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.

Tropical greetings from the lush, humid, and oh-so-incredibly-warm island of Oahu! This was our breakfast this morning; famous Hawaiian sweet bread, fresh fruit, and Kona coffee. Delish!

We now return you to your regularly schedule Alaska-themed Fun Friday, with many wonderful opportunities to hop outside and enjoy wintertime with your kids. I’ve been innundated with fabulous events and activities on the AKontheGO Calendar this week, so make sure you click the “Calendar” tab, above, and see what’s what in the coming weeks.

AK Kid checks out petroglyphs in Wrangell. A mystery never solved?

First, though, I want to make sure and remind folks to stop by the Alaska Travelgram Show each Tuesday from 2-3 p.m. on KOAN 95.5 FM, or streamed live at 1020koan.com. This week, our in-studio guest was Wilma Leslie from Alaska Waters in Wrangell, one of our favorite southeast Alaska communities. Wilma gave us a real treat, sharing stories and adventures from Native Alaska legends, including a great, big ice tunnel! Give a listen here, and why not visit Wrangell, sometime? You’ll be glad you did. I know my co-host Scott and I are!

Who's ready for the weekend?!

On to the weekend:

Eagle River Nature Center welcomes kids K-6 to another Junior Naturalist program Saturday at 2 p.m. “Life Under the Snow” will be a few hours of information and activities to teach kids about winter’s warm and cozy “blanket.” Cool, huh? The program is free, but parking is $5 for non-members.

Nature Rocks!Homer is hosting a Winter Family Fun Day on Saturday at the Wynn Nature Nature in my favorite Kenai Peninsula town of Homer. Join other winter-loving families from 1-3 p.m. for snowshoeing, snow play, ‘snow kidding! Wynn Nature Center is part of the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies, and a great place to learn about Alaska’s flora and fauna.

My friends at the Alaska Botanical Garden tell me the snowshoeing and skiing is perfect right now! The gardens may not be blooming, the plants sleeping, but the trails are open and just right for a little exploring of this Anchorage gem. Open during daylight hours, ABG visitors need only to push open the big metal gate (keeps the moose out, dontcha know), pay their nominal fee, and pick a direction to ski or snowshoe. Follow the loops, or take the Lowenfels Family Trail which leads along Campbell Airstrip Road for a bit. Do watch for moose, though, since sometimes the big ungulates do manage to get in and snack on the delicate branches of trees. Darn them.

Hey, don’t forget to sign up for Ski 4 Kids, happening in just a few weeks! Saturday, February 11 is the event at Kincaid Park in southwest Anchorage. Every kid 0-14, regardless of Nordic experience, is welcome to try out the obstacle course, mock biathlon, and even skijoring! AK Dad and I will be announcing the races from high atop the timing booth, so come on out and listen to our cool tunes and happy voices. WAHOO! Sign up HERE, today!

The folks at the Alaska Zoo reminded us to remind you of their great wintertime classes for families, all year. Mondays are Storytime at the Zoo from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays are Wildlife Wednesdays at 7 p.m., where older kids and their parents can listen to a lecture about all sorts of interesting, animal-related themes. Great stuff. Meet in the beautiful Education Building.

So, my guys are calling me from the pool here at our mountainside cottage, and the sun is peeking out from behind some puffy Hawaiian clouds. I better go join them, don’t you think?

Aloha, and mahalo for staying in touch with AKontheGO! You can follow our adventures on Twitter, or Facebook, where every day we’ll have great facts and fun family stuff straight from Hawai’i!