I've been traveling for years and constantly have found myself with a card full of gorgeous images and a mind filled to the brim with travel tips and anecdotes to share. So I decided it was finally time to create a travel blog to go hand in hand with the travel show I am launching with my partner in crime. I'm Kaleigh. He's Harry.
Our first episode of the show "Oddventures" will be filmed in Cuba this August. We'll be examining how Cubans have related to the US and how this relationship continues shifting and changing over time. Think...Anthony Bourdain meets Globetrekkers. Not only will we explore some bigger concepts throughout each episode, but we'll also take you on a culinary and cultural adventure into the heart of wherever we find ourselves!
Two years ago in September, the two of us decided to take a 9 day trip to Alaska after only knowing each other for a couple of months. Not only that, but we decided to save our money by renting a van, pulling out the seats and popping two blow up sleeping pads in the back. Those, accompanied by some really awesome REI sleeping bags, helped us to see new places every morning as we enjoyed life on the road. On paper, we flew in and out of Anchorage, one of the cheapest and most easily accessible airports, and rented the van there. For 9 days, the van cost us around $200 total, so my advice is to find a small local spot rather than something like Enterprise which will gouge you.
So here's a little bit about that first trip that got us going...
Piled high with jackets and thermals before departure:
Our sleeping arrangements (this is at the home of Travis, who you'll read about soon enough)
We hiked to glaciers, saw wild moose, drank too much scotch (is there ever too much scotch?), ate smoked salmon and huckleberries and met some people we'd be friends with back in Portland!
Denali, right when the season began to change from Summer to Fall. The first week of September meant two things: less tourists and we saw the trees change colors before our very eyes.
Massive block of cheese at 12th Street Tavern in Anchorage:
One of the funniest memories made was our entry into Seward by night. Seward is a MIND BLOWINGLY stunning little town on the Kenai Penninsula, which was where we spent the entirety of our trip. Upon arriving after a long day of driving, we had no idea what to expect. We parked on a main street and began to scope out our surroundings within the safety of the tinted back of the van. We saw old saloon-y style bars and a plethora of rugged types laughing jovially in the street or stumbling in the arms of friends on their way home. One individual in particular was staggering off like a wounded animal with a glazed look in his eyes. He hiccuped and it seemed to rock his world; he was so drunk he couldn't seem to understand what had hit him or how to recover. Just as he started to steady himself he was hit by another whopping hiccup. This cycle continued 12 times until we were in stitches, rolling around laughing in the back of our van and he was none the wiser.
That night brought us karaoke, a friend who ended up moving to Portland, and jello shots (my idea, I admit).
Lastly, this is the view from main town Seward:
Now, I can't say which memory stands as the most beautiful, so I'll just lay two of the contenders out and let you decide. The first is a place and the second a person.
In Homer, AK, we walked the spit and saw kitschy shops and fisherman going about their work alike. After getting our fill pretty quickly there, we wandered the town itself, finding an amazingly fresh break from reindeer sausage and cheese in a converted bus that served wheatgrass shots and freshly blended smoothies. (Find this place on Pioneer Ave or look it up on Yelp, "The Cool Juicy Bus" to get an idea). That night we found ourselves in a bar off the beaten path where we met a man who looked like Jesus. No, really. Look at this beautiful, wild weed of a human being:
That's him, on the left with the beard. Travis.
After hearing our tale Travis invited us to park on his "compound" for the night and subsequently to join him for breakfast the next morning before we departed. Yeah...maybe we took a risk on a perfect stranger, but I find that more often than not to be the right choice.
We spent the night in the hills overlooking Homer and the spit, slept in until noon and were awakened by hot dark coffee and Travis' huge smile. The rest of the day was passed cooking in his tiny isolated cabin-- fresh eggs, thick slices of bread and all kinds of veggies all cooked in cast iron of course.
Check out that bacon.
We talked of his life before Alaska and of the intensity an Alaskan fisherman endures. He works for 90 days with no break and rakes in enough money to sustain himself for long periods of time spent introspecting and enjoying the company of friends. Make no mistake though, the life of a fisherman in Alaska is extremely dangerous and can involve risking your life on a daily basis, so a healthy dose of thrill-seeking is absolutely necessary.
When we finally had to pull ourselves away from this odd character and his warmth, he left us with one of his favorite wool sweaters, which Harry is wearing in the photo above. To this day, it smells like Travis and his tiny home in the woods. Palo Santo is the scent, in case you want to transport yourself there.
The second memory is of a spot we found on a leg of the drive around the peninsula between Kenai and Homer hilariously called "Kalifornsky". Seeing a field that seemed to drop off on the far end from the road, we decided to pull off and trek to where the horizon seemed to end. Once we reached the edge, we found ourselves on an unassuming little cliff that lead down to the inlet. Facing West across the water we saw breathtakingly still water and experienced ultimate silence save all but the gentle lapping of the shoreline. I have little else to say, but I know that this quiet moment will never be forgotten.
Alaska, there's still so much to see, but I know I'll find myself back soon enough. In the end, the people were always willing to listen, the food was hearty and satisfying, and the scenery was even more awe-inspiring than we had hoped.