August 09, 2015 at 08:46PM by advodna_dave

Took a drive across the bay to the Solomon Gulch Salmon Hatchery. They're permitted to incubate 230 million pink salmon eggs a year and about 15 million return as adults to spawn here. The stream leading back up to Solomon Falls is not actually a natural salmon spawning grounds. Instead, returning fish are stopped at the mouth of the creek and redirected into a fish ladder leading into the hatchery. By this time, the hatchery had already collected its quota for the year, so despite the pinks looking just about thick enough to walk across, the remaining fish struggling against the current are all destined to end their lifecycle without spawning. A Google search came up with a hatcheries in WA and OR donating hundreds of thousands of pounds of salmon to food banks, but I wasn't able to find anything similar in Alaska. Of course, the hatchery is run by the Valdez Fisheries Development Association so it's possible they're just trying to protect market prices. Of course, not all salmon successfully spawn in the wild either and serve a valuable role in the food chain. As you might expect, there were plenty of signs in the area warning about bears! #Valdez #salmon #pinksalmon #solomongulchhatchery #airstreamtoalaska

August 09, 2015 at 10:35AM by advodna_ann

Holding on tight to dada on our way to the Colombia Glacier. Oh, and by the way, helicopters are AWESOME!! 🚁 #doit

August 08, 2015 at 10:47PM by advodna_dave

After circling the terminus of the glacier, our pilot set the helicopter down on a beach nearby where we could watch for calving. By the time you heard the loud crack and thunderous boom, it would be too late to turn around and see more than a splash and rolling waves rippling the otherwise smooth bay. Huge chunks of white blue ice that had at one time formed that cliff before being pushed into the water by the force of the 32 mile glacier were now left on the beach by the receding tide for us to play with. An absolutely incredible place to be able to walk around. #columbiaglacier #valdez #fulltimetravel #fulltimefamilies

August 08, 2015 at 09:23PM by advodna_dave

Breathtaking flyover of the Columbia Glacier. We saw several small calving events where ice crumbled off the 300 ft face (tho none on video 😕). #columbiaglacier #Valdez #flightseeing #airstreamtoalaska - posted by advodna_dave on August 08, 2015 at 09:23PM

August 08, 2015 at 08:27PM by advodna_dave

Flightseeing over the Shoop and Columbia Glaciers out of Valdez. Both kids did amazing, Mae despite skipping her afternoon nap for the flight and Wynne only minimally insisting on yelling "wooooooo woooooo" into the headphone mic so she could hear herself. #heylookkidsaglacier #childhoodunplugged #fulltimetravel #fulltimefamilies #airstreamtoalaska

August 08, 2015 at 07:12PM by advodna_dave

So, what do you call those drones that only have one rotor on the top and one in the back and have a pilot and also you can get inside them? Well anyway, we took one of those to the Columbia Glacier today!!! Get ready for some pics... #flightseeing #columbiaglacier #tidewaterglacier #valdez #holyamahzballs - posted by advodna_dave on August 08, 2015 at 07:12PM

August 08, 2015 at 01:30PM by advodna_dave

Nine years ago this month, @advodna_ann (sadly, know back then as just "Ann"), booked a sea kayak adventure out of Valdez, Alaska with a friend from massage school. Upon her return to San Francisco, she began execution of a complex plan in which she would meet a guy, convince him to buy a house in San Francisco, get a dog, get married, drive to Panama, buy a farm, have a kid, buy an Airstream, have another kid, buy a bigger Airstream, sell the house in San Francisco, rent the farm and drive the Airstream to Alaska *just* so she could take this picture in front of the place she rented that kayak. Well played, @advodna_ann. #longgame #Valdez #airstreamtoalaska

August 07, 2015 at 10:06PM by advodna_dave

Dodging icebergs as we sailed past the Columbia Glacier and into Valdez. At the first place we checked in town, we were apologetically offered their last option available, a dry camping site that actually had a better view because it was over in the tenting area for $27 a night. In Valdez during salmon and halibut season, that's a score. #alaskamarinehighway #columbiaglacier #valdez #fulltimefamilies #fulltimetravel #childhoodunplugged #lookkidsaglacier

August 07, 2015 at 03:24PM by advodna_dave

Second to last one on. *Plenty* of room. "Just follow my signals and I won't let you hit anything." #airstream #airstreamtoalaska #myrivetedlife #liveriveted #alaskamarinehighway #gonna needashoehorntogetoff

August 07, 2015 at 01:02PM by advodna_dave

So far, the day has been running like clockwork. The baby woke up just as we pulled up to pay the toll for the tunnel and the tunnel opened a minute later. Then, we ran into @ariana_babcock, @cameracaleb and @bodeswell_vw on the other side. Now if we can just find the ferry... #Whittier #airstream #airstreamtoalaska #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #iactuallyknowwheretheferryis

August 07, 2015 at 10:39AM by advodna_dave

It's rush rush rush this morning to hitch up, dump and fill and get up to Whittier to make our ferry. Problem is, you never really know which way the one way tunnel that's the only way into town will be running when you get there and may have to wait. Of course, you can never rush a mellowing snuggle with the baby by the side of the road in the hopes of inducing a car nap. #Alaska #kenai #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #airstreamwithkids #airstreamtoalaska