Counting down the days!

    We are incredibly excited about everyone who has decided to come and all the help many have graciously provided. We could not be happier that things have all gone to plan and that the days can now be counted on both hands. There are eight days precisely until the wedding day and both Stef and I are getting some much needed  together time as we finish out converging tour routes on the Classic Alaskan and Wildlife tours. The work in the field over the summer has been volumous and constant but it has really made the time fly by; the time apart I'm sure will only make our time together sweeter.

    We return to the valley from Denali this weekend and will begin the final preparations for the big day. We plan to see family early in the week in Anchorage then travel south to Seward to join the rest of the party. Again we are overjoyed to have so many people visiting and cannot wait to spend time with you all. Just make sure to bring some warm clothes and a rain jacket or umbrella! I don't forsee us being too sympathetic or afraid of the elements after spending the duration of the summer in the outdoors! See you all soon!

Warmest summer regards,
Trevor and Stef

2 WEEKS AWAY!!

Hey everybody!!


So...here we go! 2 years in the planning is now only 2 weeks away and boy are we excited!  This wedding is really coming together and I'm spending my last couple days off trying to put all the odds and ends together.  Trev and I each have one more week of tours and then we're off to greet everyone in Seward, our favorite place ever.  Although I've discussed it with my mom and Trev about 100 times I thought that I should probably post an itinerary for everyone else, so you all know what's going on as the wedding rounds the bend.  Here is my plan for a fun filled couple of days.  Since you are all so wonderful to come up and see us get married, we want to see lots of you.  After all, Alaska is far away but boy do Trev and I love to show it off.  So here's the plan....


Thursday  
Most people arrive in Seward
Thurs night: Bachelor and Bachelorette party.  The Bachelor party will be somewhere in the woods and Trev can tell you more.  The bachelorette party will be in Seward and is being planned by my friend Alli if you have any questions ([email protected]).


Friday
10:30 am: Meet at Kenai Fjords Tours office to check in for boat ride.  The boat departs at 11:30 and starts loading at 11, so if we get there early we can get good seats and try not to scare all the other passengers who aren't in our group.
6-7:00 pm:  Rehearsal dinner, ALL ARE INVITED!!  We are having a rehearsal barbecue after the boat ride that will last until 10pm. It is located in the very nice green covered pavilion on the south side of town (on the ocean in between the sea life center and the park....it's easy to find).  I will also try to arrange for the Windsong to shuttle people from the Kenai Fjords office to the rehearsal and then do a pick up after if that will be easier for some.  We will be providing dinner and dessert but not drinks.  We have an alcohol permit so if you would like to bring something it's ok, it's just byob.  Wear whatever you want.  Trev and I might change into something kind of nice (weather dependent) but if you want to wear your hiking pants that is fine with us.  We just want a casual dinner with everyone who loves us before the big day.


Saturday!!
10:00am: girls and boys will meet to get ready before the wedding.  I'll get dressed in my parents room and Trev will figure out where he's going
12:00am: some people will be headed down to Miller's Landing to decorate a covered deck we have for the wedding.  If you are not directly involved in the wedding party and would like to help please contact Kirsten at [email protected].
1:00pm:  THE CEREMONY!  We are getting married at Lowell Point Beach about .25 miles from Miller's Landing.  We will be getting married outside so dress weather dependent.  Bring raingear no matter what the day looks like b/c you never know.  If it is raining Trev and I will wear our raingear over our nice outfits.  The ceremony will be about 20 min if it's rainy and about 30 min if it's not.  
1:30p-4pm: Lunch and bonfire and small celebration at the covered deck.  We know people normally don't provide lunch but we thought we would b/c the deck will come in handy for pictures and celebrating after the ceremony if the weather is bad.  If the weather is nice we'll all hang out on the beach and have a little daytime fire while pictures are being taken.
6:00pm: Reception at the Windsong Lodge until 11pm.  Dinner (salmon and steaks) and drinks will be provided.  If you have become vegetarian please let me know and they will make you a nice plate from the restaurant so you don't have to eat only bread.  The reception hall has immediate access to a really pretty lawn with a great view of the Resurrection River and I hear it gets the most sunlight out of anywhere in Seward.


So that's that, I have been well trained by my dad to plan and plan and I'm glad it's been coming in handy so much lately.  If you have any questions please call one of us b/c we will be on tour and probably won't be checking our emails until a week from the big day!!


Stef's cell: 907-351-1478
Trevor's cell: 208-351-5343


Love you and see you super soon!!

August 2010 is around the bend

Summer solstice salutations to all our friends and loved ones! We have been busily endeavoring toward our goals of summer work, preparation of travels and marital bliss on August 7, 2010. We hope all our loved ones wherever they might be will join us in a spirit of celebration as we complete these momentous summer goals. As the day of the wedding draws near we hope that everyone has had ample opportunity to include themselves in the accommodations and festivities if they wish. In due time we will be sure to include all in an open house of more proximate locality (Keep your eyes out for these separate invitations). For those who have chosen to join us in Alaska there are a few group accommodations that you may want to be aware of. If you have already reserved these spots then you are good to go for the wedding; however, if you have not reserved and want to be a part then you will have only a few days left to get on board. Holding of these reservations depends on their payment, so they must be paid before July 5th in order to uphold the group discount and agreed reservation spots. Please refer your reservation questions to the appropriate vendors and let us know your plans for the wedding by e-mail. We hope everyone we love is having a great sumer season and we are overjoyed with the prospect of seeing you all this year.   


Best wishes,
Stef and Trevor


Reservation Information:

For the wedding of

Stefanie and Trevor,

blocks of rooms are being held at the Seward Windsong Lodge.

 Call 1-866-845-6338 (group) to book:

Standard room rates:  $199.20 

single

$199.20 double

$211.20 triple

$223.20 quad

plus 3% tax

Reference the Archibald/Brodecki wedding.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

If you are planning on joining Stefanie and Trevor for the Kenai Fjords Tour on

Friday, August 6^th,

blocks of seats are being held.

Call 1-877-476-8775 and reference either Brodecki or RR18661 to get the 20% discount.

Discounted price, including all taxes and fees, is $127.83 for an adult and $68.34 for children 2-11.

Rooms and seats blocked for the wedding will be held until Monday, July 5, 2010, at which time they will be opened to the public.

Please Wait 'till Jan 20

Hello All; 

I just wanted to ask that if you are going to book a room at the Windsong that you wait a couple more days (if you haven't tried to book yet).  It took a couple extra days to get the agreement faxed in and so everything should definitely be set up by Wednesday, the 20th. 

Also, I gave the normal reservation number but the better one to call is the Group Sales deptartment.  The number is 1-866-845-6338.  We will get discounted rates (20% off) until one month before the wedding, then the rooms are opened up to the public.  We are under the Brodecki/Archibald Wedding.

Thanks!

Stef

Big Changes!!

Hi everyone!!

So we have had some major changes with the wedding reception.  Trev and I are too loved and the place we were going to have our wedding cannot hold the amount of people we have coming.  Right now we have about 60 people coming.  After a very stressful night I was able to find a new place for our wedding reception, and we think it will be even better than the Saltwater Lodge.  Our new lodge is called the Seward Windsong Lodge.  It's on Exit Glacier road about five minutes north of Seward.  It is a very nice lodge and they also own the Kenai Fjords tours.  I know that originally we were going to ask everyone to stay at the Breeze but we now have another opprotunity for you.  The Windsong is going to set at least 20 rooms aside for our wedding party.  The lodge is on a river and has a shuttle into Seward, and is a little nicer then the Breeze.

The Windsong has told us that they can give a 20% discount on the rooms.  A standard room is $199 + 3% tax for two adults and then an additional $12 per adult (rooms sleep 4).  Children under the age of twelve stay free in any room.  There are also deluxe rooms for $245, which have two queen beds and a futon, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a jacuzzi tub.  We will be staying there Friday and Saturday night.  There are rooms set aside for Thursday, Friday and Saturday (August 5, 6, 7).  Feel free to stay at whichever hotel seems best for you and your family but I am excited to offer a place where there is no space limit for who can stay where the reception is at. 

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL JAN 15 TO MAKE RESERVATIONS!! I'm going over paperwork with the event coordinator on Monday and she said the rooms under the Brodecki/Archibald wedding will be avilable by January 15th.

The phone number for reservations is 1-877-777-4079

The website for the lodge is http://www.sewardwindsong.com/

Below is a picture of the pavillion where we'll have our rehersal and a barbeque for everyone after the Kenai Fjords tour.  I am going to assume that everyone will want to take the awesome fjords tour.  If you want to do something else on Friday please let me know.

To see the pavillion in the summer click on this website.....

http://www.cityofseward.net/parksRec/pavilions.htm

That's all we have for right now.  Sorry about the change but I think we got lucky and it's going to be even better then before!

We'll post again soon!

Love you,
Stef and Trevor

Welcome Winter and Season's Greetings

 
    Winter is definitely upon us in Alaska; though the time is currently 9:00 AM there is not sign of daylight yet in the sky. We're making the most of it however, and keeping busy in preparations for the season and for the coming year. 2010 is certain to be a year to remember - and a busy one at that - getting ourselves oriented on the correct heading for the near future and for the rest of eternity (or so it seems).

    Fall semester has come to a successful close at University of Alaska and now graduation is close enough to fathom a life after school. The semester was an extremely challenging one with little time for outside interests except keeping the finace happy and well cared for. On the positive side, my degree is certainly reaching the integrative stage and the point whereafter this knowledge will be somehow applied. Just to sum up the curriculum of the semester, I have been mentally stretched by presenting peer lectures on molecular techniques of genetic research, by composing a term physiological essay on human dysregulation of wound regeneration and scar formation, by drafting a clinical laboratory setup for a remote medical laboratory in rural Alaska, and also by testing ad nauseum on retro-synthetic synthesis of organic chemical compounds. I have one more exciting semester left involving biology of microorganisms, organic chemistry, physics, and a few more credits to make sure I stay really busy! In light of my challenging and busy studies I have had to forgo my work with the UAA campus recycle team, though I seem to have left a positive impact on the program. During my tenure of the program over the summer, I fought for recycle assistant pay raises, worked out better processes of collection, and worked closely with the administrative directors. I like to think that I even furthered the cause of campus recycling and sustainability. In addition to completing the Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Science and pre-medical studies, by the end of the semester I will also be trained and certified at the Emergency Medical Technician level I to enlighten the didactic medical knowledge and qualify myself for gaining experience in patient care. My hopes are that these credentials will assist in attaining clinical and volunteer support jobs in the medical field. The bottom line is that you must have some hands on experience in the medical field in order to be successful in medical school application; and so to this end there will be a short break from schooling and a perfect window of opportunity to get out and experience what the world (and the medical world in particular) has to offer.

    Stefanie has been similarly waiting and preparing for that hopeful window of opportunity to go out and make a positive difference. She has already made an excellent start by diligently working and serving the largest non-profit women's organization in the state and advocating for those in need. Her work has not only required infinite patience and compassion with primary clients but has also expanded her knowledge and mobility within the social services of Alaska, the law enforcement network, the medical crisis response infrastructure, and the judiciary system even in personal legal advocacy. While this has never been an end-goal for her ambitions, it has nevertheless been a great stepping stone in preparations for the future. In short, her position and experience therein has been all encompassing within the social services realm throughout the entire state. Moreover, enshrouded in her general advocacy duties have been greater issues concerning native cultures, justice issues, modern cultural shifts, social problems, and even mental health. In parallel with these interpersonal, social and cultural issues, she has also fostered a strong sense and desire for environmental protection and conservation. These began casually enough as we chatted on long winter night walks throughout the beautiful parks system within Anchorage. While during my first semester I had been studying Environmental Science, I would unassumingly bring up one of the case studies or journal articles we had been reading for the class about modern environmental and conservation problems and would unwittingly unleash a torrent of passionate opinion and debate. Over the past few years, the more she has learned, the more refined her opinions and arguments have become and have led in part to her current interests in graduate studies within the environmental realm. As she prepares for the opportunity window she has also contemplated volunteering in environmental quality and health/human-welfare.

    As an applicable form of community service and experience we have both been collecting and testing water samples from one of the large glacial rivers in the area as citizen environmental water-quality monitors. The testing, though quite simple has provided an opportunity for scientific and environmental field work to help us both in future endeavors. The part which has not been so simple is the collection of samples 12 months a year. After about October, the river begins to seize up with ice and by the time our November or December test dates roll around, the water is near impossible to reach without an ice-agar. As ice-agars of sufficient diameter are quite expensive, and we are only one of several dozen testing sites with the same problem we have on occasion resorted to chipping away at the ice with a simple wood axe. No need to worry here though, since the water is already so cold coming from the glacier and the subzero outside temperatures aid in the freezing, the ice depth has never been smaller than 12-16 inches (impossible to break through with an axe, much less with the weight of a person.) Safety has always been a primary concern but we have continued no less in hopes that our service will pay off on our resumes and with positive reference for our future positions.



    For the coming summer, we are planning yet another life-changing milestone. As my studies and certification come to a close over the month of April, Stef and I will both be preparing to pack up our belongings and make our way out to the Alaskan wilderness for one final summer before we set out. As I have worked deligently over the past three summers with the outdoor travel company Alaska Outdoors, I have become an integral ( I should like to think) component of the tour operations there. With this positive experience and reference for my work ethic, I secured an interview for both of us with the company owner and boss. We had a great discussion with him and pending some great change in business or otherwise, we will both be employed full time throughout the touring season guiding multi-sport, week-long, camping and adventure trips throughout the state. This will be a great opportunity for both of us to fulfill our desire for the outdoors as well as save up money for our future plans. As another positive side benefit, we will be passing through Seward, AK on a weekly basis to help finalize and prepare for our wonderful Alaskan wedding in August of 2010. Though we wish everyone in our lives would be able to attend, we realize also that it can be impractical at best to take a family vaction to to the edge of civilization. Regardless of whether you can make it to the wedding or not, I'm sure we will see everyone at one time or another as we make our way back down to the lower 48. We are planning open-house/receptions in both Idaho and Illinois in the late fall of 2010 to which we hope all of our loved ones can come. We realize and mutually feel the heart-ache of being far away from the ones we love, yet we hope those that make it to Alaska will see and understand that it is a difficult place to leave behind. We will sincerely miss everyone we cannot visit this holiday season but hope that you can all feel our love and compassion radiating from the frosty north land during your holiday merry-making. Season's greetings to you all and we hope the warm feeling lasts until we meet again.

Warmest regards, Love,
Trevor and Stefanie

Reservations

Hello all!

I looked into airline tickets and here is what I found...

Alaska Airlines has special offers for groups of 10 or more.  If you would like to fly in a group here is the link to look at and see if it's worth it
http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/flights/about-group-reservations.asp

Thanks to the wonderful $1,300 permanent fund arriving on October 8th, Alaska Airlines has relatively cheap flights.  Round trip from Chicago is currently $478.  Round trip from Salt Lake City is currently $603 (I have no idea why they are more expensive).
http://www.alaskaair.com/

We would love to see people in Seward on August 5th, if possible, and the easier thing to do may be to fly into Anchorage on August 4th.  Then it's a two and a half hour drive on one of the most beautiful highways in the country.  The night of August 5th is our bachelor and bachelorette parties so we'll defnitely want the wedding party in Seward by the night of the 5th and everyone else is more then welcome to join in the festivities, if they like.  We were hoping to hang out with everyone on August 6th (depending on chosen activities) and then the 7th is the wedding.

Rental cars will be needed but in the summer there is no need for 4-wheel drive so any type of car will work fine.  There is a Hertz in Seward so if you would like to take the train one way and then rent a car I would book with Hertz because it may be the only company in Seward.

We are currently trying to work out all the details for the hotels.  Those who will be able to stay at the Saltwater are grandparents, parents, god-parents, siblings and the wedding party.  We are asking all other family members to book a hotel in Seward and we have some discounted rooms set aside at the Breeze Inn.  The Breeze is a basic three-story hotel right near the boardwalk and harbor and large enough to hold everyone in the same place.  They have given us rates of $149 for a regular room, $199 for a harbor view, and $219-269 for rooms in the fancy new addition.

We hope this information helps with your trip planning and we are feeling very loved with everyone coming up for the wedding.  We'll post information on smaller details as the months go by.

Love,
Stef and Trevor

Around Seward and Alaska

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to our blog!  Since the last post got most people thinking about their journey north, this one has some more information for you on where to stay and what to do.  First of all, we will be working on seeing if there are group discounts for flights or car rentals in the near future so that will be our next post.  This post is to help you figure out where to stay and what to do while in Alaska.  We will be working until the week before the wedding and will be ready to meet up in Seward on August 3, 2010.  We are planning on spending the few days before the wedding in Seward to enjoy hanging out with all who come to visit.  Although Seward has a wonderful lodge where we're having our wedding, it also has many other places to stay and many things to do.  Posted below are links to help you plan your trip.
Besides going to Seward, we hope that some plan on exploring other parts of Alaska.  Let us know what you would like to see and we can help you figure out where to go.  If you would like to see lots of animals we recommend the Kenai Fjords Tour (we recommend this for everyone because it's fantastic) and then heading north to Denali.  If you want to see glaciers, Prince William Sound is a great place and you can take a ferry to the towns of Valdez or Cordova.  Lastly, if you wish to fish and hike, all of the Kenai Peninsula is perfect, especially the town of Homer.  All of the towns we mention are cute, cozy Alaskan towns that have excellent places to stay and beautiful views everywhere you look.
Now back to Seward.....

Places to Stay

Hotels
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&source=hp&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=hotels+in+seward+alaska&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&ei=gHicStnkOpGwsgPA0MDMDA&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=1 

Cabins
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&abauth=2bf3fd6d%3AxDgzgvzZp2AulIGPHMUb1oIUF8I&view=text&hl=en&gl=us&q=cabins+in+seward+alaska&btnG=Search+Maps 

Activities

Website for Seward (this is a great site and has almost everything you might need)

 http://www.sewardak.org/

Kenai Fjords Tour
http://www.kenaifjords.com/   

Hiking (numbers 4-8 are near Seward)
http://alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/Activities/Hiking/hikekp.html 
 
Sea Life Center
http://www.alaskasealife.org/ 

We hope this post helps give a little more information on the town of Seward.  It really is a great little place and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Love,
Stef and Trevor 

August is a beautiful month for an Alaskan wedding

August has come beautifully once again, yet this year it is particularly full of meaning. We are very excited to have our blog up and running, and even more excited about our wedding in Seward, AK (which is just about a year away)! From now until the wedding we will post information on this blog. Coming soon will be information on flights, rental cars and what all to do in Seward...a uniquely beautiful place in Alaska, especially in early August. The few pictures in this entry are just a taste of the scenery and diversity that Resurrection Bay offers.

Since we are nearing our 4th anniversary and only one year away from our wedding, we decided to celebrate by backpacking the inter-tidal Caine's Head trail out of Seward. It was filled with great scenery and memorable experiences....that is, despite the constant rain for the second two days. As you can tell, we needed a bit of drying out by the end but nothing (almost) could dampen our spirits in such a wonderous environment. Surrounded by mountains, glaciers, and fjords sounds like the perfect place for a serene but fun wedding. Though we never know what hand mother nature will deal us for the actual weekend of the wedding, we will spare no back-up planning.

For today's blog entry, we would like to announce the lodge we have booked for our reception. We have the whole lodge booked for the night of our wedding (August 7th) but if you would like to stay there the night before or the night after, reservations should be made soon. Also, if you plan on attending and have not yet RSVP'ed or confirmed your interest in attending our wedding, please let us know by e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]. The wonderful owner said rates for next summer are going up, but if she knows you're coming for the wedding she'll use this year's rates - these should be booked before October. There are many other hotels (and campgrounds) in Seward and we will post a link to them soon. The link to the lodge is posted below. We hope you have a great year and look forward to seeing you next summer in Alaska!

Love,
Stef and Trevor

Saltwater Lodge
http://www.alaskasaltwaterlodge.com/index.html

Alaskan Experience in review

"In the summer of 2005, two young adventurers found their way to Alaska... and then they found eachother."
Since that time, we have neither stopped adventuring nor dreaming big. Alaska has been a beautiful place for us to settle for a while and prepare for our future. While schooling, work, and volunteering have been our primary priorities over the past years we have still found time to nourish our senses of adventure and experience. Stef has worked with the non-profit women's organization Alaska STAR for the past two years while I have worked towards completion of my B.A. degree in Biological sciences and Pre-med. Meanwhile, we have found time to venture into the the great spaces of Alaska's backcountry both by personal ambition and also through professional guiding of multi-sport camping tours around the state. Our passion for the outdoors and conservation of the natural environment has also been satisfied by volunteer work with the Anchorage Waterways Council - Citizen's Environmental Monitoring Program. Monthly we participate in sample collection and chemical assay of water quality on one of Alaska's many glacial rivers. These experiences and others we hope will prepare us for further volunteer work overseas in the capacities of human health, welfare and environmental quality. We are excited to finally wed and let the real adventures begin!

Wedding blog initialization and invitations

Hello friends and family! Preparations are now underway for our wedding in 'the great land.' Hopefully you have already recieved one of those pretty fireweed 'save the date' cards (many thanks to Stef's Mom!) - so you can set the date in stone, or ink on August 7, 2010.