My first voyage to the Last Frontier certainly won’t be my last. Alaska makes you appreciate how much our country has to offer. The U.S. is truly an amusement park of terrain filled with an array of deserts, forests, mountains, and glaciers. Alaska is home to some of the most fascinating land I’ve seen in our country, and possibly throughout all my travels.
It only took twenty minutes via cab to get to Anchorage from the airport. I sat in the back seat with a big awestruck smile on my face as I admired the beauty of the mountains and glaciers in the distant background. I knew I would get closer later in my trip, but the anticipation was intoxicating.
I immediately stopped at Glacier BrewHouse and had a few beers while eavesdropping on the patrons. It was 10 PM on a summer Tuesday, and there were lots of people out and about. As I sat wondering whether the food was what drew this large of a crowd, I happened to peer out the window and register that it was still quite light outside. So light, in fact, that kids were playing across the street at a skate park. As I looked at my phone and debated whether I had time traveled, it became clear that the diners were drawn out by the long hours of sunlight. That said, the Grilled Sockeye Salmon I ate was one of the best salmon dinners I’ve ever had, so I’m sure the food helped bring the crowd as well…
The next morning, I hiked to the Alaska Railroad train station. The price of a ticket was a little over one hundred dollars, but well worth the cost. (If you pay a little more, you get a roof seat with an even better view). I’ll admit time and time again that this four hour journey was by far one of the most exhilarating train rides I ever have, or likely will, be part of. The glaciers, grayish metallic waters surrounding the mountains, and wildlife were breathtaking, and the tour guide was excellent.
As soon as I got off the train, I was already on a cruise to Kenai Fjords National Park. I did the six hour National Park Tour. We hit some heavy bumps on the Atlantic Ocean along the way, and pulled up within twenty feet of a magnificent sheet of ice that moves six feet every day. The glacier was caving and everyone on the boat was ooohing and awing in delight. Surprisingly, we even experienced wildlife on the boat. We were up close with birds that could dive 200 feet into the ocean waters, humpback whales, sea otters, harbor seals, and even watched two orcas hunt down a salmon shark right by the boat. The orcas were so proud of their catch that they continually brought the carcass above water in an awesomely wild display of showboating. The tour guide was shocked by the scene; he said he’d never experienced anything like it in his twenty years of guiding the tour.
Time on planes, trains, automobiles and boats took up several of my few short hours in Alaska, but it was easily one of the best 40 hour periods of my life. Please stay longer if you go—I just got a glimpse of this wonderful piece of land. I’ll be back soon–preferably racing in the Iditarod or lying on my back glazing at the Northern Lights.
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily
basis. It’s always interesting to read through
content from other writers and use something from their web sites.
Thank you!