In the Gordon family, tradition starts at age 10 with each child choosing how they want to see the world.
The oldest children were drawn to Europe, while Nick—the youngest—said: “The Great Outdoors.” The youngest Gordon had dreamed of awesome wilderness and fishing just like what Alaska has to offer. With a suggestion from colleague Trent Kososki, David Gordon booked a trip for him and his son to Kodiak Legends Lodge (KLL) in Alaska.
“From the moment we stepped off the plane,” David said, “we knew we were in for a trip of a lifetime.”
At KLL, the two would spend the next several days experiencing Mother Nature on steroids—limiting out daily on halibut, salmon, bear viewing, whale watching, crabbing, and enjoying myriad interactions with countless wildlife species.
“The Lodge and the surroundings and the activities gave us a forum to have an experience together we had never had,” David said, “and we have, frankly, done a lot together.”
Whether cruising on one of the lodge boats, jumping on the Beaver for a short flight to a river—or simply relaxing at the lodge—the two took in The Great Outdoors and then some. At Kodiak Legend’s Lodge, it’s a given that every waking hour of your day will be spent intimately with wildlife and Mother Nature. For the Gordons, this became not only a trip that brought a father and son closer together, but one that extended and expanded their mutual passion for unforgettable experiences in one of the greatest places in the word.
Coming to Kodiak First as a Client, and Returning as a Good Friend – Year After Year
“As our float plane touches down in the water, I gaze out and see the staff on the dock -- my old friends anxiously awaiting my arrival. I haven’t even touched land yet and I feel warmly welcome.”
In the summer of 2008, Walter Lauridsen accompanied his family on their first trip to Alaska and Walter’s first of many subsequent big fishing trips. Like the many salmon, halibut and dollies he fought, Walter was immediately hooked – for him on the sporting lifestyle.
Growing up in Iowa, Walter has always been the outdoors type. But it wasn’t until he visited Kodiak Legends Lodge that he developed a true love of the wilderness while learning to fly fish for the first time and catching fish till his arms were sore. According to Walter, “Kodiak represents the ultimate escape from the rest of the world. The emerald hills, giant bears, breaching whales and salmon so thick you can walk across their backs to cross a river!”
Entering summer 2010, Walter will be returning to Kodiak Legends Lodge for his third straight year. Each year he has brought new friends – last year he brought up a group of 12 friends, who described the trip as “off-the-charts” and the “best vacation of their lives.”
“I’ve traveled far and wide, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and experienced much of what the world has to offer….Kodiak has something special. It’s off the beaten track – totally undiscovered. It’s like going back in time, hundreds of years…to a land overflowing with a diverse array of wildlife unlike any place on the planet.”
Like Walter, all that visit the Emerald Isle are mesmerized by the land’s unshakeable draw. “This is an annual trip for me – no place I’ve ever gone to comes close to Kodiak. It truly is the ultimate life experience.”
Hunting, Fishing Can Be A ‘Girl Thing’ Too
Genetic code aside, nowhere in the book of life does it say that hunting and fishing have to be for men alone. Not only are more and more women getting in on the act, but they are also heading to where the wild things are with the guys in their life. Couples are finding a whole new reason to be together as couples.
“My husband has been hunting for years,” says Deana Poston of Burlington, Kentucky. “At first, I believe he thought that it was not necessarily a ‘girl thing,’ so he would go with groups of guys and leave me at home to do my thing.”
Her husband Seth began with water fowl and went to North Dakota every year to hunt duck and geese with friends. Pheasant and quail brought him closer to home.
“I decided to come along one day,” she says, “and could not believe that I actually enjoyed it. I started shooting more often and eventually became a pretty good shot. We did some dove hunting at a farm owned by my cousin, and then moved into the deer stands. We decided that we wanted to travel more, and thought planning hunting trips was a good way to do that.”
He would go off to hunt bear or maybe fish in Canada, and they would also go off fishing. But the big surprise for Deana Poston came on land and in the air.
“We have always liked to fish together,” she says, “but I did not realize we could also enjoy hunting together. We have found that hunting and fishing has been an excellent way for us to spend quality time together. We have been all over the United States, throughout the Caribbean, and South Africa together. Seth has been to Canada and Argentina as well. We have plans this year to visit many new and exciting countries.”
Even with a couple as well-traveled as Seth and Deana, the experience at Kodiak Legends Lodge (KLL) in Alaska still stood out as “amazing.” Seth, looking for a trip to take with some very important clients—who happened to be hunters—discovered KLL online and began the process of booking a week at the lodge.
“We were instantly hooked on the idea of KLL,” Deana Poston says. “We have spent countless hours telling friends and family how much we enjoyed our stay there. Our time at KLL was our first visit to Alaska. We were awestruck by the beauty of this state, and the friendly, helpful people we met there.”
KLL was also able to accommodate the other wives, some of whom found many things to do at the lodge that did not involve hunting or fishing.
“This trip was one of the best trips we have ever taken,” she remembers. “I don’t think I have ever been more relaxed in my entire life. Whether it was deep sea fishing for halibut and cod, going out in the bay for whale watching, hiking the mountains, hunting for black sitka deer or caribou, fishing the fresh waters for salmon or trout, walking along the beach and observing the sea otters and seals play in the water, flying to the glaciers, checking out the wildlife and watching bears—or literally doing nothing more than relaxing in the hot tub or eating delicious meals—it was the trip of a lifetime.”
Bald eagles landing just a few feet away, with otters cracking clams on their bellies close enough to see them breathing, “and bears up close and personal.” As they stood on the boat they could see and hear the water spouts of whales.
“Then huge whales would surface,” she says, “and you could watch their majestic tails as they breached the water. It was breathtaking.”
In the evenings they would go down to the beach together to start a big bonfire. They “took the time to breathe,” and to enjoy all the glorious surroundings in a “quiet and private and wonderful” place far from their old Kentucky home.
“After all these years together,” Deana Poston says of hunting and fishing with her husband, “we have something in common. I don’t know that you could ever duplicate the experience we had our first time at KLL, but I will say we cannot wait to get back there and make new memories once again.”
- Deana Poston, Ohio
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