Being so close to Alaska we try and venture off there every summer to enjoy all that it has to offer. This year's trip was to Glacier Bay National Park http://www.nps.gov/glba/. It is located just south of Haines, Alaska and just west of Juneau, Alaska in an area called the Icy Straight.
To make the most of our time we flew from Skagway to Gustavus on a small aircraft (just perfect for 3), which continued our run at experiencing small charter flights each summer while in the north...
It was cool but sunny and that allowed the pilot to head directly over the glaciers rather than around them - it was a great way to start off the trip! Amazing sights every where you looked.
We landed in Gustavus and headed out to Glacier Bay lodge, which is the only facility within the park. It was great from a proximity perspective as the National Park Service facilities were co-mingled with the lodge so there were alot of resources in one small area.
After a quick lunch we went off on a Ranger led walk and met Ranger Adrianna, who quickly became Hunter's "new best friend". She got him started on the Junior Ranger program and was his idol before she knew it. Their friendship grew over the 5 days we were there to the point where becoming a Ranger when he grew up was now outranking both the Fireman and Policeman concepts - not a small feat!
Day 2 started with some beach combing at low tide and lots of neat finds in the tidal pools. We then spent our afternoon out Whale Watching and that was an experience we will not soon forget. Captain Todd had a small boat (max 25 people) and we were INTIMATE with the whales in Point Adolphus where they are feeding on herring for the summer. They were 5 feet away from us many times and put on quite a breaching show as well - WOW does not even cover it!
Day 3 was more beach combing and adventure wandering and then we spent our afternoon out sea kayaking. Tim and Hunter took on a double while I managed a single. We were out for over 3 hours and had a great time. Not too much rain and we were thrilled when we found an island of birds as well as a few harbour porpoises and a curious harbour seal to hang out with.
Day 4 was spent out on a "day boat" headed up to the Glaciers. We weren't sure how Hunter would do on an 8 hour boat ride but when we heard that Ranger Adrianna would be working on it that day we signed up in a jiffy... A few bear sightings, lots more birds and then the awesomeness of the Glaciers. The water was littered with icebergs and we were lucky enough to hear the glaciers "calving" - it's quite a BOOM when they crack! The day was topped off by having Adrianna present Hunter with his Junior Ranger badge that he had worked hard on all week - definitely a WOW for him!
Day 5 we awoke to pouring rain (as opposed to the constant drizzle with intermittent pour that had been there all week) and took one last adventure walk before we headed back home.
It is a beautiful place and somewhere we would recommend to all to experience.
