• Trek #2, Day 2: Cousins, Critters, and Camper Life

    Trek #2, Day 2: Cousins, Critters, and Camper Life

    Day 2 started with Sam and the littles making a stop to visit a family we were stationed with during our Germany years. Military life has a way of scattering people across the globe, but every now and then routes align and you get the chance to reconnect. Dax and Zoe immediately headed for the…

  • Trek #2, Day 1: Southbound to Sevierville

    Trek #2, Day 1: Southbound to Sevierville

    The second leg of the Great Alaskan Adventure is officially underway. Before the convoy ever left Maryland, there was already a story to tell. Sam volunteered to pick up lunch for everyone before departure. Due to construction, the only practical parking option near the sub shop was a parking garage. The Bronco, loaded with bikes…

  • Passing the Guidon

    While much of The Davies Herd’s Great Alaskan Adventure has involved family members scattered across the continent, this week brought something special: The herd was reunited. After Zed and the middles established operations in Alaska, the Disney Davies completed their Florida adventure, and Sam wrapped up time on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, all six members of…

  • One Last State

    One Last State

    Anyone who knows Dax knows he loves a good list. If something can be checked off, he’s interested. One of his long-term goals has been visiting all 50 states, and as we prepared for move #7, the kids had visited 47. Only Maine, Alaska, and Hawaii remained. With Alaska about to become home, we realized…

  • Four Years, Countless Memories

    Four Years, Countless Memories

    As the Davies Herd prepares to head north to Alaska, it’s hard not to look back on the last four years and marvel at everything that happened between arrival and departure. Four years ago, we arrived in the National Capital Region from what we still consider one of the most incredible assignments of our careers:…

  • The In Between

    Military families get pretty good at living in the in between. The in between assignments.The in between homes.The in between goodbyes and hellos.The in between where you’re not quite where you were, but not yet where you’re going. This week has been exactly that. While the Alaska Davies settled into a routine, the kids began…

  • Day 8: Divide and Conquer

    Day 8: Divide and Conquer

    While the Alaska Davies were settling into their new home, the East Coast branch of the herd was off on an adventure of its own. In Alaska, the day was spent unloading more than 10,000 pounds of household goods from the U-Haul and trailers. Box by box, the house began looking a little less like…

  • Day 7: Home at Last

    Day 7: Home at Last

    After seven days, thousands of miles, multiple tire adventures, one international border crossing, countless snacks, and more gas station stops than anyone cared to count, the Alaskan bound herd officially arrived in Anchorage. The moment they pulled into the driveway, the kids exploded out of the vehicles and sprinted into the house. Forget furniture. Forget…

  • Day 6: The Road Fights Back

    Day 6: The Road Fights Back

    Day 6 was the longest driving day of the trip, and thankfully the scenery continued to deliver. The pictures coming in from Dax and Ana looked less like something captured through a windshield and more like something created by AI. Snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, endless valleys, and views that seemed to stretch forever in every…

  • Day 5: Welcome to the ALCAN

    Day 5: Welcome to the ALCAN

    Day 5 was one of those days where the scenery finally starts to match the adventure and the kids felt like they had truly entered a different country. For the first several days, the views were mostly plains, farmland, and long stretches of highway. Beautiful in their own way, but today felt different. Today, the…