The Journey Home (June 9 - 10)

It was mid-afternoon when we started our drive to Anchorage. Our flight back to Minneapolis didn't take off until after midnight which gave us lots of time…too much time, in fact. Bob was starting to get a cold and we were just tired from the busy schedule. After driving part of the way, we pulled over, reclined the seats in the rental car…and took a nap!

Feeling a little more refreshed, we resumed our travels. Just like the trip down to Seward, we experienced rain and clouds on the way back as well.

With many hours to fill, and still feeling a bit drowsy, I suggested that we make a stop in Moose Pass (population ~200) and get a cup of coffee. Bob slowed down as we looked for a place to stop. But...apparently he didn't slow down enough. An Alaska State Trooper pulled us over right in the center of this tiny town and informed us that we were speeding. "Didn't you notice the speed limit? It is painted ON THE PAVEMENT." Guess we were so busy looking for a coffeeshop that we missed that!

Less than 10 miles over the speed limit and the fine was $87! At that point we figured we had donated enough to the town of Moose Pass and left without getting any coffee. Over time, the incident has become somewhat funny. Bob has been driving for over 40 years (including many miles in an ambulance) and his first violation was in MOOSE PASS! We often watch the reality TV show "Alaska State Troopers" and Bob jokes that he might be on one of the episodes!

The road from Seward to Anchorage followed along Turnagain Arm which is known for its "bore tides" that come rushing in with waves large enough to surf! Interesting, but not something we were able to witness.

With so much time to kill, we pulled off at "beluga point" where beluga whales are sometimes spotted. No whales were around, but Bob had fun climbing around on the rocks while I photographed the tiny wild flowers. 

A few miles before we reached Anchorage, we pulled off at Potter's Marsh. There is a VERY long boardwalk built over a marshy area...a great place to view and photograph birds.

I was busy trying to photograph a cute little bird when Bob motioned for me to quietly follow him to the end of the boardwalk. 

Surprise!! A moose! After being on the lookout all during the trip, we finally got our chance to see a moose right outside the big city of Anchorage! She was walking around in the tall grass below the boardwalk and didn't seem to care that she was being photographed!

I was so excited because I had resigned myself to the fact that we were going to leave Alaska without ever seeing a moose. I pulled out my phone and sent a one word text to Laurel..."MOOSE!" It turned out that they were only a few miles behind us on the highway and were able to stop and "share" our moose! 

An eagle was in a tree nearby. Although we had seen many, many eagles during our time in Alaska, it was still exciting to see one last one!

Back in the parking lot, Laurel showed me photos on her camera of their experience at the dog sled tour earlier in the afternoon. She was thrilled that they had gotten to hold little husky puppies and ride in a cart pulled by the larger sled dogs! 

A second round of good-byes took place and then we went our separate ways...Kent and Laurel to Wasilla where they spent the night on the way to Denali...and us...to the airport. 

I'm sure our $10/day rate for our rental car must have been a fluke, but we had no issues whatsoever. Returning it when we reached the airport went just as smoothly as it had when we picked up the car. 

Luggage scales were located near the baggage check-in area and as suspected, my large bag was overweight...by nearly 6 pounds! Even with several large rocks that he brought home, Bob's bag was light enough that I was able to shift some of my stuff over and get both bags under the 50 pound limit.

While I was doing the "luggage shuffle", Bob got his chance to have a "husky experience." He made friends with a couple of dogs...River and Creek, whose owners were teachers in one of the remote Alaska villages and were on their way to visit family.

Our flight left on schedule at 12:35 a.m. This photo was taken shortly after midnight right before we boarded. With the long hours of daylight, it could have just as easily have been noon!

Technically at that point it was really Tuesday, June 10th but without ever seeing total darkness I felt like we missed a night of our lives! The sun never quite set as we flew to our stop in Seattle. 

A lady sitting across the aisle had a small dog in a carrier under the seat. The dog wasn't happy about the arrangement and barked...and barked...and barked some more. Eventually the steward handed out ear plugs to everyone and just let Fido continue to express his frustration at being cooped up in the carrier. 

By the time we landed in Seattle, the sun was coming up...and it was Tuesday! The last leg of our flight from Seattle to Minneapolis was uneventful, but also long and boring. Bob struggled trying to get comfortable enough to sleep...

...and I just gave up and entertained myself trying to take photos from the plane window. 

With the three hour time difference, it was around noon when we finally landed in Minneapolis. Exhausted, I just wanted to be home, but we still had to shuttle to the hotel where our car was parked and then drive another three hours from Minneapolis to where we live.

Ending our vacation with such a long flight wasn't fun, but after awhile, the memories of that day have faded and I am left with the beautiful memories of our time in Alaska.  Thanks to over 3500 photographs, those memories will be with me forever!

Seward (Monday, June 9)

Our last day began with another big breakfast at the Sunshine House… biscuits, sausage gravy made from homemade chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, bagels with lox (from Mike’s smoked salmon) and cream cheese, tomatoes with mozzarella & fresh basil, fruit, etc. 

Getting the last of our stuff (well at least MY stuff) crammed in to the luggage was no easy feat. As we dragged the bags down from our second floor bedroom I had a sinking feeling that there were going to be some "weight issues" once we reached the airport later that evening.

The four of us said our good-byes to Mike, Marsha and their dog, Butchie, and then loaded the luggage into our two rental cars and drove to the Sea Life Center...all of two blocks away!

The Sea Life Center, an aquarium and wildlife rescue center, is located right on the shores of Resurrection Bay. The facility was built primarily from money that came from the Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement.

The displays were interesting, especially one that had a sign that said “DO touch”. The shallow, open tanks were filled with urchins and other sea creatures and you were encouraged to reach in (with one finger) and feel them. 

 

We spent a long time at a very large open tank that housed all sorts of sea birds. The birds were not caged and would sometimes fly right by your head! Laurel and I both took many, many photos of the sea birds (but mostly puffins!) They were so cute!

No...it wasn't raining inside...one of the birds decided to do some shaking right next to where I was taking a photo!

From the level below you could view the underwater portion of the same tank through a window. It was so interesting to see both the fish and the birds as they would dive and “fly” through the water. The birds went so fast that I wasn't able to get any underwater photos!

A statue outside the Sea Life Center. 

From the Sealife Center we made a quick stop at Subway to pick up some sandwiches and then drove to the Exit Glacier, a few miles outside of town. There are regularly scheduled ranger-led walks, but our timing was off so we just hiked on our own.

Part of the trail is paved and wheelchair accessible and leads to an observation point where you can see the Exit Glacier, but we continued on and the trail became gravel and got fairly steep. The National Park Service website describes the trail as “moderately strenuous” (which I would like to point out is a very subjective evaluation!) I struggled when the trail began going uphill and debated about going all the way. Bob ended up carrying my backpack for me (along with his!) and I did make it. Bob on the other hand said he would rate the trail very easy and had no trouble whatsoever. 

The trail makes a loop and is a little over two miles long, but you can not get right up next to the glacier. To do that you must take a much longer and much more strenuous trail to the Harding Ice Field (no chance!!)

On our way...

Once I got close enough to "see" the glacier, I was ready to stop, but I felt like a quitter. Bob had already reached the glacier and waved at me trying to encourage me to come all the way.

If only he had been as close as what my camera zoom made him look! In reality I still had quite a distance to hike to reach where he was standing!

But...finally I made it...and my reward was seeing the glacier up close...very close!

Exit Glacier is receding at quite a rapid rate. And although it is still a pretty big chunk of ice, the "toe" of the glacier is much less impressive than what it must have been in the not so distant past.

Following our hike, we spent a short time in the Exit Glacier visitor’s center and then it was time for us to say goodbye to Kent and Laurel. Although our trip was ending, theirs was going to continue on for a few more days. As we left to make the drive back to Anchorage, they were headed to a dog sled tour at Seavey’s Ididaride…just a few miles down the same road as Exit Glacier. Once their tour was over, they were going north…eventually ending up at Denali National Park. 

We would have loved to have visited Denali, but the two weeks that we had already spent traveling was the most we could do this time. Maybe on a future visit we will be able to see and do more!