The Experience

This is a Family’s Journey designed for family members to reconnect together in nature. So much of our individual lives are busy, filled with responsibilities and distractions.  Even as families, we can struggle to find the time to connect in a way that feels deeply satisfying or meaningful.  This trip is designed for families to have an experience together that facilitates closeness, communication, and the creation of memories. 

This uniquely choreographed journey through Prince William Sound, Alaska will assist you in finding rejuvenation through the connection with other families, the support and guidance by Kelly Weld, MFT, and Hilary Moses, LCSW paired with peace and serenity that only nature can provide.

Imagine for a moment that you get to connect with your family as you paddle by ancient glacial ice and be completely unplugged from the pulls of technology. Look out into the sound for whales and wildlife as the crackling fire warms you at night. You will laugh, play, and rest. The landscape around you is ever-changing; it is time to replenish your cup with the awe that the glaciers of Alaska will inspire.  You will leave this experience with your cup replenished and those empty spaces within you full of hope, love, and support.

This 7-day journey is powered by nature, paired with highly skilled guides and amazing programming facilitators. No experience is necessary. The trip is all-inclusive once you arrive at the starting location. Let these amazing facilitators and Breakwater Expeditions take care of your family; you will create life-long memories together. 

The Destination

Millions of years of glaciations have gradually carved away a coastal plateau creating Prince William Sound and its many tributary fjords, passageways, islands, and rocky shores. Fewer than 10,000 people populate the towns of Whittier, Valdez, Cordova, and native villages combined; no roads connect these communities. Encompassing 7,000 miles of ocean, river deltas, tidal flats, and glaciers, Prince William Sound is a sea kayaker’s paradise. Snow-capped mountains shelter the Sound from outside influence and protect a rich diversity of life.  Bears, eagles, sea lions, seals, orcas, porpoises, and countless birds feast on the most productive salmon runs in the world, while humpback whales gorge all summer on plankton in preparation for their winter journey to their Hawaiian breeding grounds. We begin our journey in Anchorage and continue on to Whittier, where our expert guides will provide sea kayaking instruction and trip preparation for this unique expedition and truly once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan adventure.

Itinerary

July 21: Arrive in Anchorage

• Meet in Anchorage at out hotel for an orientation and packing party.

July 22: Jet boat shuttle into the Prince William Sound 

• Transport to Whittier and finalize out kayak Gear

• First night camping in the Sound.

July 23 - 24: Paddle and explore Port Nellie Juan Inlet, Graystone Bay, Derickson Bay, and Port Nellie Glacier

July 25: Get off the water and shuttle to Anchorage

• Jet boat shuttle back to Whittier in the afternoon.

• Clean up and have dinner together.

• Evening shuttle back to Anchorage airport for flights out.

July 26: Most flights are between 12:30 am - 3 am to head to the lower 48.

The Leadership

Hilary Moses, LCSW, served adolescents, young adults, and their parents in wilderness therapy from 2001- 2015, was the clinical director in two wilderness programs and facilitated family workshops throughout her time in wilderness therapy. As the co-owner of Solutions Parenting Support, she offers parent coaching, transitional support, and personal growth opportunities both preventatively and for parents who have children at every stage of therapeutic treatment. Additionally, she is a faculty associate at the Arizona State University Graduate School of Social Work, is the step-mom to two boys, ages 16 and 13, and is currently in the process of developing a traveling therapeutic retreat for adults. In her spare time, she is on the Board of Directors at the Tucson Waldorf School and chairs several committees at the school to stay engaged in volunteer work in the community. She prefers to be outdoors and engaging in anything that is new, within the boundaries of what she considers sane