A Season of Shifts: Work, Wanderlust, and Weather Weirdness
Hello Freedom Family!
We know—it’s been a while. Life has a way of sweeping us off our feet, and in the whirlwind, we sometimes forget to keep up with everything… like the blog. 😅 But we’re back, and I (Stacey) promise to be much more consistent from now on. My goal is to check in here at least monthly—not just once a year like last time. 🤪
Since the beginning of the year, life for Gary and me has felt like a non-stop ride. Everything changed with one unexpected phone call back in January—from The Milepost. If you haven’t heard, I was recruited to be the next Managing Editor of The Milepost—the legendary travel guide to Alaska, often referred to as the “Bible of the North Country.” What an honor!
It’s been a big shift from the slow pace of retired life back into the hustle of work life, but I’m incredibly excited (and humbled) to take on such a meaningful role. Over the past month, I’ve been easing into the position and learning the ropes—it’s a lot, but it feels right. Gary and I are working hard to strike a healthy balance between The Milepost, RVing to Alaska, Living Free, and, of course, everyday life. 🥰
This month, Gary also celebrated another trip around the sun! It was a quiet birthday, just the two of us enjoying the day together. The pups—Sofi and Newman—are doing great, too. This winter has been kind to them. With hardly any snow, they’ve been loving all the extra time in the backyard.
Speaking of snow… we’ve only had ONE snowfall in all of 2025—and that wasn’t until mid-March! Can you believe it? Besides some snow back in October and November, that’s been it. Snowmachining season was basically over by January. Since then, we’ve been hovering in the 30s and 40s during the day, with nights dropping into the teens. As nice as the mild weather has been, it doesn’t feel very “Alaska.” I never thought I’d say this, but—I miss the snow! I just hope this dry winter doesn’t mean we’re headed for a fire-filled summer. Trees are budding, grass is greening up, and I wouldn’t be shocked if wildflowers bloom early. Mother Nature, you got us good with this one.
Back to The Milepost—with this new role, we’ll be hitting the road again to “road log” the highways of Alaska and Canada. That means we’ll be checking for updates, meeting with visitor centers and local businesses, and of course, connecting with all you amazing travelers making your way north this summer.
To support all that travel, we’ve upgraded our “fleet of fun” with a brand-new Lance 1172 truck camper! (see photo above) Our old one had some water damage and just wasn’t going to hold up for the kind of adventure we’ve got planned. We took delivery of our new camper in early March and immediately started getting her ready for the road. Then, in the last week of March, we set off on our first shakedown trip of the season. Yes—we winter camped in Alaska in March. And yes—it was fabulous!
Our original plan was to head north, but a technical hiccup sent us home after our first night at the gorgeous Historic Chulitna River Lodge (which we highly recommend, by the way). Once we sorted things out, we redirected our route south toward the Kenai Peninsula.
Night two was spent along Turnagain Arm, and our third night brought us to Seward. Unfortunately, Seward RV camping doesn’t officially open until mid-April, so we kept rolling. We ended up across from Mt. Spurr at the Captain Cook State Recreation Area. Beautiful views, yes—but being only 54 miles from an active volcano with an attitude made me a little nervous. So we moved down the coast to one of our all-time favorite spots: Deep Creek State Recreation Area in Ninilchik.
There, we spent three blissful days soaking up salty sea air and jaw-dropping views of Spurr, Redoubt, and Iliamna—from a much safer distance. 😉
As we flip the calendar to April, we’re back home prepping for our next trip. We learned a lot on our shakedown run and are already making improvements for more comfortable long-term living in the camper. Meanwhile, we’re also prepping the homestead for any potential ashfall—just in case that grumpy volcano decides to make a scene—and enjoying this oddly early spring that Mother Nature and Old Man Winter have handed us.
Thanks for hanging in there with us—we’re so excited to share more of this journey with you. Until next time, stay wild and keep chasing your freedom.
With love,
Stacey & Gary…. Sofi & Newman
Living Free Alaska
