Welcome to Alaska Birch Cottages in the heart of the Mat-Su Valley, where your hosts, Bill and Jacqui Johansen, will endeavor to make your stay as wonderful and interesting as possible.  Bill first came to Alaska from Seattle in 1980, and has lived here on and off ever since.  In 1989 he worked as a hot-air balloon pilot, flying 12 passengers at a time on early-morning flights over the magnificent savannahs of the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

Jacqui has extensive travel experience having studied languages at university in UK and living in Germany and Italy teaching English.  She speaks fluent German.  An almost 9-year career with Britain's largest tour operator followed where she worked in Yugoslavia, Austria, Kenya, and Barbados.  It was during her second tour in Kenya that she met Bill who swept her off her feet!

In 1990, Bill flew big balloons in Germany before returning to the US with a wife in tow.  We have lived in the Mat-Su Valley since 1991 and have twin daughters, Gaynor and Siobhan.  We love the peace and quiet and mountain scenery of the Valley.  We look forward to acquainting our guests with some of its sights.

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Email us:  Stay@AlaskaBirchCottages.com