AK on the GO

I'm really, really busy here in Hawai'i.

Aloha! AK Fam is winding up 10 days of Island Paradise. Dare I say – I am homesick for my wintery wonderland of Alaska? All reports of warming temperatures and falling snow make for perfect family fun this weekend, and we’ve got it right here, not to mention a little bit of Hawai’i to make you feel all warm and cozy.

The Alaska Travelgram Show was a hoot this week; my intrepid co-host Scott McMurren kindly made it “all Hawai’i – all the time.” Along with guest host Ethan Tyler from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a super surfer in his own right, we had ourselves a pretty good show. Give a listen HERE.

AK Kid tries on a heavy artillery helmet aboard the USS Missouri, or "Mighty Mo"

AK Fam visited the beautiful and recently renovated WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument this week; a collection of five monuments/sites critical toward achieving understanding about the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. My weekly post for Kids These Days! Radio will focus on our visit, and a few moments of clarity for AK Kid. Look for it later today right HERE.

Let’s look at our weekend, shall we?

ANCHORAGE: ‘Tweens and teens 9-13 have a super opportunity to learn all about animal tracking at another Science Saturday tomorrow from 1-4 p.m. at the lovely Campbell Creek Science Center, one of my favorite spots for outdoor recreation. S.S. is created in tandem with 4-H, and is the perfect adult-kid afternoon of science and hands-on fun in the snow. Reports are favorable for spotting tracks of a resident lynx who has been roaming the area! Call 786-6300 to register. $5/child, one-time 4-H membership fee of $6, adults free.

Ski For Women is here! The annual Superbowl Sunday event kicks off at 8 a.m. at Kincaid Park, and hundreds of costume-clad women and girls will be skiing around the Mize Loop in support of domestic violence victims. Even if you don’t ski, come out to watch, the costumes are amazing and the energy high! Visit the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage website for all the details. All ages.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center is sponsoring its annual Indigenous World Film Fest today and tomorrow at the center in east Anchorage. FREE admission and wonderful Native-produced films are great ways to show older kids (9+) the creativity and culture of Native American, Alaska Native, Polynesian, and other aboriginal groups. Friday, 6-11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

HOMER: Sunday evenings are the perfect time to take in a bonfire with the folks from Wynn Nature Center! These weekly bonfires are fun and educational opportunities to check out the place in a “whole new light” (ha). Call 235-6667 for info, times, and directions. FREE.

FAIRBANKS: Tonight is a First Friday Owl Show sponsored by the Alaska Bird Observatory, a fabulous place to learn about birds of all kinds. This free event features an owl talk, snacks, door prizes, and even some owl art. Come on over from 5-8 p.m. and see “whooos” there! Call 451-7159 for info. ABO is located at 418 Wedgewood Drive.

The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race begins on Saturday on the frozen Chena River in downtown Fairbanks! Not as flashy as the Iditarod, but authentic and a super fun way to introduce kids to the sport, Yukon Quest is 1,000 miles of racing between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and it’s tough. Meet Saturday morning at the Cushman Street Bridge and catch the action. FREE.

Have you checked out the new and fancy-flashy website for Visit Anchorage? Wowsers, it is gorgeous! Click the “Family” link on the homepage and see if you don’t recognize some of the writing there (ahem, blush). Tons of info, and great photos mean it’s always the place to find out more in Alaska’s largest village.

Don’t forget to sign up for our automatic email updates, too! The AKontheGO Calendar is hopping with new additions, so you’ll get the latest and greatest, right away.

Mahalo for following along, have a wonderful weekend, and we’ll see you back at the AK Fam ranch next week.

Squinting in the early afternoon sun, AK Kid peered through the window of our bright red Jeep at the glittering shoreline. The dereliction of our parental duty became obvious soon after as he tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “That’s not snow, right?” Oops. Guess we’ve been in the 49th state a little too long…

AK Fam is fully entrenched in Hawaii this week, exploring and soaking up as much sunshine we possibly can while our cohorts shiver in their Sorels at home. In true AK Fam fashion, however, we’re not staying along the shores of popular Waikiki beach, where the majority of resorts and hotels stand in testament to Oahu’s tourism track record. Instead, we found a charming flat via Vacation Rentals By Owner (really, really in the hills) above southeast Honolulu, where first light brings out a chorus of birds and whispers of the famous tradewinds as they shake palm fronds and papya trees. Yes, paradise comes in different forms for everyone, and for us it arrived in the form of solitude.

Our adventures are a little on the unique side, too. While we certainly will utilize opportunities to visit such places as the Waikiki Aquarium and Honolulu Zoo, and of course reverent Pearl Harbor, our favorite vacation agenda is the one set each morning as we are climbing into our sporty little SUV with map, coffee, and laundry basket full of towels, swim fins, and local foods. Oahu’s charm lies within the sidebars of its byways, where people provide color and texture to this lush landscape, and we found it.

A tropical road trip!

Road trippin’? That’s us, so follow along as we hit a few of our favs so far:

Hanauma Bay. Yes, not so off-the-beaten-path, but, for an Alaska kid who has never before taken a swim with fish (other than unintentionally), Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a blessing. This protected area, located south of Waikiki along Hwy 72, is a snorkeler’s dream, where ‘Finding Nemo’ fish cruise and nibble at coral reefs, and the occasional sea turtle paddles by with a solemn expression. We’ve been once, and we’ll go back before we head home. The epitome of what most of us believe when we think “swimming in Hawaii”, Hanauma Bay is full of educational opportunities that are hands-on in the truest sense. An admission fee for adults ($7.50 – kids 12 and under are free) goes toward further protection of this fragile environment, as does the mandatory viewing of a 9-minute movie explaining the do’s and don’ts of the bay. Don’t miss this place. Bring a picnic, drinks, sunscreen, and goggles/masks/fins (or rent at the shack on the beach) and stay all day, taking a fast hike to the overlook, too. The views are worth the short climb.

Now that's something we won't see in Alaska

Koko Crater Botanical Garden. Located just past Hanauma Bay, seldom-visited but beautiful Koko Crater places visitors into another world. No kidding; from tropics to desert in five minutes. The crater itself was formed about 100,000 years ago as one of the last volcanic activities on Oahu, but not with lava. No, ash instead infiltrated the landscape, causing a cone to form, and creating a “tuff” environment that eventually hardened into sedimentary rock (fun to compare with our Alaskan volcanoes). In 1958, a few smart Oahu’ians set aside the crater for development into a botanical garden, and today 60 acres of the 200-acre site are covered with collections of Hawaii’s most interesting and unique dryland plants. Admission is free, and do bring water, it’s hot up there. Don’t touch specimins, either, you never know where they’ve been, or what they might do to you, but do sniff the Plumeria flowers! Volunteers and an adorable security guard are on hand to answer questions along the 2-mile loop.

Watching the surfing Oahu's North Shore is worth it

North Shore Surfing. No, not you, unless you absolutely, positively know what you’re doing. This is home to the Big Waves, where locals and pros rip into pipelines and breakers with surfboards, body boards, or just their bodies. Ouch. The sound of thundering waves is enough to make anyone stand around with his or her mouth hanging open, as we certainly did – AK Kid was mesmerized for at least an hour. Try Waimea Bay Beach Park near the top of the North Shore; the views are great, and the photo ops are awesome, or head further north to famous Pipeline near Ehukai Beach Park near Pupukea. Surfers love to talk about themselves, too, we found. Chat one up and see if you don’t learn something. Dude. Note: Keep kids out of the water, except where lifeguards direct you, and never let go of their little hands.

Are Highway 83, North and East. Continue on the back side of the island (windward side) from the North Shore, where banana trees and coconut palms hang along the roadway, and chickens run amok at every park or pull out. This is rural Oahu, where beaches are populated with picnicking families, fishermen, and more surfers. Some of the best local food groups are found here, too, like shrimp trucks and coconuts, so fresh you just know they were plucked from their respective homes right before you bought them. What a thrill for AK Kid to receive a whole coconut (for a mere $4) at one of these trucks, top sawed off to reveal icy cold, fresh coconut milk and meat inside. Bliss. Take those goodies and head to one of the many state or regional parks lining the roadway; you’ll skip the tour buses and achieve true Hawaiian infusion.

Beautiful views atop the Pali Highway

Pali Highway. On the way back to Honolulu, take Highway 61 from the east side across the rugged, gorgeous Honolulu Watershed Forest Preserve. Do not miss the Pali State Waside at the summit, where stunning ocean and mountain views await at the overlook. If you’re up for a little tropical hiking, take the Nuuanu Pali Drive turn off and trek the Nuuanu Trail across the ridgeline. Hiking boots and water are a must here, fyi. Check at any visitor center for a complete listing of other awesome hikes in the mountain regions.

Don’t forget to tune into the Alaska Travelgram Show TODAY from 2-3 AST on KOAN 95.5 FM, or streamed live at 1020koan.com. I’ll be calling in to chat more about these and other awesome Hawaii hot spots for your family!

Aloha! From AK Kid