Thanks to all that supported us through the wedding. It was such a unique opportunity for Kt and I to experience one of the wildest places in the world. The one word that comes to mind to describe Alaska is BIG. Alaska is Big Country. Some of the most breath taking sceneries we have ever witnessed and one of the most untouched resources we have ever seen (which is amazing considering there visitation). We took a cruise through the southern tip of Alaska. For seven days cruising the sea and pulling over to check out the scenery.
We spent the first night in a fancy hotel outside of Concord compliments to Christina, Ryan, Brian and Shana. We departed from Seattle the next day. We set out for 7 wonderful days at sea. Our first stop was Juneau, Alaska. We didn’t book anything off shore to save money. So when we got there we just bounced around wherever the road took us. One of the excursion vendors on shore we asked him “What can we do with $20 bucks in our pocket?” It was enough for us to be shuttled to Mendenhall Glacier. We had very little time before we would have to return to the last bus, so we decided to extend our trip and ride a taxi on the way back. Running around Mendenhall was amazing. Tours were charging hundreds of dollars to walk a paved trail! We hiked around for hours. It was raining. The tourists were melting so quickly. They ran inside afraid of being wet. We had the whole park to ourselves. Not a soul in sight. In our adventure we got really close to a huge waterfall, glaciers and even encountered a porcupine. On our way back we called for our taxi. Waiting the rain, the taxi drove right past us. When we yelled for him to come back he drove out of sight. A few seconds later we see him driving away with other passengers. “They stole our cab!” Weighing our options, out of nowhere this bus pulls up. “Do you need a ride?” The bus driver asked. You bet we did. Turns out the bus drivers were student from BYU. Small world.
Our next stop was Skagway. Skagway is really famous for their train ride through the mountain passes. We forked out the cash at this stop and rode the train. It was my first train ride I could recall. The pictures don’t do it justice. Everything is just big. Really really big. We crossed the border into the Yukon (my first time out of the country).
Our third stop and probably the most memorable place we visited was Glacier Bay National Park. Arguably it is the most remote National Park in the US. It is mostly accessed through boat. The cruise ship maneuvered into the park and pulled next to the glaciers that seemed endless. Picture perfect. It was sad that these glaciers will most likely not be here when our kids will be old enough to go. Right away we got to see a glacier calf. It sounded like a gun shot. Spectacular. After about a hour people ran inside again. Too cold apparently. Fortunately with our warm jackets (thanks to all that contributed) we were able to stay out there for hours on end. One of the most unique places we have ever been. Waterfalls, Glaciers, Whales, Sea Otters, Bears, Eagles and more. The list goes on to what is wild and abundant in Glacier Bay.
Ketchikan was the most North we got. It had not stopped raining in Alaska since we arrived. It was not going to stop when we leave. This area of Alaska contained the biggest Temperate Rainforest in the world! Ketchikan was bogged down by rain and clouds. No plains were going out. Most excursions were canceled (which meant no refund for people). We jumped on a bus and checked out the Totem Poles in the city.
Our last stop of on our cruise was Victoria, British Columbia where we had the BEST oysters and fish tacos in my life. Also a great chocolate shake. What a beautiful city. The architecture was stellar. Most of all it had the prettiest flowers and trees. Everywhere you turned there were flowers blooming.
Special thanks to Mom Harrel for helping us on our adventure. Thanks to Eric Allred and the family for shuttling us around and letting us stay at their place. Thanks to all those that supported us through the wedding. This was a memorable trip and a great way to kick off our marriage. We can’t wait to go back. Mt. McKinley anyone?
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| Kt getting a glimpse of Mednehall Glacier. |
