AK on the GO

The weekend has arrived, let the happy dancing commence! Welcome to our weekly roundup of Family Fun in Alaska, brought to you by Alaska Center for Pediatrics, caring for kiddos since 1982.

Every day the AKontheGO email-box (togoak@gmail.com) is filling up with suggestions, events, and information crucial to outdoor fam fun. While our Calendar of Events (above) is a great place to see what’s happening in Alaska, here are a few highlighted activities we find to be just right for the whole crew:

AK Kid learns about snow shelters last winter. This one is framed with Nordic skis!

“Survivor Man For Kids”: We love this class happening Saturday at Eagle River Nature Center. Junior Naturalists K-6 will learn how to stay warm with the help of a volunteer survival expert. Kids will investigate how our bodies warm up and cool down, learn about proper clothing, and try to build a fire outdoors using materials gathered from the forest. 2 p.m., FREE, $5 parking for non-members. Every Alaskan school-aged child should take this class (another will be offered mid-winter) to know the importance of proper clothing and care of one’s body.

“Family Hiking”: ERNC offers a family-friendly hike on Sunday to practice all those newly-found warm skills. Taking off at noon, all hiking family members will head 1.25 miles out to the Public Use Cabin. Strollers are perfect for this hike, by the way, so bring the little ones, too! Limited to 16, so call 907-694-2108 to register. FREE, $5 parking for non-members.

Reindeer antler, anyone? Everybody loves the Reindeer Farm in Palmer, stop by for some Halloween fun.

“Reindeer Farm Family Fun”: Contining through Halloween weekend, the Williams family welcomes your family to their charming reindeer farm. From 10 a.m.-6 p.m. kids and parents can enjoy a hay maze, tractor ride, reindeer schmooze, and pumpkin patch. Ever patted a reindeer on the noggin? Here’s your chance. AK Fam went last weekend and was delighted by all there was to see and do. $10 a person is not too much to pay for such a lovely little spot.

We received a bunch of emails from the fine folks at the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies, offering so many family-friendly events this winter I had trouble fitting them all on the calendar. Wynn Nature Center is the base of operations during the winter months, and they welcome you to snowshoe your way around their lovely property with a stunning view of Kachemak Bay. Stop by their HQ at 708 Smokey Bay Way in Homer to rent some snowshoes for $5, or become a member and receive FREE rentals all winter long! Guided snowshoe walks are tons of fun with kids, and the staff at Wynn do a great job of informing and educating on a child’s level. Call 907-235-6746 for info.

Wintery snowshoe explorations are fun in Alaska.

After you’ve stomped around in the snow for a while, don’t forget to sneak down to Two Sisters Bakery for a sticky bun and cocoa or coffee, either. THAT will provide the necessary pick-me-up, I’m sure, and they are the main reason we always stay at Homer Seaside Cottages just down the block. Yep. Home sweet-roll-home.

We are hearing rumblings that Hatcher Pass is dandy-fine for some early skiing and snowshoeing, so do saddle up and head north to the MatSu Valley for some snowy fine fun. Groomers have been hard at work around Independence Mine, so everyone can enjoy a Nordic experience together. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even be able to find a good sledding hill nearby, but don’t forget the helmet!  Looking to stay overnight? Hatcher Pass Lodge is a rustic lodge with scenery reminiscent of European Alps. No kidding. Enjoy a great meal then cozy up to their coal-fired stove and watch the tranquility of winter settle into your bones. Ahhhh-laska! I’m dreaming about it right now.

Hatcher Pass rocks for snowshoeing and skiing. Big kids, little kids, and grown-up kids! Photo courtesy of AlaskaStock.com

Enjoy the weekend, hit the road, and remember that you are part of a vibrant community of outdoor-loving people, important to us!

EK

Happy Father's Day to one cool AK Dad!

I’m blinded by the light……can’t. see. After a week of gloom, things look pretty darned cheerful outside southcentral Alaska this morning. This is more like it, and just in time for Summer Solstice, too.

Fun Friday has arrived again, courtesy of Alaska Center for Pediatrics, caring for kids like yours and mine since 1982. It’s another full weekend in the 49th state, so let’s get to it. Remember, you can always let us know about events and activities via our calendar, found at the tippy top of this page, or by emailing us at togoak@gmail.com!

FRIDAY: Thank goodness the sun is out today, because the Muni Parks and Rec folks are hosting their annual Beach Party today from 1-3 p.m. at groovy Goose Lake park. One of our few actual swimming holes with lifeguards, Goose Lake is the ‘hood hangout during the warm summer days (stop laughing, we do have warm summer days in Alaska), and today the Parks and Rec staffers are making it great with truckload of sand, Frisbees, Super Soakers, and real beach volleyball. This is a FREE event, so bring your best beach blanket, the sunscreen, and prepare for summertime fun.

SATURDAY: It’s here again, the famous Mayor’s Marathon, Half Marathon, 5-Miler, and Youth Cup! AK Mom, Dad, and Kid will all be stationed at a Water Stop on Mile 10 of the Half Marathon, so why not join us near Point Woronzof to cheer on the 2,000+ 13.1-mile runners? Or, hang out at the Campbell Airstrip road/Tudor Road intersection to catch Marathon runners emerging from their hardy stomp through the Tank Trail section (well-known among entrants as a killer). It’s an awesome spectator event, and everything finishes at West High, where a party will be open to the public. All runs begin b/8-9 a.m. Check the website for details and such.

Summer Solstice events abound on Saturday. Try the Solstice Bike Ride departing from Kincaid Park at 11 p.m. Saturday. Yes, this is normally past AK Kid’s bedtime, but it’s Solstice weekend, for gosh sakes. If you’re visiting Alaska, you probably can’t get your kids to sleep anyway, so come on out and join the party. Registration begins at 10:30 at the Kincaid Bunker. ALL participants must have helmets. Cost is $25. Call 677-0610. Ride to town from Kincaid and enjoy the late-evening atmosphere.

Speaking of Solstice, you won’t want to miss the Downtown Summer Solstice Festival happening on Fourth Avenue from C-L Streets from Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. A giant puppet theatre, sandbox, and cool kayak pond for kids will keep the whole fam engaged in serious fun.

Kids can splash and play in the water at Eagle River Nature Center Saturday at 2 p.m. during the Junior Naturalist Creekside Exploration class. Bring rubber boots to learn about what lives beneath the rocks and gravel of Eagle River’s creeks and streams. FREE, $5 parking for non-members.

SUNDAY: Take dad someplace unique today, like through the Whittier Tunnel. Yes, this popular event has been revitalized and refurbished just for you! A March of Dimes event now, the Walk will be held from Noon-7 p.m. in Whittier, where folks can don a hard hat and stroll through the spooky, dark, and sometimes drippy tunnel. Dads get a commemorative March of Dimes T-Shirt. Call 276-4111 for info.

The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry is hosting a family-friendly Alaska Extreme 4 X 4 event both Saturday and Sunday at their Wasilla property. All day you can visit with the monster trucks and machines, and wander the 6 + acres of Alaska-themed motorized madness that is the museum.

If a hike sounds more relaxing for Father’s Day, head up to Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass and enjoy one of the daily guided trips around the mine and town site. Tours leave at 1 and 3 p.m. and give visitors a great look into the early days of the mine, and help hikers become familiar with the myriad trails available for exploring. $6 per person. We love this place, and you will, too.

AK Kid needs to get up now and prepare for his last day of camp with the incredible staff of Trailside Discovery, a part of the Alaska Center for the Environment. He’s learning all about Wilderness Survival and by golly, he’s actually retaining useful information! Today is the finale’ and he’ll be building a shelter out of fallen forest debris, then learning what to do should he become lost in the woods. Just AK Kid and the skeeters; which reminds me to load him up with my new fav bug spray from Alaskan Earth Mamas. Smells good and actually works well, too. Imagine that.

Have a wonderful weekend. Go hug a dad.

EK