10-Day Trip to Alaska | Alaska Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographers
Anchorage, Seward, Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park
Alaska Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographers
Love, Lorraine | Colorado Adventure Wedding and Elopement Photographers
Exploring Seward, Alaska to Denali National Park and everything in between | Alaska Adventure Wedding and Elopement Inspiration
From glaciers to the rainforest, to the small little secluded towns surrounded by gorgeous national parks - visiting Alaska has been one of the most eye-opening experiences. The landscapes are absolutely breathtaking and the wildlife we encountered was unlike anything we have ever seen. This trip has really made us appreciate the land that surrounds us. You'll never know what you'll find if you don't go out and explore!
Our Story: So, how did we get here?
What made us ditch the “norm” in our personal life and business?
The short answer = ALASKA.
Let’s get personal:
Little did we know 2017 was going to be a BIG year for us. We kicked off the year with a cruise to the Caribbean. Travis closed the door on his music career and I left my desk job. The next few months we spent traveling to places like Canada, Chicago, and California photographing couples and adventuring together.
Travis got a call from a family member and was asked to fly to Alaska for a few weeks of work. He had about 10 days off, which gave us the opportunity to plan an epic road trip throughout Alaska.
This trip was going to be a turning point for us - we just didn’t know it yet.
Traveling to a place that is so much more remote than we are used to made us realize that there is so much more than our tiny bubble on the east coast. Our world has so much to offer and we want to see it all.
Not only did we experience the most gorgeous landscape and wildlife, but we also met some pretty incredible people who lived in Alaska. Some of them were nomads, living on the road and working in Alaska. This got us thinking, “Can living on the road be achieved? Could we actually live in a van?”
The short answer = YES.
After our trip to Alaska, we started diving into the possibility of living on the road. We looked at all avenues and decided that living in a van was the best option. So we started our van life research.
After a few months and a lot of research, we purchased our first “home”. A 2016 Mercedes Sprinter Van!
We spent the next 8 months selling all of our belongings that weren’t essential to living in a van and started drafting up plans for our home. We spent the beginning of 2018 building our dream home. In 3 months our van build was complete!
Living on the road taught us a lot about ourselves, our relationship, our needs and wants, and what we truly value.
Our Business:
Traveling is something that we both love to do. When the topic of living on the road came up, I (Lauren) wondered if it was even possible to live in a van, but also keep my business floating. I wasn’t familiar with the locations we were visiting. I didn’t have a client base in some of the locations. How was I suppose to book weddings and shoots along the way? Luckily, I found a network of adventurers and creatives thanks to Facebook, and connected with other photographers to build my portfolio.
This quickly paid off, and I was booking sessions in most of the places we were visiting.
I loved photographing couples - especially couples that loved hiking and traveling just as much as us - in beautiful locations like Joshua Tree, Big Sur & Colorado. Our trips were getting cut short to head back to the east coast where I already had weddings & sessions booked. After photographing the same types of weddings over, and over again I started to feel a lack of creativity. I wanted to feel the same excitement and inspiration that I did when we were photographing in epic locations.
That’s when I discovered adventure elopements.
We photographed our first official elopement in New Hampshire. I quickly realized that I wanted to focus on smaller weddings and elopements, so that’s what I did. Travis and I, with the help from mentors & friends, spent all of 2019 & 2020 redesigning what use to be Lauren Fletcher Photography into Love, Lorraine.
Taking that trip to Alaska in 2017, changed the direction of our lives.
We encourage all of you to take that trip to Alaska. Get out there and explore what’s in your backyard. It could change your life!
Exploring Alaska
Alaska Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographers
Day One: Anchorage, Alaska & Hatcher Pass | Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographers
We arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, grabbed food, and drove up to Hatcher Pass where we met up with an amazing couple, Tanya and Carson. We hiked up to an old mine at Hatcher Pass where we spent a few hours exploring and exchanging photo sessions! By 10:30 pm, while the sun was setting, we made our way up north to Wasilla where we spent the night.
You can follow Tayna and Carson on Instagram!
Day Two + Three: Talkeetna, Alaska & Denali National Park
I highly suggest spending a few days in Denali. The park is filled with gorgeous hiking trails, camping spots, and beautiful wildlife. On our three-hour trek up to Denali, we stopped in a cute little town called Talkeetna. This town is very small and has only a few shops and restaurants. I recommend the Denali Brewery - It was fantastic!
After spending an hour in Talkeetna, we made our way up to Denali. We stopped at a few pull-offs along the way that overlooks the Denali Mountain Range. Once we got into Denali National Park, we were allowed to drive 30 miles into the park. We hiked Savage River, encountered some amazing wildlife, and were lucky enough to see Denali's Peak!
After spending a few days in Denali, we made our way back to Wasilla. We stopped at the same pull-offs as we did on the way up and met one of the cutest little dogs, Cricket!
Day Four: Eagle River, Beluga Point & Alyeska
I'm really grateful that we met Tanya and Carson. They gave us a ton of trails and parks that we should visit along the way to Alyeska. We explored Eagle River, where we encountered a juvenile moose and its mama. We stopped at Beluga Point in hopes of seeing a Beluga Whale. We also hiked a small trail at Virgin Creek (this one was my all-time favorite spot!) Once we settled in our hotel room in Alyeska, we adventured off to Winner Creek. We started a little late in the evening so we only hiked three miles but we ended up at the coolest spot deep in the woods.
Day Five: Whittier, Alaska
Our next stop was Whittier where we took a glacier boat cruise. It took us through Kenai Fjords National Park where we had the opportunity to see tidewater glaciers and encounter some beautiful wildlife. They also made us glacier margaritas with actual glacier ice! After our boat cruise, we set off to Seward.
Day Six and Seven: Seward, Alaska
We spent a few days in Seward. This little town was probably my favorite town. If you didn't know Travis and I are beer enthusiasts. We love finding breweries and restaurants while exploring new places. We came across Seward Brewing. They had a delicious IPA and really yummy fish tacos! I highly recommend this spot if you visit Seward!
We took two boat cruises while in Seward. A wildlife cruise and an Orca cruise. Both were absolutely amazing and worth it!
Day Eight and Nine: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center & Anchorage, Alaska
The last two days of our trip were the two calmest days. On our way back to Anchorage, we stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. They have specific wildlife here that they are caring for and preserving.
Once we got back to Anchorage we stopped for lunch at House of Bread and then hiked one of the trails that Tanya and Carson recommended Powerline Trail. It's an eleven-mile hike that is surrounded by mountains. I wish we had the time to do the entire hike but unfortunately, we had to make our way to catch our plane back to the east coast.
