After my friend Britta introduced me to the Lane Basin Trail when Atlee was a Toddler, it’s been my hands-down favorite place to hike and explore in Hatchers Pass. While the rocky “road”… Continue reading
We first heard about the Why-Not-Tri the same year we lost Woodsen’s Mom and the kids’ beloved “Omi” to ALS. We don’t usually make many summer commitments, but Atlee had been interested in… Continue reading
In early June, our family set out to see how far we could make it down the Aleutian chain, a trip Woodsen and I had been dreaming of for the last ten years.… Continue reading
Enjoy a journey down memory lane as we reflect on what an amazing Papa Woodsen has been, and continues to be, to Atlee, Melozi, Yukla, and Eska. We are grateful for you Woodsen!
Last summer, when I finished making a video of our trip to Seldovia, I couldn’t help but notice that while it captured that trip, it failed to capture all the experiences and memories… Continue reading
One of the trademarks of springtime is preparing for and participating in the Gold Nugget. All year, but especially in the springtime, I can frequently be found telling my friends how much I… Continue reading
On May 8th, we flew to Valdez to enjoy a weekend camping under the wing and taking in all that the Valdez Fly-in has to offer. Here’s a recap of our weekend. Read… Continue reading
At the end of March I took the kids for an overnight adventure to the Manitoba hut. Heres a video recap of our trip, and you can read more about our adventure here.
Atlee just had her tenth birthday, which is crazy for me to think about, but in honor of her birthday, I’m pulling out an old post I wrote about her first year of… Continue reading
A short video capturing the highlights from our 10-day trip over spring break to McCarthy and Valdez.
In August 2025, Stitt Construction delivered a premade cabin to McCarthy, Alaska. Here’s a video recap of the cabin’s delivery and setup. Read more about the process in the following blog posts. McCarthy… Continue reading
McCarthy, Alaska, is a small town in Alaska, approximately six hours from Anchorage, and in the middle of the wilderness and the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park. While there’s a few restaurants and various… Continue reading
When Woodsen first started going on an annual moose hunt, we enjoyed having our meat sent off and turned into a wide variety of products, from burgers and sausages to cheese dogs and… Continue reading
It’s mid-December, and although there’s no snow on the ground and much more wind than I prefer, my spot by the fire is cozy, and I’ve been enjoying working on my yearly photo-related… Continue reading
Our approach to keeping our kids warm has shifted significantly with our numerous opportunities for field testing over the years. Before reading my suggestions, please note that this is not a comprehensive comparison… Continue reading
As I went back through our 2025 adventures and slowly made movies for our family to enjoy, I kept skipping over a couple of places, one of which was Ninilchik. Making a video… Continue reading
If you’ve read a handful of my blogs, you might have noticed that we make quite a few trips on repeat every year. Visiting the Lemans at the beach in Ninilchik is one… Continue reading
Our first day in Seldovia was nothing short of dreamy. The next day, we woke up, enjoyed yogurt with fresh-picked berries, and savored a mellow morning. A few hours later, the Barnetts picked… Continue reading
Shortly after our trip to Council, the kids came down with hand-foot-and-mouth disease so we spent a week or two at home. It felt like it took forever, but eventually their blisters faded… Continue reading
After spending five days in Council, we packed up, headed to the airport, and said goodbye to our friends the Stangs. Eska fell asleep immediately after takeoff for what we hoped would be… Continue reading
Ten years ago, Woodsen and I took a trip to explore the Seward Peninsula, and the Stangs had offered their guest cabin in Council as a place to stay. While we were very… Continue reading
We had started our time off in Fairbanks hanging out with our friends the Crabbs and watching firefighting planes scooping water at the nearby float pond. That evening my friend BJ happened to… Continue reading
At the end of June, Woodsen had a chunk of time off, so we made a last-minute decision to head North. The first stop on our trip was Delta Junction, where we visited… Continue reading
We had enjoyed a magical 24 hours on the McArthur River, but with the weather turning, we decided to pack up and head home. While packing up, Woodsen remembered he had been in… Continue reading
A video recap of our dreamy overnight trip to the McArthur River.
After two days camping and exploring Hinchinbrook and Kayak Island, we headed to McCarthy to spend time making the rounds visiting friends. Our friends let us stay in a small cabin on their… Continue reading
Follow along as we head out for an Alaskan beach adventure exploring Hook Point, Kayak Island, and ending in Cordova, AK.
Our airplane adventure had started the day before and brought us to Hook Point on Hinchinbrook Island. You can read more about that amazing day here. Clouds rolled in midday, so after debating… Continue reading
Since Woodsen and I’s first anniversary, we’ve made it a tradition to set out on an adventure around our anniversary, June 10th. This year, Woodsen again got time off work, but on June… Continue reading
Join us as we head out to Lake George with my Sister and her family for a windy day, enjoying and exploring the glacier-filled lake.
June 8th 2025 We love sharing airplane adventures with friends and it’s extra special when schedules, logistics and weather work out to fly our extended family out to share the experience with them.… Continue reading
At the end of May, we flew to Kodiak on Alaska Airlines and enjoyed four days of beautiful weather while exploring the island.
Our last day in Kodiak turned out to be sunny as forecasted. We had checked out White Sands Beach the day before when it was cloudy and cold, and we were excited to… Continue reading
We started off our second day in Kodiak with a drive to White Sands beach. The weather was overcast, but we anticipated sun the next day. We decided to check out the beach… Continue reading
Most of our adventures during the summer are last minute and determined by schedule and weather, which was exactly how our trip to Kodiak worked out. We had returned from Port Alsworth on… Continue reading
For Memorial Day weekend, we made our annual pilgrimage to Port Allsworth to see friends and enjoy the Sourdough fly-in. On the way home, we had a mid-flight meltdown and decided to land… Continue reading
Over the years we’ve flown through Lake Clark Pass many times in all sorts of weather. At the top of the pass theres a small strip surrounded by two glaciers, a river, and… Continue reading
After a fun Friday in Port Alsworth (you can read about it here) we settled in and camped by the plane. Saturday morning greeted us with sun, which made Eska’s 6:30 am wake… Continue reading
For the last six or seven years it’s been our tradition to head to Port Allsworth for the Sourdough Fly-in over Memorial Day weekend. We first made our way out to Port Allsworth… Continue reading
In August 2024, we flew to Valdez for the day and enjoyed exploring the bay with our friends, the Fosters. Here’s a video recap of our unforgettable Alaskan adventure. Find the full blog… Continue reading
Our annual pilgrimage to Valdez usually occurs in May when we enjoy the festivities and friends hosted by the Valdez Fly-in. In 2024, we skipped the Valdez fly-in and opted to spend time… Continue reading
In the summer of 2024 we set out as a family on our biggest adventure yet. We left Wasilla, AK and flew to Oshkosh, Wi and back. It was a month long adventure… Continue reading
Where should we go for the 4th of July? That’s the question we usually start tossing around sometime in June. And, while I’ve only experienced the 4th in Bethel, McCarthy & Seldovia, the… Continue reading
This year we’ve been seeking out easy hikes. We’ve realized short and easy is enjoyable at this stage of life — much more practical with a toddler in tow. Portage Pass met… Continue reading
There is always a downside to being spoiled, and we are no exception. I get so caught up dreaming up grand adventures in the airplane that I fail to explore the simple excursions and… Continue reading
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Earlier in the week I had seen a friend’s pictures of ice skating in the Palmer Hay flats that looked pretty spectacular! After getting the skinny from her I added it to the… Continue reading
For the last seven weeks Woodsen has been on call, which was a great opportunity to make a little extra cash before our baby arrives, but it has left me very antsy to… Continue reading
For my birthday this year I asked for nordic skates. We first used them last winter and I was quickly hooked on the simple idea of putting a nordic binding on a blade and… Continue reading
A week or so ago Woodsen had added a Ski day to the calendar after hearing that Turnagain had gotten a fresh layer of snow. Little did we know how well we had picked… Continue reading
The weekend following the Ultima Thule Geo Cache we all head west to Valdez for more airplanes and more competitions. The Valdez fly-In is most known for its Short Take Off and Landing… Continue reading
Last night I enjoyed brodies on the tarmac in the tug for the first time. Another great perk of marrying a pilot! Not to worry we burned rubber before we hooked up the plane. When… Continue reading
Woodsen and I first heard of Chaga via an article in our local newspaper the Alaska Dispatch. The article described all the health benefits, where you could buy a “chagalatte” here in town, and… Continue reading
