After the
announcement of the postponement of the certain to be amazing Cordova/Valdez DO until 2019, the local Alaska contingent began to receive a flood of inquiries – FTers were threatening to visit our great state with or without a DO - there was even enough chatter on FT that an
AK DO speculation thread was started! Soon, talk of excursions and BBQ’s at casa
Bob W ensued, and ultimately the decision was made that if some were going somewhere, everyone else ought to be going there too.
With the assistance and co-sponsorship of
Bob W and
GrjApp, I am pleased to announce the “We wish there were an Alaska DO” - the 2018 Alaska Mini-DO.
Who? you
When? July 4-7, 2018
Where? Homer and Anchorage, Alaska
Why? If you’re asking, you’re probably in the wrong place
Before we go too much further, we should clarify that this DO may stray a bit from the patterns of some of the recent Alaska DO’s. Specifically, we’re sticking to the road system this year, and there will be no officially DO-sponsored flat tires on the itinerary. Sorry to disappoint – I realize, many of you fantasize about
repeating the experience of putting 24 people in a 15 passenger van in bush Alaska. In fact, flat tires aside, there will be a limited formal itinerary of any kind – rather, individuals will be encouraged to pursue the many activities Homer has to offer, and join with other DO participants in activities of common interest. Please share your ideas and coordinate within the thread.
Transportation:
Homer is an incredibly scenic 4.5 hour drive from Anchorage. Participants are encouraged to rent cars and carpool – ride sharing can be facilitated in the wiki. Alternatively,
RAVN Alaska (earning and redeeming AS miles possible) flies non stop from Anchorage multiple times per day (that said, the activities in Homer and the surrounding areas will likely require transportation, so access to a rental car is likely to be necessary).
Lodging:
There will be no hotel central; Homer has a wide variety of B&B’s and vacation rentals, as well as a limited number of hotels. Camping options are also plentiful. As with transportation, participants are encouraged to coordinate in the thread, and share any deals they come across, or suggestions they may have.
Schedule:
July 4-6: Homer. We anticipate scheduling a day trip to one of the communities across the beautiful Kachemak Bay (stay tuned, likely July 5)
July 7: BBQ in Anchorage at Casa
Bob W (details TBA)
So, save the date and stay tuned for further developments. We hope you’ll be able to join us for another adventure in AK!