A Young Man Leads a Colorful Life in Alaska and Survives to Tell His Story
by Jim Thurston
Discover the captivating memoir of Jim Thurston, an Alaska aviation pioneer, now available for pre-order online.
Before co-founding Stillpoint Lodge alongside his wife, Jan, master storyteller Jim Thurston lead a colorful life of adventure in the Last Frontier. Over the years, he accumulated a rich treasure trove of anecdotes and photos of Alaska aviation, exciting ground and aerial wildland firefighting, smoke jumping, the Great Alaska 1964 Earthquake, and everyday living going back to Alaska's territorial days.
Within the pages of this enthralling autobiography, Jim also narrates his early life as boy in New England, his professional transition from forester to pilot to aviation manager, and eventually his tumultuous founding of the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Aircraft Services (OAS).
Jim Thurston's life and adventures stand as a testament to the indomitable spirit and resilience of Alaskans. For those intrigued by aviation, adventure, and the history of Alaska, his memoir promises to be a captivating and enlightening narrative. Reserve your copy now to delve into the extraordinary life of an Alaska pioneer.
Chances are, you and your partner have spent a lot of time at home this past year. From spicing up living room dates to exploring every corner of your community, it’s due time for a change in scenery—especially if your love life is feeling a bit same old, same old. After all, no matter how close you are with your S.O., stress can dull your spark—and sometimes date night just won’t cut it. So why not venture outside of your lovely abode?
"There is nothing like a vacation, away from work, family, and the stress of everyday life, to bring couples closer," Franklin Porter, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in New York told Women’s Health in a previous interview. "Sharing new experiences and adventures, or revisiting romantic places shared from the exciting days of the relationship, can go a long way towards reminding the couple what attracted each to the other." Not to mention, luxury hotel sheets can do wonders for your sex life. Sold.
Before you schedule those days off, chat with your beau about what you both need (and want!) out of a couples getaway. Looking to get back to nature? A glamping experience in Vermont could be in the cards. Craving time by the ocean? A tropical trip is just the ticket. Or maybe you want to reconnect with your own body—and each other's. A wellness couples retreat with lots of rejuvenating yoga could be exactly what the (love) doctor ordered.
Right this way for an assortment of romantic vacays to match the vibe of any kind of love birds, from the adventurous to the relaxed. These 15 best couple retreats will renew and light a flame under your relationship this year...
Stillpoint Lodge, Alaska
Cost: Package rates start at $2,200 per night, per person
Details: What’s more wild than a romantic retreat to Alaska? Stillpoint Lodge is located in secluded seaside village Halibut Cove, near Kachemak Bay State Park. If you’re looking to get right up into nature, this is the bucket list trip to end all bucket list trips. Spot whales, bears, and glaciers (oh my!), hike through the untouched and expansive forests, and spend afternoons kayaking along serene, pristine waters. Bet that everything from the outside world will feel like it falls away.
The all-inclusive resort offers rustic yet luxurious private cabin accommodations, locally sourced meals, customized itineraries, and assorted activities like helicopter adventures, deep-sea fishing, hiking, and yoga classes. Sustainable cuisine is a standout here—menus change daily by what’s seasonal and available from local farmers, fishermen, and hunters. A mix of wildlife, wellness, and adventure, these new, mind-boggling experiences are bound to create memories that will truly last a lifetime (cheesy, but true!).
With wildlife, mountains, lakes, and breathtaking views, Alaska is known as the great outdoors. So, it makes sense that there would be peace, reflection, and mindfulness meditation found there.
The Alaska Stillpoint Lodge, Halibut Cove, near Homer, offers wellness retreats that focus on guided reflection and rejuvenation to nurture your soul. Wellness retreats are available in three, four, and five-day packages that include wilderness hikes, feasting on local, organic cuisine, silent meditation spaces, and yoga. Plus, you can participate in in guided kayak tours, boating, guided meditation, massage, mindfulness classes, and journaling.
You also have the option to ditch the technology and make this retreat a digital detox. Request limited or no access to phone, TV, and Wi-Fi in your meditation cabin, and you will really experience the true meaning of a silent meditation.
Because of the harsh Alaska winters, meditation retreats are only available from May through September.
Passionate. That's the word we use to describe our friend and Homer, Alaska local, Susan Houlihan, founder and mastermind behind the locally made Alpenglow Skincare products found throughout our facilities at Stillpoint. If you've already visited our boutique resort lodge, you already know... because you've delighted in washing and rewashing your hands with Susan's Arctic Sun liquid gold hand and body wash, you've taken time for yourself in our self-spa to sample all of her exquisite, highly-concentrated lotions and sumptuous face creams (the rose germanium face cream is our favorite), utilized her Alaska's best insect repellant bug spray out on the trail with our guides, washed body and hair in our warm and luxurious showers with Susan's unforgettable Midnight Sun liquid shampoo... and maybe you even purchased a mini cottonwood balm or bar of local goat milk soap to take home with you.
But it's not just the irresistible scents and attractive labels of Alpenglow Skincare that drew us to feature Susan's products at Stillpoint Lodge... we love that they are all natural, locally made, and hypoallergenic for even the most sensitive guest.... and Susan's personal passion for sustainability makes Alpenglow a perfect match for our guest amenities program. Alpenglow's mission: To create 100% natural, entirely handmade from scratch, superior quality skin and hair care products using organic, wildcrafted and home-grown herbs and flowers. Sign us up!
Clearly, we’ve been a fan of Alpenglow for a while, and we continue to expand our support and utilization of their entire product line. Susan is an expert at growing and harvesting beneficial plants such as Alaskan Rose petals, yarrow flowers, horsetail, nettles, fireweed, and cottonwood buds for their scents and therapeutic properties. She's also a lifelong learner in sourcing cutting edge, earth-friendly and safe packaging.
We've asked Susan Houlihan of Alpenglow Skincare to be a guest on our blog... so let’s all sit back and learn something from this wise woman. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
We welcome partnerships with travel agents, booking agencies and destination management companies, and look forward to working with you to give our mutual clients an unforgettable Alaska dream vacation.
Stillpoint is a second-generation, family owned and operated lodge. Long time Alaskans Jim and Jan Thurston originally built the lodge, christened The Alaska Center for Creative Renewal in 2003, to host retreats for artists and interfaith spiritual groups. A transition to the name Stillpoint Lodge in 2007 marked an inclusion of more events such as board retreats, weddings and continuing education credit workshops.
Since 2015, under the new direction of son JT Thurston, Stillpoint Lodge is now opening its doors to not only cater to groups, but also welcome individual vacationers, families and executive travelers. Pairing playful eco-adventures with revitalizing leisure activities and traditional lodge offerings has created the "Perfect Escape".
