On Day 27, July 18, we headed for Seward, 172 miles from Homer. It was a beautiful sunny day so we stopped at the Kachemak Bay viewpoint to get a clear look at the bay and Mount Iliamna.
Here are some photos from our drive...
Our campground was right on the water.
After setting up we walked all around town and wound up at Seward Brewery where we had a beer and some delicious Wontonachos (spicy beef, pico de gallo, and cheese sauce, served on fried wontons).
The following day the tour group went on a Kenai Fjords National Park Wildlife and Glacier Cruise with a salmon dinner on Fox Island. It was a cloudy day but it was still a fun cruise.
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| We set sail on the Tanaina |
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| Eagles! |
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| Humpback Whales |
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| Dall's Porpoises |
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| Sea lions relaxing on the rocks |
We sailed to the Aialik Glacier, the largest glacier in Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park.
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| First glimpse of glacier |
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| Because of light refraction, glaciers have beautiful blue colors in them. |
Our captain kept the boat close to the glacier and revved the engine several times in an effort to get pieces of ice to fall off. Some small pieces did fall. We were able to hear glacier calving. This is a loud, thunder-like rumble the glacier makes as pieces break off and push into bodies of water, creating icebergs.
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| This fisherman was so proud of his catch, he held it up for us to see. |
Dinner on Fox Island was delicious. Afterwards we spent a few minutes looking for heart shaped rocks on the beach before heading back to the harbor.
The next day the group went on a guided hike to see Exit Glacier. Exit Glacier is a glacier derived from the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Mountains. On our walk we passed signs noting how far out the glacier was in the past. It's remarkable how much it has receded in the last 100 years.
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| Here we go! We had bear spray ready to use! |
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| The marks on the tree are from a moose's teeth when he rips off bark to eat. |
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| Notice the water from the melting glacier |
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| Look how much it has receded since 2010. |
Saturday, July 21, was a free day. We spent it walking around town and shopping, and packing for our drive to Palmer on Sunday.
We are retracing some of our drive as we start to head to Prince George, BC where the tour ends. Palmer is about 45 miles north of Anchorage. On Day 32, July 23, the tour visited a Musk Ox Farm. It was a very interesting tour. The non-profit Musk Ox Farm is dedicated to the domestication of the musk ox, an Ice Age mammal that once roamed the earth alongside saber tooth tigers and wooly mammoths. These animals produce an annual harvest of quiviut, the finest wool in the world. It is incredibly soft but quite expensive. Musk Ox do not like to waste their energy. They are happy to spend their days eating, sleeping and pooping.
After the tour it was time to get ready for Day 33 and the drive to Glennallen.
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