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Weekend Wanderer: Truckee, California to Crested Butte, Colorado

Nick and Laura Visconti are a husband and wife duo hailing from Truckee, California. Laura considers herself a coffee-fueled mountain soul while Nick loves to shred the mountains as a professional snowboarder. They just returned from an Instagram takeover in Crested Butte as part of Alaska’s Weekend Wanderer series. For more Weekend Wanderer posts, make sure you’re following Alaska Airlines on Instagram.

I was so excited when Alaska Airlines invited me and my husband Nick to spend a couple of days in Crested Butte, Colorado as Weekend Wanderers.

Coming from Truckee, a small ski town nestled in the mountains of Lake Tahoe, we were excited to pack our snowboard bags and head out for a ski vacation that I assumed would somewhat mimic our everyday life. But once we touched down in Gunnison after the inaugural Alaska Airlines nonstop flight from Los Angeles, I realized that while Crested Butte may be a small ski town in the mountains not unlike my own home, it had a culture entirely its own. It was, in a word, unforgettable.

Packing for a ski trip: 6 tips to get through the airport and to the slopes faster

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Hero Miles: Keeping families together

It was nearly Christmas last year, and U.S. Army airborne paratrooper Justin Isham was facing the prospect of another holiday spent alone in the barracks at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

Isham’s wife and family were thousands of miles away in Phoenix while he completed 1.5 years in the Warrior Transition Unit at JBER, preparing Isham and fellow wounded or disabled soldiers for the transition to civilian life.

A career of physically intense jumps had put wear and tear on Isham’s knees and back. His 2012 deployment to Afghanistan had additional effects, including some hearing loss and intense flashbacks to combat.

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No lumps of coal: Tips for low-stress holiday travel with kids

Marie LeBaron is the editor of Make and Takes, a popular parenting site featuring kids’ crafts, home projects, recipes, parenting tips and more. She lives in Seattle with her family, and loves to travel.

The holidays are quickly approaching and it’s almost time to travel to see family and friends to celebrate the season. If you are traveling with children during the holidays, here are 5 tips and tricks to help everything go a little more smoothly, while making your vacation one you’ll always remember.

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Gifts you can travel with, and gifts better left at home

Before you head to the airport this holiday season, make sure the gifts you’re packing will make it to your destination with you.

5 gifts better left at home

Hoverboards. Battery rankings on these self-balancing devices are unreliable and they’ve been prone to fires – that’s why they’re banned from Alaska Airlines flights. Learn more: Hoverboards cannot fly.

Drones. These fun, self-piloting aircraft have been all the rage over the past few years, but they pose a real concern for airlines when flown too close to an airport. If you’ve got a drone on your wish list this year, make sure you’re complying with all local and federal laws, and stay far away from your nearest airport.

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Hoverboards cannot fly: Alaska bans self-balancing devices on airplanes

Hoverboards, gliders, electric skateboards—whatever name they come by, you have probably seen and heard of them. These self-balancing devices are the year’s hottest electronics as people everywhere are snapping them up and buying them as presents for their loved ones. In fact, you probably know at least one person with a hoverboard on their Christmas list.

As cool as they are, there’s one big problem: they are not safe to transport on an airplane.

At Alaska Airlines, we do not allow hoverboards as checked luggage or as carry-on. Hoverboards are usually powered by lithium ion batteries, which are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as hazardous materials. Internal short-circuits can occur with lithium ion batteries, which can then lead to a “thermal runaway” where the battery overheats and bursts into flame.

Read more: Gifts you can travel with, and gifts better left at home

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Giving spirit: Melinda Gates

As we celebrate this season of giving, all of us at Alaska Airlines are honored to feature Melinda Gates In the December issue of our inflight magazine and here on the Alaska Airlines blog. Melinda and Bill Gates have been incredibly successful in their lives – success that is perhaps only matched by their incredible generosity.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has become the world’s largest private philanthropic foundation. Their focus is on global health, global development, U.S. programs (primarily focused on education), and global policy. Their work is based on the simple, but important, principle that all lives have equal value.

Started in 1997, the Foundation has had a profound impact on people around the world. I hope you enjoy reading about it, and also reading about Melinda’s interest in helping women of all ages. Her philosophy of pushing “upstream” to find solutions to challenging global issues is proving as effective as it is inspirational.

While the scale may be different, this spirit of giving regularly comes to life at Alaska Airlines. We’re doing more and more from a company perspective to give back to the communities we serve. But it’s really the employees of Alaska that are leading the way. From our 6th annual Pack the Plane food drive this month, to thousands of hours volunteered with local charities, to innovative new approaches for helping those with physical challenges to more comfortably travel by air, our team is doing a lot of good. I am immensely proud to be part of a community here at Alaska Airlines that truly understands how to give back and serve others.

In their own words, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is “focused on the areas of greatest need, on the ways in which we can do the most good.” Theirs is generosity on a stunning scale, and their impact on the lives of people around the world is—and will continue to be—profound. Melinda, we are deeply honored to feature you and your work and are grateful to you and everyone at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for your amazing generosity.

To you, our customers, I hope you’ll be as inspired as I was by the article on Melinda. Thanks for flying with us, and our best to you and yours from all of us at Alaska and Horizon this holiday season.

Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines CEO

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VIDEO: Pilot straps a GoPro to his private plane, captures scenes of rugged Alaska

Captain Will Turnage loves to fly, loves the state of Alaska and loves being outdoors. He combined all three of his passions last year by recording his flights throughout the state. Turnage flew over glaciers, across rocky coastlines, and on the edge of lakes with a GoPro attached to the rear of his Cessna 180.  The footage, which took him about two weeks to edit, came together as a sort of visual scrapbook of his year in the Cessna.

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An insider’s guide to Sayulita

Stephanie Yoder is a girl who can’t sit still! She is the Editor-in-Chief of Twenty-Something Travel. When she’s not out traveling the world Stephanie lives in Seattle, Washington.

Visitors are drawn to Puerto Vallarta by the sunshine, the sparkling sea and the food. Most people simply stop in via cruise ship or head to a big name resort, but those who step off the beaten path will be rewarded.  Venture just an hour through the northern jungle and you will emerge somewhere entirely different: the small but cheerful surf town of Sayulita.

Here are some tips on how to make the most of your trip:

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Weekend Wanderer: Anchorage to San Jose, Costa Rica

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Jovell Rennie is a photographer who has a love for #SharingAlaska. When he’s not taking pictures, he’s trekking his way through the outdoors looking for his next shot. He just returned from an Instagram takeover in Costa Rica as part of Alaska’s Weekend Wanderer series. For more Weekend Wanderer posts, make sure you’re following Alaska Airlines on Instagram.

Pura Vida!

That’s the phrase I was greeted with when I touched down in San José, Costa Rica.

I was excited to be there as Alaska Airlines’ Weekend Wanderer, especially because it’s so different from my hometown, Anchorage, Alaska. Feeling at first like a snowman in the oven, I was determined to see the sights and make the most of my time. I quickly adjusted to the warmth of the city and set out to meet with a few friends from back home who also happened to be in the area. Great timing! After meeting up and settling down, the six of us set out to explore. We started with an amazing breakfast of tamales and gallo pinto, then hit the road. Between Jaco, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Manuel Antonio National Park, my eyes were in heaven. Costa Rica was absolutely amazing, from the lush landscape to the beautiful tropical jungle and beaches. I recommend everybody make it out there. Here are a few tips for while you’re there.

  1. Set an early alarm, the sunrises are breathtaking
  2. Loosen your belt, you’ll be eating A LOT.
  3. Bring extra socks.This is not specific to Costa Rica, I just always advise it. This is especially important in places where you are doing a lot of walking or hiking.

Best of luck, safe travels, and Pura Vida!

Ready to book? Find flights to Costa Rica.

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A welcome home for Vietnam-era veterans

It was a welcome home ceremony 50 years in the making.

Alaska Air Group and the USO Northwest officially honored Vietnam-era veterans during a celebration this fall at the Seattle hangar.

“On behalf of a grateful nation, we want to officially welcome you home,” said Greg Mays, vice president of maintenance and engineering.

The event was one of many 50th anniversary commemoration events around the United States to thank and honor those who served. About 40 veterans, including some Alaska and Horizon employees, entered the Seattle Hangar through a lineup of cheering family members, welcome-home signs, and Patriot Guard motorcycle riders who held American flags.

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Honor Flight: Alaska flies veterans from Washington, Oregon and Alaska to memorials in Washington D.C.

Some arrived in wheelchairs. Others were aided by walkers or canes. Some came on the arm of a guardian. But all of the veterans who arrived at Alaska Airlines terminals in Seattle, Portland and Anchorage this fall stood tall. The veterans, men and women who served their country during World War II, the Korean War and the Alaska Territorial Guard, enjoyed once-in-a-lifetime visits to Washington, D.C. to visit the national monuments named in their honor, compliments of Alaska Airlines and Honor Flight.

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How to view and photograph the Northern Lights

When the cruise ships and tour buses leave, and the weather starts to cool, the night sky in Alaska comes alive with bands of green, and sometimes red, lights. This phenomenon is known as the aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights.

While the Northern Lights are often visible from various parts of the state, Fairbanks has the reputation for being one of the best places in the world for aurora viewing. Its far north location and nearly constant darkness in the winter months, combined with its accessibility, make it an ideal location for watching the Northern Lights. According to the Fairbanks Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, a three-night stay in Fairbanks during the winter months (October – March) gives guests an 80 percent chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

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