the 14th floor of the abandoned copper mill and my husband started questioning my trip planning judgment for a second time :) Not only were we high over the valley, we had to sign a waiver and don some hardhats before entering the seemingly dilapidated building. In fact, at the end of our tour, our guide stated that there used to be more buildings included in the tour but they had recently collapsed. Nonetheless, the tour was extremely interesting as we walked through the processes used to break down copper that was coming in from the mine above. As we went down through each floor, a new step in the process was explained and stories shared of the miners experiences. When the mine was abandoned in 1938, the head honchos wanted to work until the very last second. They announced the last train was departing from town only 2 hours ahead of time, giving residents no time to gather items. Everything was abandoned and it was definitely noticeable when we got to the bottom floors and saw shoes and gloves and tools just left to deteriorate. At it’s height, Kennecott Copper Mill produced 25% of the world’s copper and it is still considered the richest area of copper in the world. It was such a cool place to explore and you can even stay in the hotel in town! You would schlep your luggage over the footbridge and get picked up from the Kennecott Lodge Shuttle to take you into town. Given more time, and maybe without our little littles in tow, it would be so interesting to also have gone to the Kennecott cemetery, where it is said to have listed causes of death - some being a little gruesome - on the headstones. After our tour, we caught a shuttle back into McCarthy and grabbed dinner at the Roadside Potato. We have been to it’s sister restaurant on our trips to Valdez and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat there again. We got some ice cream at the local commissary and made our way back to our campsite. Though we missed the last shuttle out, it wasn’t a bad walk back over the footbridge. The next morning, we walked back up to the footbridge, but instead of going across, we made our way to the edge towards the glacier lake. Those glacier views never get old and we had a great time just taking in the views and playing at the edge of the lake. We visited Memorial Day weekend and the lake seemed to be frozen over, but upon further inspection we had stumbled upon some candle ice! Candle ice is another name of rotten ice that is breaking down during spring melt into perpendicular geometric pillars that is so fascinating to play with. The best way to see it in action is to check out our Instagram Reel. But to describe in words, I will say that it’s very unstable and we were easily able to push through it. I wished I had had my kayak to skim across the top of it. It made a wind-chime sound as we scooped it up and pushed it around. It was very clear glacier lake ice as the water on top had frozen with the sediment falling to the bottom. We all thought it was so cool! We had planned to stay three nights at our campground near McCarthy but to ease my husband’s mind about the drive back, we ended up leaving after two nights. It just felt better to get the McCarthy Road under our belt and then to finish our drive back to Fairbanks the next day. The drive was about 7 1/2 hours in total. Our weekend was honestly incredible, learning about the history of the area. Would I recommend everyone visits McCarthy? Not necessarily. While I really enjoyed the trip, you have to have a pretty big sense of adventure to make the trek. Another way - an easier way - to visit Wrangell St. Elias National Park is to just stop at the visitor’s center near Glennallen. The visitor’s center sits at the edge of the park with gorgeous views, interesting facts, and a little 20 minute video that goes into impressive detail about the park. There are trails and viewpoints around the visitors center to get a little more perspective of this impressive section of Alaska. If you want even more of an adventure than we took, another way to explore the park is by bush plane. There is an air service out of McCarthy and many public cabins around the park with their own runway so visitors can fly out and enjoy the vast wilderness away from civilization. Or staying closer to town, there are river rafting tours and glacier hiking tours of differing lengths and skill levels. Is Wrangell St. Elias National Park on your bucket list? We’d love to know if you’d add anything or if you have any questions! If you’re interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
This past summer we began tentatively planning a trip around Christmas time/my birthday with my parents. We loved the little break from the long, dark Alaskan winter we got last year when we went to Disneyland in January and thought it would be a great time to cash in some airline points and get to Hawaii! I, myself, really wanted to get to the Big Island but my parents talked us into planning a trip to Maui instead. Long story short, we came to the conclusion that this trip wasn't in the cards for us when things got a little unpredictable at work - such is the military life - or so we thought...A few days after Jon went back to work after the Christmas holiday, he came home declaring the need for a break from the dark and cold. He said he had checked on the leave he took "way back when" we started planning our Hawaii trip and it had been approved! We started crunching numbers and got a hold of my parents and told them we would be joining them after all! This was especially exciting to them seeing as how we were the only ones out of my siblings they hadn't seen for holidays. Ironically, my dad had ended up planning to do a bit of island hopping and the days of our trip lined up with the days they would be on the Big Island :D I was so excited. Why give you all of this back story to our trip? Well, we booked our tickets about 4 days prior to departure so it was probably our most spontaneous trip ever, and while we did have some idea as to what we wanted to see and do, we know a little better what to plan for next time and also want to help *you* learn from our mistakes. So here's the run down of how it went and what we learned: TransportationOur flight from Alaska to Kona was about 9 hours of flying. We had a slight delay and ended up getting into Kona at 12:30AM. We were glad we had booked an airbnb not far from the airport for our first night so we could rest up for the big adventures to come. We also enjoyed not having to mess with rental car companies since we booked our car through Turo. We always have the easiest check-ins and outs with them! what We didThe next morning, we headed out to do some shopping. Since we had little to no prep for our trip, we all needed water shoes, reef safe sun screen, and even a little bit of summer clothes since, ya know, Alaska doesn't really provide those things ;) We also loaded up on bottled water and some snacks. Walmart was a great spot to do all of this. We grabbed some acai bowls for breakfast at Kona Wave Cafe which was a pretty fun area to check out. We visited the ABC store and spotted the cruise ships in the bay. It was a pretty busy spot and we ended up opting to pay for parking rather than mess around but maybe if we hadn't taken our time getting there, it wouldn't have been an issue. We were already having a blast taking in our surroundings! My parents flight from Maui wasn't getting in until afternoon so we set out to do a bit of exploring while we waited. We headed down south of Kona to our first stop, Kealakekua Bay. This bay is actually a historic site where Captain Cook landed in 1779. It's also a traditional Hawaiian religious site and we had fun taking the little trail and getting our first taste of the Hawaiian scene. The surf seemed a little rough at the time we visited so we didn't get in the water but our kids had the best time watching the waves crash against the rocks and spotting the crabs scurrying along. They got so excited to find some fallen coconuts, too! Another time, it would be interesting to make it out to the Captain Cook Monument, which you can get to by hiking trail or taking a kayak tour. After a short time here, we continued down the one lane road to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park. This cultural site was, in my opinion, one of the prettiest places we encountered on the whole island. I wish we had more time to fully explore but my kids were itching to get in the water! Even in the short time we spent here, we felt it's serene and calming influence as a spiritual sanctuary and even got to listen in on a few cultural demonstrations. So, after appeasing me in my quiet walk, I rewarded my family by *finally* getting in some beach/snorkel time at Two Step Beach, which is right outside the national park. I enjoyed the little "pool" area with the two youngest and Jon introduced Hayden to snorkeling in the more open water. It was the perfect spot to hang out and wait for Grandma and Grandpa. Once my parents arrived, we headed to Hilo. Hilo is on the opposite side of the island almost directly across from Kona. When my dad booked his trip to the Big Island, his sole desire was to see Volcanos National Park so he thought he'd stay in an airbnb closer to that area. More on that later. To get to Hilo, we had a choice of 3 routes: the southern route - Hawaii Belt Road, the northern route - Mamalahoa Highway, or the fastest route - RT-200. We opted for the scenic southern route and it was beautiful. On the way to Hilo we stopped at Punalu'u Bake Shop, the most southern bakery in the U.S. We indulged in their world famous malasadas and sweet bread right before closing, which in typical Hawaii fashion is an early 5:00. Had we had more time, this route is a great choice if you want to stop at the most southern point in the U.S., Papakolea Beach - one of only 4 green sand beaches in the world, and, one of the places we'll definitely make a priority next trip, the black sand Punalu'u Beach. As I write this, I am glad we didn't have the time this trip because it gives us an excuse to go back :) Other highlights along this route include magnificent views of lava fields and, of course, Volcanos National Park. We had a wonderful airbnb outside of Hilo. The neighborhood was built on a lava field with the backyard leading up to a stunning cliff side next to the ocean. Views of stunning sunrises, whales, dolphins, and occasional visits from some turtles made it a dream location *however* it was rather far from any activities so it was definitely a give-and-take. Our next day, we grabbed breakfast at the famous Hawaiian Style Cafe. Honestly, this restaurant was listed in multiple blogs but it just didn't hit the spot for us. If you find a good place on the Big Island with coconut syrup on their breakfast menu, let us know! After breakfast, we headed to Richardson Beach Park. It was a pretty cool spot, the best part being that we saw about 6 sea turtles napping and hanging out waiting for the tide to bring them back out. It was a rocky and unstable walk out to them but very worth it, and of course, the kids had the best time playing in the waves. Afterwards we grabbed lunch at 5-Spice. We got some super good Korean style plate lunches with DELICIOUS mac salad! Then we decided to go visit Volcanos National Park. As previously stated, my dad had booked this part of his trip based on visiting this park due to active volcanic activity at the time. But activity had stopped about a month prior to our visit so my dad opted to relax at the house and the rest of us took off, expecting to see a crusted over lava lake and explore the park a bit. We pulled up to the visitors center and my dad called saying Kilauea started erupting on our drive to the park! All the park rangers were buzzing with excitement and we actually walked out to the viewing point from the visitors center with park rangers as they put out signs to guide visitors along the pathway. Instead of exploring the park, we spent our time watching a live volcano eruption from the crater rim - and meeting up with my dad as he made his way after us ;) It was an incredible view, especially at sunset, and a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime experience! As well as a good reminder that all adventures are worth taking - you never know just how big the experience will turn out to be! The next day, Jon and I cashed in a 1/2 day babysitting with the grandparents. While we could've taken the kids on the day's adventures, we had a good time taking advantage of a little date time. We booked a tour at the Lavaloha chocolate farm! On our way out, we checked out the pretty Rainbow Falls, and then made our way through the beautiful farmland. The chocolate farm was the prettiest setting to spend the morning with views of the bay on one side and views of Mauna Loa on the other! The tour was so much fun, where we got to taste fresh cacao fruit straight from the tree, see where the fruit is dried and fermented, watch a video on how they process the dried fruit and then...taste the wonderful samples of their best-of-the-best chocolate flavors. It was such a fun morning! Afterwards, we met back up with the rest of our crew and set out to take the kids somewhere we knew they would enjoy, the Pana'ewa Zoo - a free zoo with some fun animals that we don't normally interact with...the white tiger and big anteaters being favorites, in my opinion at least. Then we headed over to the site of the Hilo Farmer's Market for some shave ice at Kula - hands down, the Lilikoi (passionfruit) Dreamsicle being the best flavor! The next day was our last day with Grandma and Grandpa as we made our way back to Kona so they could catch their flight. This time, we took the northern scenic route back making a few stops along the way. We started off with a last visit to the Hilo Farmers Market buying a few souvenirs, another delicious shave ice, and acai bowl. Then we set out for a little hike around 'Akaka State Park. Hilo is the wet side of the island - getting the most rain than any other city in the U.S. Walking around this park was such a fun highlight of the trip really getting to see the rainforest plants of the area and the 250 foot waterfall wasn't a bad addition ;) One thing to know here is, not only do you have to pay for parking, you also have to pay per person to get onto the trail. It was worth it for our group! The .4-mile loop was a pleasant and easy walk, including wide stairs on some parts of the trail, but even our 2-year-old did the whole loop with no help and we all loved checking out the waterfalls and giant banyan trees and other tropical plants. Someone on the trail made the comment that it was like stepping into the Avatar movie and we have to agree! It was otherworldly for this Alaskan fam. Other spots along this route included a viewpoint of Waipi'O Valley which was certainly pretty and has a very interesting history, relaxing views of island farm land, and stunning views of Mauna Loa - the largest and one of the most active volcanos in the world. Given more time it would've been fun to spend some time seeing Polulu Valley as well. We've heard tale of a rope swing along the hike so consider that point being on our list for next time as well. After saying goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa over lunch at The Fish and the Hog, we drove into Kona to check into our next airbnb at the Kona Coast Resort. After getting everyone settled, I took off for my little birthday present from Jon - a manta ray night snorkel tour with Hawaii Oceanic. I went by myself because Jon had to stay back with the kids, but only with the promise that this will also be added to the list for next time ;) Kona, Hawaii is one of only places in the world to snorkel with these majestic creatures and this tour is not to be missed! I met my tour at the dock and was given a wet suit, ankle floats, and the rundown. The group was picked up by a boat and brought out to the location about 5 minutes from the dock. We were given snorkel gear and more instructions before swimming out to a big surfboard with a handle for each of us to hold onto while we watched the beautiful underwater ballet of 9 manta rays with wingspans averaging 14 feet. It was...incredible, breathtaking, awesome and wonderful! There were multiple tour groups out with us and they all seemed comparable to ours. I'm not sure if the company really matters but what does matter is that you book it!! Just do it. The next day was our last day on the island. We had planned on scoping out some beaches but on a recommendation from a local, we headed to Kikaua Point Beach Park. This beach is a special one, mainly because the only way to get to it is by going through private resort security so not many visitors know they can get to this public beach. We drove through the Four Seasons security gate where they gave us a free parking pass to the beach. We walked along Kuki'o Beach where we saw a few turtles along the reef close to the beach. The hidden gem part was found when we kept walking along the beach, through the lava rock in front the beach club, and around the point to find Kikaua Point Beach with an incredible "children's pool" completely blocked off by the reef making it the perfect place to hang out with the littles, but also a private little snorkeling cove that we had all to ourselves! We saw turtles and coral and beautiful colored fish of all sizes....now I'm not an experience snorkeler, but one of the people we talked to on the beach (who was actually on my same manta ray snorkeling tour!) seemed to be and he said he had never seen so much in such a small area. It was absolute heaven and the best place to take it easy and spend our last day on the island. That night we got dinner at Island Ono Loa Grill which was pretty dang good! The next day was THE WORST!! because we were leaving (sad face). You know those vacations you come home from and you were grateful for but you're just happy to be in your own bed? This was not one of those. We were so sad to come home because we had had the most amazing time. One thing I knew about the Big Island was that a lot of travel guides seemed to say that this island was the least suitable for young kids, thus why my parents were able to talk me out of it when we were originally planning. This consensus seemed to say that the adventures to be had on this island are a little too...extreme?... or grand with littles in tow. With the exception of the snorkeling tour, I found this to be false. It was a wonderful time for each person in our family with all of us itching to go back! I kid you not, looking at pictures once we got home, even our 2-year-old had a little meltdown when we wouldn't take him back to the places in the pictures - which was funny, yet painful because I felt the same way :) A few more places on our list for next time: the octopus farm tour, the sea horse farm tour, the Hilo zip line and maybe I can talk Jon into some parasailing ;) What we learnedI know this "travel guide" reads a little differently than some of our others because we didn't actually get to do a few of the things listed but we wanted to share our experience and what we learned. Biggest tip: booking the tour the day of won't always work out! We had such a short time to actually plan the trip and banked a little too much on being flexible with some of the things on our "to-do list". Book tours early if you can! Next, three nights in Hilo was a little long and if we stay there again, we would definitely stay closer to town. On that note, three nights in Kona was not enough! While Hilo definitely has some activities of note, most of the action is in Kona. We really did love spending time in both places, especially seeing the difference between the landscapes! Ooh, another tip: while we did do some great souvenir shopping around the Hilo Farmer's Market, the best Kona souvenirs were found back at Walmart! I know, it was surprising to me too but we learned this little trick knowing that one of the best spots for souvenirs in Fairbanks is the local Walmart as well :D We sure made some incredible memories as a family during this trip. While we have taken some amazing vacations with our kids, this one was definitely a favorite for our young family. Each of us enjoyed ourselves and are pining to go back. As always, we’d love to answer your comments or questions! Make sure to pin this post for future reference! Now that we're back home in Alaska, consider following us on Instagram to come with us on our day-to-day adventures! Until next time, we encourage you to get out and enjoy where you live!
No one can argue that Alaska is a mecca for anyone looking for adventure. Whether you're looking to spend time in the rugged outdoors, spot some incredible wildlife, or experience life off-the-grid in any way, shape, or form, Alaska is the perfect place. As the second-largest city in the state, Fairbanks has it's own unique version of adventures that you won't find anywhere else and is the perfect home base for those looking for a one-of-a-kind adventure. If you've been around here for awhile, you know that we're all about those off-the-beaten-path kind of adventures. But we can always recognize when a more "touristy" activity is worth the hype and that's why we're highlighting the Fairbanks Riverboat Discovery river cruise in this post. Every summer the sternwheeler known as the Riverboat Discovery takes passengers on an all-encompassing river cruise immersing passengers in the history and culture of Alaska. In the 3-hour narrated tour, passengers learn about recent history and changes to transportation around interior Alaska - including presentations by a floatplane and at a sled dog kennel - in addition to being transported back thousands of years in a walking tour of an authentic native village and summer fishing camp. Some of the guides at the village as well as on the boat are natives themselves who grew up in villages around Alaska and offer a truly unique insight. The tour starts and ends at "Steamboat Springs", modeled after a trading post but essentially a gift shop complete with Alaskan souvenirs and concessions. Even if we don't talk you into going on the cruise, this gift shop is worth a visit. Not only is it the best souvenir shop in Fairbanks because of their selection and prices, but here you can also enter the 40 below chamber and get a little taste of what Fairbanks is like during the winter. Entering the cooler set to -40 degrees is free but you can pay to get your picture taken next to the thermometer. As the boat leaves the dock, the narrator starts to talk about the history of the company and the history of sternwheelers in interior Alaska. The tour company is a family owned business going back 5 generations. Over 100 years ago, when most people were brought to Alaska by gold fever, Charles M Binkley saw opportunity in a building a freighting business along the tributaries in interior Alaska and the rest is history! Not too far down the river, the tour meets up with a float plane pilot who takes off and lands right on the river next to the boat while explaining the importance of small planes in interior Alaska and what they do for the remote villages. It's not everyday you see a float plane up close in action, unless you live in Alaska ;) It's the perfect intro to life in the interior. Further down the river you pass a sled dog kennel. Officially called the Trail Breaker Kennel, it's home to the late Susan Butcher, a four-time winner of the Iditarod. Her husband now runs the kennel and does a presentation of kennel life and what goes into the summer training of a dogsled team. While this demonstration is very interesting, the best part is watching the sweet little sled dog pups tumbling over each other along the shore. As you continue down the river, you pass a native summer fishing camp with a guide on the shore that explains the importance of these fishing camps during the salmon runs each year and how they still use the historic ways of processing and storing fish for the tribe to last until the next year. Complete with an old school salmon trap as well as a smoke house, this demonstration is the perfect segue into the next part of the tour. The boat takes you all the way down the Chena River until you meet the Tanana River. It then turns around and stops back at the native village and lets everyone off to walk around and explore. There are presentations given that teach about the history and culture of native villages and how tribes have survived here for the last 10,000 years. My favorite part was learning about the different traditional fur clothing but learning about ancient home building and family life is very interesting as well. Although our kids favorite part was finding wild raspberry bushes and picking until their hearts' content ;) After an hour of exploring the living museum, you board the boat and make your way back to Steamboat Springs. We received complimentary donuts and coffee while on the boat and they did offer other food choices for purchase. They also gave samples of smoked salmon on the way back, just to give the full Alaskan experience. In addition to all that is offered on this tour, you get to enjoy the stunning views along the river and have the opportunity to spot some wildlife. We saw a few bald eagles along the way and it was just the cherry on top of a fun and educational experience for the entire family. There's a reason this tour was voted the best boat tour in North America and we definitely recommend putting it on your bucket list for your summer trip to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Comment or questions? We'd love to hear them! If you're interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Follow us on Instagram for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live! What separates Disneyland from the average theme park is their all-encompassing theming and atmosphere. From the rides, even the ride queues, to the general decor, to even the food offerings, all these things works together to create a magical experience. After all, isn't Disney the most magical place on Earth? We know it can feel a little kitschy or "touristy" to give into the food carts and themed food while visiting Disneyland. On the other hand, if you want a fully immersive experience in the land of Disney, how can you possibly say no to some mickey-shaped food?! Honestly, some of these snacks ARE all they're hyped up to be and we're here to show you 13 eats you CAN'T miss while visiting Disneyland.
MONTE CRISTO WITH POMMES FRITES
DOLE WHIP
BAO BUNS Also at Tropical Hideaway, you can find bao buns and lumpia! We tried the pork lumpia, beef bao bun, and chicken bao bun and in our opinion, the chicken bao bun was the best! The lumpia was okay but a little too greasy for our taste. Next time, we're interested to try the sweet lumpia! So if you try it, let us know how it is. MICKEY PRETZEL
RONTO WRAP
churro
The Grey Stuff
SCHMOOZIES If you're looking for a good on-the-go breakfast over in Disney's California Adventure, we recommend a stop at Schmoozies in Hollywood Land! We got their basic "Mango Madness" smoothie and the "Strawberry Banana Sensation". They were pretty good! And they hit the spot as we walked around Avengers Campus. If you're feeling adventurous, you could try their Mangonada Smoothie, with tropical fruit juices and chili-lime seasoning. We weren't huge fans of this flavor combo over at Tropical Hideaway but we may be in the minority so if you try it, let us know what you thought! JACK JACK COOKIE NUM NUM
COZY CONE
Splitsville Luxury LanesOutside of the parks, in Downtown Disney, one of our favorite places to grab a bigger dinner is Splitsville Luxury Lanes. For one thing, the pizza is delicious! But for another, this was the only place that gave our kids plastic straws :D Haha no, but honestly, we found food here for everyone to enjoy which makes it the perfect place for family travel. CRAZY SHAKE Another great place to grab a snack in Downtown Disney is Black Tap. Their "crazy shakes" are insane and delicious! Tip: as one of the other parents in line said to me, these are definitely big enough to share between multiple people, something he found out a little too late, haha. Have you tried any of the treats on this list? Let us know your thoughts or if you have any questions in the comments below. Planning a trip to Disneyland? Don't forget to pin this post to refer back to! Follow us on instagram for our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and enjoy where you live!
We were one week into our Adventure Road Trip and had made it from Fairbanks to Seward. Make sure to check out part 1 and part 2 of our trip! Our visitors still had a few days to spend in Alaska and we were headed back up towards Anchorage. This bonus entry starts with us leaving Seward and catching a few more activities we had passed on the way down.
Activity #20: Bear Creek Weir
Bear Creek Weir is just on the outskirts of Seward. Being that our trip was at the end of May, the salmon run was just starting so we thought we’d go check it out and spot some salmon!
The weir is an important element in maintaining salmon levels in Resurrection Bay, specifically sockeye and coho salmon. Salmon are released at various locations along the Cook Inlet and when they return to spawn, they are stopped with weirs like this to encourage population growth in the specific area rather than traveling further upstream. Annual returns are estimated to be around 400,000. This weir is easy to get to, as it’s just on the side of the road when driving to Bear Lake. There is no fishing allowed, unless you’re a bear…We didn’t happen on bears this visit but it’s always important to be bear aware! Activity #21: Portage Glacier Tour
After continuing on our drive back north, we stopped to take a glacier tour of Portage Glacier. If you read about the beginning and middle of our trip, you’ll remember that we lucked out on some great weather previously, but this day was rainy, wet, and cold! The boat we were on had giant windows and it was warm for those of us that opted to view from indoors, but there was also an option to go out to view the glacier and scenery from outside as well. The scenery was spectacular with waterfalls and steep mountain peaks! This is a popular glacier for viewing glacier calving, though we didn’t get to experience that this time. Though privately run, the tour was narrated by a state park ranger who gave fascinating information on the formation and history of glaciers. We highly recommend this tour!
Activity #22: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
No, we didn’t see any bears in the wild during this trip - much to the disappointment of our visitors…so we got our wildlife fix in at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
The AWCC is dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, education, research, and quality animal care. The center takes in injured or orphaned animals - most of whom become permanent residents - and provides them a safe home with quality care. You can tour the 1.5 mile loop by car or on foot and learn about Alaska’s wildlife in over 200 acres of enclosures. Activity #23: Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour
Our next stop was to check into our next lodging facility at Knik River Lodge. After a scenic drive past Anchorage and into Palmer, We rented a few of their lovely cabins for a few nights. It was from the lodge that we caught our glacier helicopter tour!
Knik Glacier averages 25 miles long and 5 miles across, and 200 feet thick(!) making it one of the largest glaciers in south central Alaska. Our tour through Alaskan Helicopter Tours included three landings. Our first stop was at Lake George, a glacially fed alpine lake with massive icebergs. Our second stop was at the peak of the mountain overlooking the spectacular view of the Knik and Colony Glaciers. Our last stop was truly the most incredible, when we landed on Knik Glacier. We were given cramp-ons to fit over our shoes to prevent sliding as we explored the hundreds year old ice and even drank from the blue glacier pool we landed next too. With no better way of putting it, the entire experience gave us a high that will stay with us in our memories forever. We only wish we had remembered our water bottles to bring back some delicious Glacier water to those in our group who hadn’t joined us. If you ever get the chance to get up close and personal with a glacier, do it!! Safely, of course.
Activity #24: Reindeer Farm
After our tour, we drove over to one of our favorite places, the Williams Reindeer Farm. You might’ve thought we had our fill of reindeer in the first part of our trip but if you did, you highly underestimated our love for these beautiful and interesting animals. This was our 4th time here and touring this petting zoo-on-steroids never gets old and the staff that run this family-owned farm are just the friendliest people. We love getting up close and personal with baby reindeer - and even older - to feed them by hand. And don’t forget Rocky, the kissing moose! We also fed alpaca, pet a yak, and got up close to elk and other resident wildlife. In the summer, they also have a great snack shack to grab a good lunch-maybe try a reindeer dog if you’re feeling adventurous! Always a good time at the reindeer farm!
Our last night ended with an extra adventure not on our list…a 6.1 earthquake with an epicenter not too far from where we were - complete with a few aftershocks! This was a first for me and Jon and had our hearts racing for a bit but it’s just Alaska doing Alaska things! And we couldn’t have planned a better farewell for our visitors ;)
We had pulled off 24 pure Alaskan activities in 9 full days and each one earned its place in a truly epic ‘Adventure’ road trip. Another facet of our trip that we enjoyed was experiencing a few different stays as well. We enjoyed staying in cabins set in the wilderness, a resort in a scenic ski town, and even an Airbnb set in downtown Seward! Don’t be afraid to mix things up and experience things in an out-of-the-box sort of way! As always, we’d love to answer your comments or questions! If you're interested in a one-on-one chat to help to plan a trip to Alaska you can view our profile on PlanwithTravl.com and check out our options! Make sure to pin this post so you can come back to it later and we'd love to have you join us on Instagram to come with us on our day-to-day adventures! Until next time, make sure to get out and enjoy where YOU live! |
AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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