Alaskan Adventure
An inspiring and truly transformative trip in the Alaska Wild
Grab your best boots, rev up your sense of adventure, and head to what feels like the edge of the earth. On this epic Alaskan adventure you’ll find yourself in the midst of breathtaking beauty and a blanket of steely silence as you hike through the Alaskan wilderness, glide across chilled lakes in kayaks, scrambling across glaciers, fly across parks for your bear watching and hop between a stand-up paddle-board, a fat bike and an ATV for your local transport.
The journey continues through the night, in conversation, through camaraderie, over meals, in perfect pairings, and while watching the late-night sun finally set. Local Women of Influence that are defying all of the odds in Alaska and beyond are sure to inspire and empower with their lodge talks. At day’s end, you’ll rest your pampered head at the local yet luxe Alyeska resort in Girdwood, south of Anchorage, and at the serene Stillpoint Lodge in Halibut Cove. Get ready for some deep, sweet dreaming...
Alaskan Adventure
Price: $TBD
Group Size: 12-22
This is no longer a group trip with WAT.
If interested, call to have a similar trip customized for an individual or group!
Adventure Details
About the Trip
This intrepid adventure in the Alaska wild includes kayaking across lakes, riding ATV's through the backcountry, flightseeing and bear viewing, doing plenty of stand up paddle boarding, hiking, biking on fat tires and glacier trekking together with yoga on the deck, massages at Stillpoint, gourmet food all the way around, award-winning wines, wildlife and surreal scenery throughout.
All of this is topped off with Inspiring and empowering female speakers and incredible company throughout while in the wild and over your many meals.
Trip Basics
Dates - OPEN
This is no longer a group trip with WAT.
If interested, call for this trip or a similar trip for an individual or group!
We love this trip and can curate it specifically for you and your crew.
Days - 7 Days/6 Nights
Size - Minimum of 12, Maximum of 22
Style - Adventure, Empowerment & Wellness
Needs - A 100% deposit is needed to hold a spot at these properties.
Treats - Yoga, Hikes, Glaciers, Kayaking, SUP
Accommodations - Luxury Lodges
Host - Karen Loftus
Fees - TBD
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive into Anchorage by 2 pm or before. A private greeting and transfer will follow taking you to Girdwood, just south of Anchorage. Girdwood, previously called Glacier City was once a gold mining town. Just 40 miles south of Anchorage and set in the world’s northernmost temperate rainforest, Girdwood is known for its extensive trails, hanging glaciers, mountain peaks, and water views.
Once at the lodge, you will have the remainder of the day to yourself. You can venture out on your own, picking up hiking or biking trails right from the hotel courtyard or take a slower approach and simply explore the resort and visit the pool, spa or sauna before freshening up in time for the welcome dinner. Ride the aerial tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska for stunning views and fine dining at 2,300 feet, at the Wine Spectator award-winning restaurant, Seven Glaciers.
Day 2
Image Courtesy of Alaska Railroad Corporation.
Your first day of adventure starts with a picturesque ride on the iconic Alaska Railroad. Keep cameras handy as the scenery is stunning throughout the ride. Departing at the whistle stop in Portage, you will be transported to Spencer Lake where you meet your kayak and glacier guide.
You’ll kayak across the icy lake amongst floating glaciers before climbing onto the ancient Spencer Glacier. It’s an otherworldly experience to spend hours looking into ice caves and crevasses and hiking across the expansive glacier.
We return to Girdwood to dine off-property at the local favorite and ever-popular Jack Sprat restaurant, where both carnivores and vegans alike can satisfy their taste buds.
Day 3
Today you venture into the Alaskan backcountry to the Chugach National Forest via ATVs. This US National Forest located in south-central Alaska is the second largest forest in the US. It covers portions of Prince William Sound, Kenai Peninsula, and Copper River Delta. Beyond the forest, the Chugach also includes glaciers, rivers and a very active shoreline abundant with wildlife. Keep your binos handy to capture the wildlife activity across the opposite ridge.
Image Courtesy of Alyeska Resort Hotel
After a pampered picnic-style lunch, we’ll hike to a waterfall for salmon viewing before finishing off the day. Tonight, you dine privately in the Sakura Asian Bistro with sushi, sake and more; you also will experience the first women’s presentation of the trip with the acclaimed Cindy Abbott, a local Woman of Distinction.
Day 4
Today you depart Girdwood for Homer, a few hours drive and 200 miles south of Anchorage. Along the way, watch for wildlife, stop for photo opportunities and take in the beautiful Alaskan scenery. The long time Halibut fishing capital of the world is also known for its hiking, bear viewing and kayaking and quickly becoming known as the eco and adventure capital of Alaska.
Once in Homer, we board a water taxi for the ride across the bay to Halibut Cove, and Stillpoint Lodge. The luxe property is set across from the impressive mountain fjord of Kachemak Bay. The afternoon is open to hit the trails, practice yoga, SUP or simply go sea kayaking. Your adventure enthusiasm may be shared with sea otters, whales, birds or bears. A group dinner will follow.
Day 5
Today, you will want your camera battery charged and your memory card empty. Hop aboard a small float plane for your flightseeing trip to Lake Clark National Park for your bear viewing excursion where you get to watch bears in their natural habitat as they graze on grass, dig for clams, play or fish. Behind the bears, the backdrop of beauty borders on overwhelming from steaming volcanoes to the turquoise lakes and jagged peaks.
Upon your return to Stillpoint, you can relax, practice yoga or hit the lake prior to the group dinner. Tonight, you will experience the second Woman of Distinction, Janine Oros Amon who has climbed Denali twice, among other accomplishments, will share her story.
Day 6
Image Courtesy of Mark Edward Harris
For those who went bear viewing on the 19th, today provides an opportunity to choose from a multitude of activities. Explore some of the 100+ miles of trails through Alaska’s first state park and only wilderness park, Kachemak Bay State Park. There’s plenty to do on the 400,000 acres of mountains, glaciers, forests, and ocean. Ride a fat-tire bike along the beach, go stand-up paddle boarding, or schedule an optional add-on activity of fishing.
If hiking above the timberline, you’ll come across miles of glaciers and snowfields. A few points of interest in the park are Grewingk Glacier, Poot Peak, China Poot Bay, Halibut Cove Lagoon, Humpy Creek, and China Poot (Leisure) Lake. When the bear viewing group returns to Stillpoint, the group will enjoy a spirited farewell dinner in the lodge.
Day 7
Rise early for one last optional yoga session and one last chance to soak in the view from your room before you board the water taxi for Homer. Once in Homer, you will repeat the drive to Anchorage; again, keeping an eye out for wildlife and great photo opportunities along the journey. Guests will be dropped off at Anchorage airport for domestic and international connections unless staying extending on their own.
Until we travel again...
Accommodations
Alyeska Resort
Located in the small quaint town of Girdwood, the premium Alyeska Resort is truly a rustic chic retreat and Alaskan through and through. Just South of Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm, Alyeska is the perfect base camp for all of your activities in and around Anchorage and the Kenai. Dark cherry woods, high lofty ceilings, blazing fireplaces, and native Alaskan art and artifacts add to the local allure and ambiance throughout. A phenomenal food and wine program, a top-notch spa, and one of the best beds you will ever sleep in make for a very spoiled sojourn.
Stillpoint Lodge
Situated in the idyllic small port of Halibut Cove, Alaska, Stillpoint is Alaska Luxury Lodging at its finest with its pristine beauty and upscale ambiance. Nestled between snow-capped mountains and the lovely treasure of Kachemak Bay, it is surrounded by a bounty of beauty. The tiny town itself is a mix of both a fishing village and an artist enclave.
Stillpoint is an oasis unto itself, tucked away on a private peninsula and surrounded by nature. The floor-to-ceiling windows and natural light showcase cutting-edge architecture, Alaskan artistry, and Scandinavian styling, topped off with a Zen-like ambiance throughout. The food is fresh, local, organic, and Alaskan with vegetables and herbs sourced from an organic garden on site. Oysters are freshly harvested, fish locally caught and craft brews are Alaskan, of course. They are served side by side with fresh craft cocktails and fine wines. Oh, and did we mention it’s all-inclusive? Prepare to be spoiled...a lot.
*All images of Alaska are courtesy of Karen Loftus, except for accommodations and if otherwise stated.
Accommodations, Rates, Availability
SHARED ACCOMMODATION: TBD
A 100% deposit is required to hold your spot on this Alaskan adventure.
Please note:
(Spots may fill up as it is on a first-come basis.)
Our exclusive program welcomes a maximum of 22 travelers with a minimum capacity of 12.
This is no longer a group trip with WAT
If interested, call for this trip or a similar trip as we can curate to your liking na dneeds for an individual or group!
Inclusions
All accommodation, 6 nights’ total – single rooms at Alyeska, double cabins at Stillpoint
All meals, beginning with dinner on June 15th and ending with lunch on June 21st
Excursions: Kayak/Glacier experience, ATV tour, Flightseeing/Bear viewing trip
Transportation within Alaska. Guests take care of travel to and from Alaska.
Daily yoga sessions at Stillpoint & one massage at Stillppoint
Other activities & equipment at Stillpoint: guided kayaking, hiking, SUP & fat-tire bikes
Hotel/Lodge amenities: pool, fitness center, hot tub, sauna, meditation cabin, row boat
Exclusions
Domestic or International Flights into Anchorage, Alaska
Personal Travel Insurance
Souvenirs, Tips & Gifts
Passports & Visas
Additional spa services at either property
Additional activities or excursions not listed or included
Incidentals
Your Host
Karen Loftus is a well-known and respected luxury travel and lifestyle writer and photographer with a sense of humor, a wicked sense of adventure, and an insatiable appetite for off-the-beaten-path endeavors.
She hit her international stride twenty-plus years ago as an award-winning feminist playwright. She was also a groundbreaking international comedian in the US, Europe, Asia, and The Middle East.
She also ran her own nonprofit, Body Comedy, where she used humor to heal. She worked with thousands of survivors of physical and sexual violence, women, and children in many facilities, juvenile halls, prisons, and shelters.
Ten years later, Karen ended up on Hollywood's red carpet, interviewing the celeb set and writing about travel, fashion, beauty, food and wine, and the Hollywood lifestyle. Since then, she has traveled to all seven continents and 70+ countries while working as a writer and photographer.
Her compelling and entertaining stories have appeared in Vogue, Architectural Digest, Forbes, Robb Report, American Way, Hemispheres Magazine, The NY Daily News, The Globe & Mail, South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Huffington Post, and Men's Journal among many others.
This serial entrepreneur has produced comedy tours and theatrical events worldwide through her production company, Goddess Productions, and lifestyle and fashion-driven events through her event company, The Lofty Style Lounge.
Lofty loves hitting the road, sharing her wild stories and entrepreneurial endeavors with other women. She speaks at college campuses, conferences, and corporate events.
In addition to WAT, she also arranges well-curated travel for individuals and groups under her travel advisor umbrella, Lofty Traveler. Lofty Traveler is a part of Cloud 10 Travel - An Independent Affiliate of Cadence Travel, a Virtuoso Agency.
Final Notes
So, what’s the big deal about Alaska? Alaska is all that and then some. While there, we'll see an abundance of glaciers, snow-capped mountains, icy beauty everywhere and an abundance of whales.
Alaska is different as it’s not all ice and glaciers. The hiking, biking, horseback riding and the charming tiny towns only add to its overall allure. I liked Alaska so much that I went back for a second spin. That is when I fell truly madly deeply for the place. The seemingly endless landscape and the unspeakable beauty simply stopped me in my tracks...every day.
I find there is no better way to embrace local beauty than to get up all in it which is what I did last time--hiking, glacier walks, ice kayaking and horseback riding. I am thrilled to be doing this trip. For starters we are hiking, kayaking and riding ATV’s. If you’ve never driven an ATV, it’s easy and comes with a quick learning curve. If you have never kayaked, it too is an easy skill to pick up. There are double kayaks as well so you may have a coach in tow if kayaking with another.
As far as the glacier hikes, chances are you may not have done that before. I have cruised up to glaciers in a ship and I have flown very closely over them, but walking on one and looking into crevasses is a completely different experience and by far my favorite. You will love it. You may be blown away, but you’ll be fine.
Once at Stillpoint, you can dial the adventure up or down and play with the frequency as well. The plethora of adventure options will remain right outside your door. You’ve got bikes, hiking trails, stand up paddle boards, canoes, and your own deck to reflect on. You are also privy to a bear viewing experience while there.
It’s a bit more difficult to get to Alaska than other destinations, even for most Americans it is a journey up (north) and over (west). It is so worth it, on several levels. I can’t say this enough I hope you join us on this trip!
Lets Get Packing
