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 Akaroa doesn’t ease you in. It arrives like a reveal—emerald water tucked into steep, volcanic folds, a harbor that feels less “bay” and more “amphitheater.” You look around and realize you’re standing inside the bones of something ancient: the collapsed crater of a long-quiet volcano, now flooded and alive, rimmed with cliffs and valleys that hold the shape of the old caldera.
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 The moment I climbed aboard the airboat with Airboat Adventure Everglades, I knew I was in for something extraordinary. The engine revved, water hissed, and before I knew it we were skimming across the Everglades’ vast “River of Grass,” sawgrass bending in the breeze, cypress trees rising like green sentinels, and the wild chorus of wetland life all around.
 Last month, I finally made it to Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, and I’m still thinking about it.
There are places that impress you, and then there are places that rearrange something in you. Gros Morne belongs in the second category. It is vast, mountainous, coastal, and deeply alive in a way that feels almost old-fashioned now—like wild country before the world learned how to package it. The best comparison I can make is that it reminded me of the national parks out west in America: the scale, the drama, the sense that nature is operating on its own terms. But here, there was something else too—space. Silence. Room to breathe. I could wander for hours without feeling like I was standing in line for beauty. And beauty, here, is everywhere.  A dream of a lifetime came to fruition in July when I made my way from the east coast to the west, and no I don’t mean California. I finally made it to Alaska, the last frontier, and everything was astounding. The wildlife was everywhere, the humanity was quite limited overall thankfully, and the views were out of this world in each and every place I explored. I started in Anchorage as most do, toured around Kenai peninsula, loved Kenai Fjords National Park by far the most, then I headed north to Denali before going east to Wrangell-St. Elias, and finished with a riveting cruise out of Valdez.
A Day of Wonder Featuring Alaska Wildland Adventures, Turkish Delight, Maria’s Creekside Inn9/11/2023  © Brandon Elijah Scott / WoodlandHerbal.com Last month I had the unbelievable opportunity to visit Alaska for the first time, and it was well beyond what I imagined it would be. It’s so beautiful, rugged, wild, mystical and magical, and I loved every moment exploring the wilderness, the mountains, the fjords, rivers, and parks. I arrived off the plane, gathered my luggage and set out in a rental car. My first stop was the Turnagain Arm before heading to my accommodation on Kenai Peninsula. The summer light was long, allowing for a mere 3 hours of night, but it really wasn’t all that dark, so I took advantage of as much sightseeing as my tired eyes could handle. From there, I spent the next couple of days exploring Seward and Homer, taking two cruises through the fjords, which was definitely the highlight of the entire trip.
 Alaska has been at the top of my destination wish list for as long as I can remember. I always thought perhaps I’d never make it there, because it was a little far, rather expensive to plan a trip, and the possibility of it being too wild and dangerous for me. But over the past year, the stars aligned due to several differing factors and situations. After nearly an entire year of planning, I found myself exploring the Last Frontier with my father-in-law Ken.
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September 2024
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