AK on the GO

Appealing to the weather gods..."Please, please, PLEASE let it snow!"

Oh, mercy, was that indeed a snowflake I saw floating on the chilly breeze this afternoon?? Looks like Old Mom Winter (that’s what we call it, anyway) is about to come calling. Perfect timing, families, for a little weekend fun with the kiddos. Our weekend o’ harvest fun is proudly sponsored by the ever-supportive Alaska Center for Pediatrics, helping out Alaskan kids since 1982.

Catch the Ski Train with AK Fam in 2012! Tickets still available.

First, though, it’s important that AKontheGO recognizes our good friends from the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage for their appearance on the Alaska Travelgram Show this week, talking about the March 24, 2012 departure of the Ski Train. Tickets, by the way, are still available for members of NSAA (easy-peasy to become a member, and it gets you early ticket purchase before the hordes on November 7). AKontheGO is in car 551 if you’d like to be a part of the funnest, family-friendliest bunch who ever descended upon Curry, Alaska. $100/pp for members, get ‘em while they’re still around.

WEEKEND FUN STUFF:

"Hunter's Moon" on the way to Nome last week.

The Moon Rocks. No really, it does, especially at Eagle River Nature Center on Friday night during the bi-monthly Astronomy Series talks about our favorite hunk of rock (hey, I think you’ll even see a few rocks brought back from astronauts!). Beginning at 7 p.m., this series is perfect for the budding scientist, scouts, and anyone else who is interested in our solar system. Held on the first and third Fridays of every month, the evening programs can be a kids’ celestial wonderland, with a Junior Astronomer certificate available, too. FREE, $5 parking for non-members. Suitable for older school-age kids.

Pull up, AK Kid. Pull up! Too much fun at the Alaska Aviation Museum near Ted Stevens International Airport

Still in the air? Visit the Alaska Aviation Museum near the Ted Stevens International Airport and see why aviation played such an important role in Alaska’s history. Heck, you’ll see why it remains one of our most vital links to Outside. Operating under winter hours, the museum is open Wednesday-Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and offers discounts for active duty military/veterans. We love this place; unpretentious yet absolutely fascinating due to its three hangars of airplanes and related items. Our fav? The 727 cockpit and flight simulator. Well, the Alaska Airlines jet sitting outside is pretty cool, too. Oh, and those vintage posters of flight are awesome reminders of days gone by.

Need a little more harvest time? Oh-ho, drive to Palmer and the Reindeer Farm, where a hay maze, tractor ride, and pumpkin patch await your family. From 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every weekend now until Halloween, the Reindeer Farm offers a little bit of country to rock your family’s world before the snow begins falling. $10/pp, ages three and up. AK Kid and I will be there on Saturday to pick out our Halloween pumpkins, suitable for carving in all sorts of interesting configurations. Giddyup!

Exploring the estuarian environment around Homer.

Did you know this was National Wildlife Refuge Week? Yessiree, it was, and the folks at the fabulous Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in Homer are celebrating in a really oozy, crawly, sucker-y way on Saturday at 2 p.m. Show up in the auditorium to learn all about the North Pacific Giant Octopus and how it survives in the deep, chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean. Brrr. You’ll see pictures, you’ll hear stories, and by the end, you’ll be wanting to get into your scuba gear to join our slippery friends deep below the water’s surface. After the presentation, take a few minutes to walk around the center and inspect the interactive, beautifully-created exhibits before wandering down the trails and onto the boardwalk of the estuary outside. Perfect combo of inside and out for a chilly fall day.

AK Fam wishes your brood a warm and wonderful weekend!

EK

AK Fam is resting comfortably now after a heart-stopping tsunami warning that sent our cozy cottage of family and friends scrambling up the hill Thursday evening. Poor AK Kid, he was just settling down for the night when we rousted him, sleeping bag and all, and stuffed him into the truck. I think this calls for an extra special Fun Friday edition of AKontheGO, don’t you?

We’re having a super duper time otherwise, thanks to a dose of sunny weather and the warm glow of good peeps around us. Lots of beachcombing fun to be had just steps away from our Homer Seaside Cottage hangout at Bishop’s Beach. Lots of coffee drunk at Two Sister’s Bakery. Lots of fish caught at the end of Homer Spit. Life is indeed good.

A few AKontheGO’ers are also down in Homer, and have been having fun at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and Wynn Nature Center, or over at the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, where the kiddos in our party have been climbing and inspecting sea creatures for hours. Tomorrow we board Mako’s Water Taxi for the lovely community of Seldovia and some great hiking.

Back in Anchorage, stop by the Alaska Native Heritage Center for one of their daily programs by Iditarod Champion John Baker and his team of dependable pups. Called “Qipmagaq”, which means “Traveling with dogs”, Team Baker is set to teach visitors all about the value of sled dogs in Bush Alaska at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. daily. At no extra charge, this is a fabulous opportunity for the whole family.

Eagle River Nature Center will be hosting an Eagle Release on Saturday at 1 p.m. courtesy of Bird TLC at the small beaver viewing deck. Stop by and partake of the Junior Naturalist program “All About Soil” at 2 p.m. Dig in the dirt, find out what happens when it gets all wet, and when leaves and sticks are added in to the mix. FREE class, $5 parking for non-members.

Go camping this weekend for the annual Great American Campout! Even if it’s in the backyard, camping out with the fam is a splendid idea. Make hot cocoa, toast some marshmallows, sing some songs, and join the rest of the nation in a reminder of why we love the outdoors.

Speaking of the outdoors, have you signed up the family for Big Wild Life Runs Kids’ 2k yet? Sunday, August 21 is the day, 8:10 a.m. is the time, Town Square Park is the place. Run, walk, jog, skip, or stroll your way around downtown and get a medal and show kids the value of exercise as a family activity. Sign up today HERE.

Enjoy the weekend and your family!

EK