J & Kai's Excellent Adventures

08/25/2023

We are not afraid of a little hard work! One of our goals here in Alaska is to be helpful to people within the community. We have done a lot of work for others including houseitting, working on farms, construction projects, and most recently, mixing and pouring 3 pallets worth of concrete. Sometimes it can be pretty exhausting and dirty, but we love being helpful and learning new skills!

08/25/2023

We visited the Kilcher Homestead featured in the Discovery Channel show, Alaska: The Last Frontier. When they heard our story, we were invited to do some work on the property in exchange for staying there for a bit. We ended up getting in some hard work including digging trenches, filling potholes, gathering rocks, clearing trees, chopping firewood, and building out an outdoor shower. We had tons of fun riding around on the ATV and exploring the property and the bluff overlooking the amazing mountains. We've been down there a few times and are scheduled to go back again before the end of the month!

08/21/2023

We took another trip to Homer for a different adventure (Posting soon!!) and went down to the Spit to walk and enjoy the scenery. It's so majestic there with the distant mountains, the fog and clouds, and the boats whizzing in and out. The boys enjoyed finding rocks and skipping stones.

08/20/2023

We have been spending the last few weeks living as locals here on the Kenai Penninsula, but we have still gotten in a few expeditions to see the amazing Alaskan terrain.We took a day trip up to Whittier and stopped at the Portage Glacier visitor center on the way. We hopped on the Ptarmigan to cruise out to get close to the Glacier and learn about it with the tour guide on board. We took the 2.5 mile tiny tunnel into Whittier for lunch and to explore and hike. It's really beautiful and the weather made for a great day!

08/06/2023

If someone ever invites you to a "hay throwing party," make sure you know what you're getting yourself into! 🤣 As it turns out, throwing hay is tough. We took 2 trips out to the fields and collected, threw, and organized over 500 bales of hay on a flatbed trailer. Loaded, delivered, and unloaded! As much as it was hard work, it was a blast! The boys had fun riding on the hay and trying to keep up with the truck. They played with their friends and enjoyed pizza breaks. The laughter and comraderie balanced the work at hand nicely. In our experience, Alaskans band together to get stuff done and help out where needed. We love getting into the local mentality and fitting in to gain experiences and adventure!

08/05/2023

In Alaska, adventure is a lifestyle! That's why we love it so much here. All the people we have met here are so willing to share their adventurous life with us! We recently met a local glass blower with a studio near us. He invited us in for a live demo so the kids could experience this fantastic skill up close. It was a great experience, and may have even peaked their interest to develop a hobby of their own!

08/05/2023

The last week on the farm focused on fishing and fish processing, building construction, cooking, and exploring nature. We brought in a ton of fish to process from various fishing outings including spiny dogfish sharks and a skate which we fileted and ate! The boys enjoyed watching and learning throughout the process and even helped out a bit. We have had several other adventures this month as well, so those posts will be coming soon!

08/04/2023

Today is camper clean out day... there is a small chance that we might have a book problem 🤣

07/30/2023

Farmlife and fishing have been our life for the past few weeks, but we did manage to spend a beautiful weekend on the lake! It was a beautiful, secluded spot that allowed us to decompress and relax before jumping back into our chores and projects at the farm during our last week there. The boys were able to kayak and play along the shore. It was a much needed expedition.

07/24/2023

Update from the Farm! We are finishing up week 3 of 4 on the Kenai Penninsula in Alaska. Although farm chores and daily duties can get pretty monotonous, we still manage to learn new things and have new experiences. This week was filled with fishing, cooking, planning, milling lumber, wildlife, and helping build a wood shed. The boys are always eager to help and do what they can, especially with power tools!
The wwoofing program that we used to secure a stint on the farm is an international program, and there happens to be 3 other wwoofers here from abroad, 1 from Italy and 2 from France. In addition to learning all things farmlife, we learn from each other. Stories, languages, food, and cultures are shared among us as we work and as we wind down by the firepit each evening. J and Kai love to interact with the guys, and they have a good time trying to pronounce words in unfamiliar languages.
This experience is invaluable for our education, and we are seeking to have many more like this in the future!

07/20/2023

The rain this summer is ridiculous in Alaska, but we are making the most of it! 😆

07/20/2023