Alaska

Yesterday we flew from Nashville, TN to Minneapolis, MN, we stayed the night and then our plane to Anchorage left this morning at 8am. 5 1/2 hours later we were greeted with. chilly, cloudy, and rainy weather, we got our rental car, got some lunch, and then ventured to a lookout spot near Flat Top Mountain. Here we saw an amazing view of Anchorage and the surrounding mountains. After that, we went to the Anchorage Museum where we learned about the culture of the Natives in this region. Back near the airport, we went to Lake Hood, the world's busiest seaplane base, where we were able to watch seaplanes take off and land. We attempted to see salmon swimming. up-stream, but apparently it's not the right season.

We started the day with a large Alaskan Breakfast Burrito stuffed with reindeer sausage from a local place. Heading south towards Homer, we visited the Potter Bird Marsh where we saw many cute birds, ducks, and a couple animal bones. We continued down the very scenic Highway 1 until we got to the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center. Here we were able to see many native animals like bears, caribou, and a playful porcupine! From there, the drive to Homer showed us many amazing views of the mountains and the sea. After checking in at our Airbnb  we saw our first wild moose munching on roadside grass! At the Spit (land stretching into the bay) we explored the shoreline shack-like stores and restaurants. Our night ended with a good dinner overlooking the harbor.

We started the day by driving to Seward, this backtracks most of the route that we took to Homer, along the way we saw moose and a young mouse enjoying their breakfast. We stopped at many scenic pull-offs along the way to admire the views. Upon arriving to Seward we went on our first hike in a rocky canyon (Lowell Canyon) which had avalanche debris across the trail in several places. We spent some time exploring the rocky stream and taking in the views. The stream meets the ocean at a nearby waterfall. After, we went to the harbor and the Seward Mariner's Memorial. Our next hike was short, but incredibly beautiful, at the. moss-covered and fantasy-like Two Lake Park Trail. We drove up as far as we could (seasonal road closure) to the Exit Glacier Area and saw a large moose trotting along the road! We ended our day with delicious wood-fired Pizza, gelato, and (of course) an amazing view!

Today began with a relaxing morning at our little cabin in the woods. Then we headed into town for our day on the sea. While the boat was a little crowded, the views and wildlife exceeded our expectations! The boat traveled through some of the many rocky cliffs in Kanai Fjords National Park, Ellie forgot extra camera batteries and the camera died halfway. through! Luckily, we had one of our phones! Our boat was able to get up-close-and-personal with a 400ft tall glacier (Aiglik Glacier). The glacier sounded alive with loud creaking and cracking as it slowly shifted. We were able to witness some huge chunks break. and crash into the water, a breath-taking sight. As we sailed we saw an abundance of sea life such as: humpback whales, orca, seals, sea lions, starfish, seagulls, bald eagles, and mountain goats! Our Captain was very skilled at getting us up close to the wildlife and towering cliffs. On our way back to port we enjoyed the views from inside the cabin where the crew made us fresh chocolate chip cookies! After leaving the ship we made the 3-hour trip to Palmer where our Airbnb has three large windows with an amazing mountain view!

After waking up to the panoramic view at our AirBnB, we got our bags ready for a day on the ice. We drove an hour and a half to the glacier for our guided trek from 10am-5pm. We didn't know exactly what to expect from the “Advanced Glacier Trekk”, but we were not disappointed! Our trek started through the very hilly, rocky, and muddy glacier moraine, We crossed over some quick-mud, which is spongy and bouncy to walk on. Wiggling too much will cause you to sink! As we continued through the moraine the glacier ice created steady streams that cut channels in the landscape. Once on the ice, we started the real fun! Our guide saw how capable our group was and took us through many tricky spots. We got to repel down the tall ice and explore the canyons. We saw crevasses, crystal clear blue lakes, and powerful flowing rivers. Hiking and climbing around on the ice was an unforgettable experience! The trek back through the moraine put our exhausted legs to the test, but we made it. After our hike we made the 2 hour drive to Talkeetna where we are staying in a converted 1952 GMC School bus with a woodburning stove.

This morning was rainy and chilly. We ate breakages at a local cafe and visited some downtown shops in Talkeetna. We visited the town cemetery which had many unique headstones for local aviation and mountaineering pioneers. As we left the town we took one last look at cute and colorful cabin-like shops. We made the 2.5 hour drive to Denali National Park, stopping at "World Famous" Wal Mike's, a pack-rat like "junk" store stocked Ceiling-high with just about everything. We picked up a couple souvenirs and got back on the road. At Denali National Park we got a trail map and visited the gift shop. We then went to the sled dog Kennels and were able to pet many of the very excited dogs, as well as seeing the 2-week old puppies! By the time we were done it was too late to start a long hike so we went to check-in to our hotel. The hotel seemed a little understaffed and our room was not ready so we left to get dinner. On our drive to town we crossed a bridge over a deep canyon with a river in it. We pulled over to take a photo. Opening the doors we were greeted with 60-80mph winds, which immediately flung the doors wide open! Regretting our decision (and Michael now remembering the sign before the bridge that said "Wind Area") we got back in. At that time Michael noticed his gloves on the ground about 30ft in-front of the car (they were on the dash)! Getting back in It took both of us to close the doors! Once we got to the local brewery restaurant, Michael discovered that the wind had also taken his mask! We had a delicious dinner, each locally sourced. Ellie had halibut fish and chips, Michael had a yak burger.

Today we woke up early and arrived at the park at 6:30am for our Tundra Wilderness Tour. Private vehicles can only go so far in the park so the buses are the main way to get farther back in the park. The buses take you on the winding and narrow road that passes over steep cliffs and wide valleys. We were lucky enough to catch an early-morning glimpse of Denali (tallest. Mountain in North America, 20,310ft). It is said that only 30% of visitors get to see the mountain (due to Clouds). We only saw it from a distance but knew how lucky we were. As our bus got closer, the mountain was covered entirely by clouds unfortunately. Another big draw to the bus tours is to see wildlife. Luckily, we were able to see: caribou, moose, dall sheep, arctic ground squirrels, willow ptarmigan (state bird), porcupine, and finally a GRIZZLY BEAR! After our tour we went on a 4-mile hike on the Horseshoe Lake Trail near the front of the Park. Denali National Park has only a handful of marked trails in the 6 million acre park (all at the front) and they actually encourage off-trail hiking, but we decided for a quick and marked trail. On the trail we saw a beautiful moss-covered forest around a lake with several beaver dams/lodges, unfortunately we didn't see any beavers. We ended the day with dinner at a mountain overlook restaurant.

Our day started with a hotel breakfast and rainy weather. We packed up and left Denali for the 4 hour drive back to Anchorage and our last day in Alaska. On the way back we stopped in Talkeetna again to get some candy that Ellie liked so much from the hotel, we also pulled off at a couple scenic view points and trails along the way. At Chugach State Park we were able to see Eklutna Lake, which was very reflective and surrounded by bright green trees as well as tall mountains with clouds lingering around the tops. We also took a little hike to see Thunderbird Falls in the park, which is a multi-level winding waterfall which fell into a deep gorge. Back in Anchorage, to kill some time, we went to the local REI and the Anchorage Market. At the market we tried some delicious sweet and spicy honey sauce, which we plan to order and ship back to us. We finished our evening at The Moose's Tooth, a well-known and busy pub & pizzeria. Then to the airport for our 11:25pm flight.