Alaskan Adventure
New Dates Coming for 2024 & 2025
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 amid breathtaking beauty and a blanket of steely silence as you hike through the Alaskan wilderness, glide across chilled lakes in kayaks, scramble 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 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 plenty of adventure.
You can expect to kayak across lakes, ride ATV's through the backcountry, fly over and bear country, do plenty of stand-up paddle boarding, hiking, biking on fat tires, and glacier trekking.
Combine all this with yoga on the deck, massages at Stillpoint, fresh gourmet food paired with award-winning wines, and the wildlife and surreal scenery throughout.
Top it off with Inspiring and empowering female speakers and incredible company in the wild, on the property, and over your many meals.
It is the best of the best that Alaska has to offer.
Trip Basics
Dates - TBD
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 in Anchorage by 2 p.m. 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 from the hotel courtyard, or take a slower approach and simply explore the resort and visit the pool, spa or sauna before freshening up 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
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 will 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 the 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.
After a pampered picnic-style lunch, we’ll hike to a waterfall for salmon viewing before finishing off the day.
Tonight, you will dine privately in the Sakura Asian Bistro with sushi, sake, and more; you will also 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.
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, quickly becoming known as Alaska's eco and adventure capital.
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 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 returning to Stillpoint, you can relax, practice yoga, or hit the lake before the group dinner. Tonight, you will experience the second Woman of Distinction, Janine Oros Amon, who has climbed Denali twice, among other accomplishments, and share her story.
Day 6
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, watch for wildlife and great photo opportunities along the journey. Guests will be dropped off at Anchorage Airport for domestic and international connections unless they are staying and extending on their own.
Until we travel again...
Accommodations
Alyeska Resort
Located in the small quaint town of Girdwood, the premium Alyeska Resort is 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 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 is a mix of 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 are locally caught, and craft brews are Alaskan. 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 - Price TBD
New DATES TBA for 2024 & 2025
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.
If interested, call for this trip or a similar trip, as we can curate to your liking and needs 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 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 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 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 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 stopped me in my tracks...every day.
There is no better way to embrace local beauty than to get up all in it, which 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 ATVs. If you’ve never driven an ATV, it’s easy and comes with a quick learning curve. It is an easy skill to pick up if you have never kayaked. There are double kayaks as well, so you may have a coach in tow if kayaking with another.
As far as the glacier hikes, you may not have done that before. I have cruised up to glaciers in a ship and flown very closely over them, but walking on one and looking into crevasses is an entirely 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 deck to reflect on. You are also privy to a bear viewing experience while there.
Getting to Alaska is a bit more difficult 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!
