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!
11 Vacations Where You Can Disconnect And Change Your Life
By Laura Begley Bloom
Transformative Travel: I look at how travel can change lives.
It's no secret that people are addicted to their digital devices. According toPew Research Center, as smartphones and other mobile devices have become more widespread, 26% of American adults now report that they go online “almost constantly,” up from 21% in 2015. And a report published by the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg says the average American spends a whopping 23.6 hours online each week.
In response, a number of travel companies are trying to help guests reclaim their lives outside of their devices by offering innovative ways to escape the digital rat race.
"Ironically, as connected as we are in the social media age, we are completely disconnected," says travel guru Jack Ezon, managing partner at Embark, a new luxury lifestyle and travel planning business that he's about to launch.
Ezon calls this one of the big trends of 2018 in his annual trend report, pointing out that travel presents an opportunity for people to put their fast-paced “connected” world behind them and build true, deep connections that you just can’t get from a Facebook feed or Instagram Live videos. Ezon says there's a new yearning for disconnecting, including "a desire for road trips and trips that offer a real connection to the land."
The travel agency Protravel International also says that disconnecting is one of the five emerging trends in luxury travel. “I’m seeing more and more clients looking to travel to disconnect from technology and the news cycle," says Marvelys Capote, an agent with Protravel International New York.
Recently, Capote sent four women to Holbox Island in Mexico, so that they could "get off the grid and connect with nature."Holbox is a remote island two hours northwest of Cancun with limited Wi-Fi. "My clients stayed at CasaSandra, a boutique hotel without televisions, went bird-watching, fishing, swimming with whale sharks, ate great seafood and came back rejuvenated.”
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has done research into the topic of reconnecting by disconnecting, too. According to a 2017 report, physical and mental health are key motivators for travelers seeking adventure travel experiences — and, according to the ATTA, travelers are increasingly prioritizing this when making travel-related decisions by seeking out wellness trips, as well as opportunities to unplug.
"Almost everyone I know knows someone who is on a device too much," says Casey Hanisko, president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. "People are craving the idea of reconnecting. Remarkably, adventure experiences can awaken something in us all and remind us that making memories doesn't always happen with a phone in your hand."
Looking to take your own digital detox? From charming cottages to wellness retreats to urban getaways, here are 10 ways to unplug on your next vacation.
"Crazy busy" is the status quo for just about everyone these days, making the occasional time-out a necessary (if luxurious) break. Need some guidance setting your intention? These 10 wellness retreats will help you find out what you're looking for-- and no Pokémon allowed.
