Alaska lures visitors with its stunning scenery and opulent wildlife. Visitors come to experience the state’s blue glaciers and tall peaks, its wild coastline, and fish-filled rivers and ocean. But, Alaska’s varied communities have a lot to offer too. An excursion into Homer from Stillpoint Lodge can provide you with a glimpse into the lives of Alaskans and the workings of one of the state’s most important maritime communities.
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!).
Alaskans are passionate about all things 'wild Alaska salmon'. And we hold a special place in our hearts for wild Alaska salmon skin. We dream about it. We feature it in our art, fashion and food. We use it out of utility. We write songs about it.
So why does the average person not love salmon skin? Also, what can we do to prevent our sacred, wild Alaska salmon skin from ending up in the landfill?
Kachemak Bay is home to many amazing, energetic and ambitious people, and the multi-talented Michael and Maddie O'Laire are no exception. Michael has helped build Stillpoint and is a commercial salmon fisherman in the summer. Maddie's delicious salmon blog has captured attention all over the world as she distributes Mike's wild-caught, healthy, sustainable salmon from Alaska.
It’s a pleasure to have Maddie guest posting on our blog. Be sure to check out Maddie's recipe for Spicy Wild Alaska Salmon Poke
Special thanks to our friends, Mike and Maddie, at Smart Source Seafood for sharing this recipe!
Smart Source Seafood's sockeye salmon is flash frozen at very low temperatures, and shipped in freezer boxes all the way to your door, making it perfectly safe to enjoy raw.
Pokē is raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is commonly made with yellowfin tuna (Ahi Pokē) and it works well with Wild Alaska Salmon.
Our chunky, chewy Orange Cranberry Cookiesare packed with walnuts and can be made vegan or gluten free to please everyone this holiday season.
This is one of our most requested recipes... and an easy cookie to have on-hand in the freezer. Our native cranberries, or lingonberries, get ripe late in the season, just in time for the first California oranges to start showing up in Alaska.
These little beauties hold up well in a packed lunch, too, making for a energy-packed trail food for our guides. Our cuisine features low sugar recipes that avoid highly refined ingredients.
You don’t have to journey to an exotic ashram in India a la Eat, Pray, Love for an exclusive, life-changing meditation retreat. Whether you’re traveling solo, want to reconnect as a couple, or take an unforgettable trip with friends, some incredible resorts and getaways in the States are geared to help you decompress, reenergize, and connect with yourself and the natural world.
