Alaska Bound

We have always liked to do things a bit differently. Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, and born with an itch for adventure, we knew we had to leave the Midwest to build a life that was all our own. So after graduating from college in 2015, we decided to put all our chips on red by moving to Alaska with nothing but a fully packed SUV and our two dogs.

The Girdwood Chapter

We spent our first Alaskan summer living in Girdwood. It was working in the ticket booth at a nearby conservation center, watching baby Wood Bison play in the summer sun, a rainbow spanning overhead (I kid you not), that I fell in love with Alaska. Zach was equally as enamored. Just outside the sandwich shop he managed, the breathtaking views of Turnagain Arm and surrounding mountains inspired fantasies of both seafaring adventures and serene natural beauty. We found our happy place. But we knew Girdwood, a small ski resort town offering limited career potential, wasn’t long-term.

Hello Juneau

That fall, Zach was offered a better job opportunity that brought us to Juneau. We moved to Juneau in October. Not from Juneau? Juneau is nestled between between mountains and coastline, surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the largest National Forest in the country–but maybe more aptly named the Tongass National RAINforest. From October to May, it’s pretty much nonstop rain (or snow in the winter). At first, I thought we had made a mistake, leaving beautiful Girdwood for this socked-in snow globe. But the following summer made it all worth it. People pay hundreds of dollars to vacation to Juneau in the summer, and it is hundreds of dollars well spent. The mountains make for amazing hiking, the channel and bays for great kayaking and fishing, wildlife sightings aren’t all that rare, and to beat it all, it rarely breaks 80 degrees. That sealed the deal, we found our home.

The Missouri Interlude

By this point, we had been engaged to be married for over a year. We decided to do the dutiful and sensible thing by moving back to Missouri to get married and be closer to our families. But... much to the dismay of our families, Alaska had spoiled us. We couldn't just leave it behind.

The Mountains are Calling

Late one November night, we confided in each other that we had both been longing for winter nights under the northern lights. For the small town vibe that lacks the anonymity people hide behind in big cities. For a place to make our own. By January, we were back in Juneau. This time, living much more humbly, having had to start our lives completely over...again. We were literally sleeping on the floor and had a cardboard box for a TV stand. But hey, we were home. We spent the next couple years working hard to grow our careers and build a good life for ourselves.

Putting Down Roots. A baby is born!

We bought our first EV, our first house, and had our first baby all within a couple months of each other. We were a family now! Welcoming our daughter into the world changed life as we knew it.

The Green Alaskan... Blog

The humble beginnings our our company. When I first started The Green Alaskan, it was intended to be a lifestyle blog about sustainable living as an Alaskan mom. I was even going to make cloth diapers and other washable hygiene products to sell. Thank GOD that didn't pan out.

Baby #2 and the Great Rental Car Shortage

God works in mysterious ways. Our son was born at the height of COVID restrictions. He had a medical condition that required us to move to Anchorage for about three months. While we were traveling for his medical care, we quickly learned about the COVID-induced rental car shortage. During this time, we rented our first Turo car, which heavily influenced the next few steps of our journey.

Green Alaskan LLC

Within a month of returning to Juneau from our son's medical treatment, we listed our first car on Turo. It was that same EV we bought just before our daughter was born, our 2013 Nissan Leaf. The Green Alaskan now had a direction: Renting out EVs.

The Teslas

Yes, we used to rent a Tesla Model S. At one point, we owned two. They were great cars, and we loved them. But we bought them used and they were constantly needing very expensive (and nearly impossible to schedule) maintenance. We had a summer or two of amazing returns renting the Tesla out on Turo. Ultimately, it died due to a combination of lack of reliable maintenance, an aging battery, and exposure to Juneau's heavy rains.

Green Alaskan Rentals

When we bought our house, we had long term plans of building an accessory apartment out of the half-converted garage. Now that we had a functioning business, this was the perfect time to begin construction. Thus, Green Alaskan Rentals was born. The following summer, we began renting to traveling nurses and medical techs, which proved to be the perfect niche for us. There is still more we would like to add to the unit, but we are very proud of it as is.

Landing our first Hosting Contract

Our first venture at hosting someone else's vehicle on Turo was a huge success. We are happy to continue offering these services to other Alaskans with cars in Juneau.

Expanding Fleet, Expanding Family

We have been steadily growing our fleet of rental vehicles, and now have a diverse portfolio including compact EVs, midsize EVs, minivan hybrids, and even a 10-passenger van. In June, we welcomed our third child, a baby boy. To better manage our workload, we transitioned to offering great long-term discounts and 2-day minimum bookings to encourage longer trips (and less cleaning and delivery for us).

Warmbread Hospitality Rebrand

This rebrand has been a long time coming. To better capture our vision for our company's future, we need a name that better communicates who we are and what we do. We aren't a lifestyle blog. We don't just rent out EVs. We are your welcoming, professional, friendly travel hosts eager to show you what's great about life as a Juneau local. (And yes, Warmbread is a play on our last name.) Warmbread Hospitality LLC is the parent company of Green Alaskan Rental Cars, Alaskan Property Rentals, and Alaskan Car Hosting.

We have big dreams for this brand, and I can't wait to show you what's next!