Appetizer to Italy: ALASKA!

So while this blog in the past and the future focuses on my European travels and adventures, as the writer I hold the right to deviate from established precedent. As I prepare to leave for Italy in 4 days, here is a bit of reminiscing about my summer trip to Alaska during the first week of August.

The map shows my route through Alaska. After flying into Anchorage (Blue Marker), my parents and I immediately left the big city see the more rustic side of this large state. From Anchorage we drove down to Hope, Alaska (Red Marker). Hope is a very small, old, mining town. Better yet Hope is off the beaten path of all of the tourists. We used Hope as a base-camp for exploring the Kenai Peninsula. From Hope we were able to explore several glaciers including Exit, Portage, and Byran, go Salmon fishing in Hope, and go Sea Kayaking in Seward Alaska (Green Marker). The Salmon Fishing was almost too easy as the streams are chalk full of fish that will bite your hook or just get snagged, but still the fishing proved to be a great time. For Sea Kayaking we had a perfect day. We took a guided Kayak into Thumb Cove where we could see several streams, waterfalls, two extremely remote cabins, and three massive glaciers. The clear weather allowed us to take in all of the massive scenery around us.

Byran Glacier

Sea Kayaking

Mom and Dad Salmon Fishing

After several days on the Kenai Peninsula we moved on. Instead of going straight up to Denali like most Alaskan tourists, we decided to essentially go for a drive through Alaska to see more of the state. So We went north of Anchorage but then turned eastward on the Glenn Highway. The Highway essentially goes on for miles with almost no town s just mountains, streams, lakes, glaciers, and many impromptu hiking and photo opts! In other words, it was a beautiful drive. The Matanuska Glacier was one of the major highlights of the drive. Because the glacier is flat and not coming down a mountain we were able to drive up to the glacier and then walk all over it. There were signs telling us not to go any further unless we were glacier experts....but we decided to risk it and we lived to tell the tale (and the views were found were spectacular).

Matanuska Glacier (expand the picture and try to find my Dad)

After the first day of driving we stopped at mile 109 at a place called the Tundra Rose Cottages (turquoise marker) and in Copper Center (Purple Marker) the second day. Copper Center is near the entrance to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest National Park in the United States. Unfortunately the smoke from 60+ forest fires throughout the state combined with rainy weather obstructed our views and reduced the park to a smokey, cloudy, mist.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (Mom is looking for the mountains amid the smoke and rain)

As a result we spend little time by the park and moved on Valdez (Pink Marker) and spent two days hiking in the surrounding areas. Our final major excursion was taking the ferry from Valdez to Whittier. While on the boat we saw the calving Columbia glacier, sea otters, sea lions, porpoises, and a minke whale. The boat ride proved to be an excellent way to end a great trip to Alaska.

Valdez, Alaska

Panoramic view from a mountain hike (click to expand)

Ferry from Valdez to Whittier

The trip to Alaska was a great chance to see some of the great natural wonders of the world. By no means does this blog cover all we did, and by no means did we even come close to seeing all of Alaska. For that reason I hope to someday return to this state to perhaps Backpack in the back-country of Denali, go on a extended Kayak trip in the Kenai National Fjords Park, or perhaps do something completely different.