AK on the GO

May is bustin' out all over Alaska!

Just a little humor to begin the weekend.

It is indeed the Fourth of May, and another Alaska weekend of family fun is at our fingertips. So much is happening around southcentral Alaska this weekend, I hardly know where to begin. Thanks as always to Alaska Center for Pediatrics, our Fun Friday sponsor, caring for kids since 1982.

Is your smartphone calendar ready? Here we go! 

Head to downtown Anchorage this weekend. Seymour will be there, too, I betcha!

FRIDAY: Take the kids downtown tonight for two excellent opportunities. One is the monthly First Friday event held at the Anchorage Museum. Beginning at 5:30, admission will be FREE, giving your family the perfect opportunity to wander this world-class facility. Hear a mountaineering talk, check out the guided star show, or listen to some music in the lovely Atrium area. This event includes, of course, the Imaginarium Discovery Center, so hurry down after work or school for a great way to kick off the weekend.

The second event tonight is the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, starting at the Dena’ina Center around 6 p.m. One has to sign up for this popular “Graze to Raise” moneymaker for local charities, and if you missed the early registration, you can still hustle downtown between 4:30-6 p.m. and receive your bib for the 5k (and completely untimed, non-competitive) event. Fees vary according to “team”.

Two thumbs-up for train rides! AK Kid's first, some four years ago....

SATURDAY: All aboard! The Alaska Railroad is hosting their annual Open House from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Anchorage Historic Depot (Fairbanks, you have your turn next Saturday). Check out the static displays, including Old Engine 557, take a free ride, eat a hot dog, and listen to music by our fabulous area military bands. This one is a winner, in AK Kid’s book, and we gladly accompany him every year. Hint: if you want a free train ride, get in line asap; this is the most popular aspect of the event.

Like to run? Join the masses at Inlet View Elementary’s annual Salmon Run and Carnival, starting at 10 a.m. down  near Westchester Lagoon. A variety of runs are available, including a Kids’ 2k, and do stick around for the carnival fun afterward.

The Great Alaska Aviation Gatheringis a super fun weekend of all things Alaska and airplanes! Situated at the Fed Ex hangar near the Lake Hood Seaplane Base, this trade show features airplanes, big, small, and experimental, all in one place for your little gearheads to explore. Talk to pilots, look at gear, and climb in the cockpit. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-5p.m. Sunday. “Real Alaskans come to this one.”

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center staff welcome you to a presentation about their fast-growing Kodiak bear cubs Friday-Sunday at 7 p.m. Where did they come from? Where are they going? What do they eat? All these questions will be answered, plus you get to see the beautiful grounds of this center near Portage. Free presentation with regular admission.

This Saturday is the final Science Saturday at Campbell Creek Science Center. Tweens and teens 10-14, accompanied by an adult, are invited to learn about “Creekside Studies” from 1-4 p.m. The most popular in the series, Saturday’s class will be full of wet, wild fun. Bring boots, warm clothing, and a great attitude! Call 267-1247 for info. $5/child, adults free. One-time 4-H fee of $6.

SUNDAY: The Anchorage Museum continues its weekend of FREE-dom with Asian Pacific Family Day from 2-4 p.m. Enjoy crafts, music, and cultural experiences for the entire family. Psst – I hear the Taiko drummers from East High will be there, too; love that thunderous beat!

Two happy humpbacks lazily cruise Resurrection Bay yesterday.

EXTRA: I had the opportunity yesterday to swing down to Seward and take a day cruise aboard a Kenai Fjords Tour catamaran, and wowsa, what a super day it was! I saw eagles, tons of humpbacks (get it?), sea lions, and enjoyed the CIRI Tourism hospitality and outstanding customer service. Don’t miss their early season specials, folks, you will truly enjoy the experience with your kiddos. Captain Tim even opened up the wheelhouse for folks to ask questions and enjoy the view on our way back to Seward. Hint, if you go Monday-Thursday (I know, I know, school’s not quite out yet, but goodness, are they really learning anything at this point?), prices for the 4-hour cruise, lunch, warm cookies, and incredible interpretive narration by the captain is $89/adults, $44.50 for kids. Stay tuned, because next week I’ll be talking more about our latest sponsor, CIRI Tourism, owner of Kenai Fjords Tours.

Happy spring!

EK

It’s often challenging to mesh the excitement of a family vacation with an equal amount of cultural experiences in a way that engages children. While parents still desire a requisite amount of R & R, most moms and dads do want to expose their offspring to their new and (hopefully) different destination. Within Alaska lie a host of options for such cultural connections, the largest of which is housed in Anchorage. Whether you’re just passing through Alaska’s largest village, or plan on using the city as a home base to other adventures, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is a must-see.

Located away from downtown proper, but still within easy striking distance with a rental car or shuttle  from multiple downtown Anchorage locations, the Alaska Native Heritage Center provides a dramatic, yet ultimately peaceful, integration into the state’s broad spectrum of Native Culture. Indeed, when we first moved to Anchorage almost eight years ago, I was humbled by my ignorance of Alaska’s First People, believing, as many do, that the Eskimo lives large throughout the state and any other group only plays a minor role. Indeed, things have changed.

Plenty of opportunities for hands-on exploring at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.

A visit to ANHC will not only provide the grownups with comprehensive information leading to a greater understanding of Alaska’s 11 major indigenous cultures, but children, too, will experience a connection between individual, group, and global society, all of which, by the way, weave a beautiful tapestry over Mother Earth.

The center is not a cheap visit, but, with an Alaskan TourSaver coupon book, adults will receive 2-for-1 admission, helping with the $24.95/grownup, $16.95/kids 7-16 cost, although kids six and under are free (very helpful!).  Military and Senior admission is $21.95. However, do pay attention to the facility’s Calendar of Events for periodic free admission days, like Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13. This is a nod to local families and visitors, and the days are full of dancing, drumming, and costumed wonder.

Learn all about beading, skin sewing, and all sorts of Native Alaskan craftwork.

Plan to spend at least three hours immersed in the center’s beautiful exhibit halls and wandering the authentic Village Sites outside. Indoors, kids can now create their own masterpieces in the recently-reopened Children’s Art Adventure Area while parents can read up on the history and traditions of each Alaska Native Group, complete with excellent photography and meaningful quotes in the unique languages of each People.

Outdoors, begin your “tour” by taking a right as you exit the back door, and proceeding around little Lake Tiulana. Take your time, enter the dwellings, and listen as volunteer docents explain everything from tools to clothing used in each respective group’s lifestyle. It’s a wonderful opportunity to teach respect of elders, too, illustrating that quality of life often means more than what meets the eye.

What does it take to mush a team of dogs across Alaska? Find out at the Native Heritage Center's new Quipmigaq presentation.

A new offering by the Alaska Native Heritage Center is the Quipmigaq program, hosted by John Baker, winner of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 2011, the only Alaska Native to do so. With daily presentations that can include a sled dog ride behind a wheeled cart, this presentation is an excellent introduction to the use of sled dogs before anybody came up with a race to Nome. Tickets for this program are extra, and cost $39.95/adults, $29.95 kids, and I recommend attending with children seven or older, as the presentation is around 45 minutes. Sled dog rides are $10/per person, a great deal if you won’t be able to catch a ride anywhere else during your visit.

A wonderful combination admission deal, called the Culture Pass, is provided through a partnership with the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum, whereby admission to both venues is $29.95/per person. Savings average to about 30% under this offering, and we heartily enjoy both venues with our children. Plus, transportation from downtown Anchorage (at the Museum) is included.

Culture for kids is an important element to any Alaska visit. Native Alaskans have thrived here for 10,000 years, and an immersion into their valuable traditions and beautiful crafts at the Native Heritage Center is a wonderful way to begin.

Thank you to the Alaska Native Heritage Center for their sponsorship of AKontheGO this summer, in an ongoing effort to inspire, engage, and teach the youth of today so they may become the leaders of tomorrow.