(It’s all) About Me
The Highliner Lodge was conceived
and built to bridge my past career in commercial
fishing and my family’s future as owners of the
Highliner Lodge. From the beginning, an ambitious and
difficult construction project (that suited my hard
scrabble personality as wrestler and commercial
fisherman) has evolved into a more personally
challenging business that requires relaxing a little,
developing personal relationships, and... even
having fun!
Note: It has been 4 years since I have written theses
words, and I am about to update this page. Don’t worry, it
will still be all about ME!
This may not seem challenging to
some...but given my background, it has required some
effort. Being a natural A type personality (I want you
to know), that I am committed to being the best damn B
type personality that I can be! ;) The Highliner
Lodge has helped to bring my family together. Had I
continued my solitary life on the ocean, it is
doubtful that we would have developed such a strong a
bond and shared experience.
Our son, Ryan (20), who attends
the University of Washington has developed a very
strong work ethic, and has a natural charm that
endears him to our guests. He is our
deck-hand/fish-processor and aspiring charter captain
(he’s been there and done that CAPTAIN Ryan already...
and he was great! Alas, he has graduated from UW and
moved on to the “Master of the Universe” stairway to
Finance-heaven, but what bum luck... it has become so
unfashionable to be rich these days... maybe Captain
Ryan should come back to the lodge?!)
Ali, our precocious 14 year old
daughter, also has demonstrated a maturity and
dedication far beyond her years as she washes dishes,
cleans rooms and boats, and serves meals to our
guests. (Oh boy, where do I start with Ali... ok, I’ll
finish updating this page soon)
It is also very pleasing to find
both my older boys, Joe (29) and Jon (26), owning and
fishing their own commercial salmon trollers out of
Pelican in the summer. I take great pride in their
efforts to establish themselves professionally and in
their personal grace when interacting with our guests.
And of course, my lovely wife
Jill, who never aspired to the complexities and
stresses of this enterprise, has risen to the
challenge beautifully, and fully supports my ambition
to see the Highliner Lodge distinguish itself as a
premier destination in Alaska.
While I have experienced some personal success in my life
as a wrestler and a commercial fisherman, these were mostly
individual accomplishments. As determined as I can be, I
know I can’t fully realize my goals here at the Highliner
Lodge without the support and dedication of my family and
our crew. With their continued love and support, together
we can accomplish great things...and I have to
remember...to have a lot of fun along the way.
Sincerely,
Steve Daniels
February 12, 2008
