We finally paid a long awaited visit to the great state of Alaska this September, 2024! Alyssa and I were fortunate enough to spend two weeks here with Alyssa’s parents, Mike and Sandi. Many thanks to Sandi for planning the details of this trip. After flying into the inland city of Fairbanks, we were close to the mighty mountain of Denali. At a stunning summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level, making it the highest peak in North America, it draws much attention. As it makes its own weather, we learned while there that we were lucky to be able to see it directly, which we did. Other people get to curse the damn clouds. The brief flora fall season also dazzled us with gorgeous reds and yellows that the locals say only last a week or so, what timing!
Spending a relaxing week inland driving around Denali and the charming town of Talkeetna, we made our way back to Fairbanks for the next leg of our journey. Flying down to Juneau, which interestingly can only be reached by boat or plane, we boarded the Wilderness Discoverer to traverse the icy waters of Southeastern Alaska. With only 60ish other passengers on board, plus 25ish professional and courteous crew, this smaller boat by the company Uncruise was the way to go. The chance to hike, kayak and skiff ride everyday gave us incredible access to these remote, frigid waters and mountains.
Spoiling us with marvelous food and libations everyday while enjoying spectacular, mostly clear cool weather, we immersed ourselves in the abundant experiences. Seeing humpback whales, harbor porpoises, sea otters, bald eagles and deer daily on the cruise was such a treat. Bushwhacking was a special way to climb amongst the forests and waterfalls, making our own paths and gorging on wild blueberries. We also had the opportunity to get up close to several large tidal glaciers, a first for us. Yes, the blueness of seeing them in person is beautiful and worth it. We witnessed several calving events and saw plenty of melting ice on the sunny days. Several of the wonderfully experienced guides we had have seen many changes in these retreating glaciers over just the last several years. Toward the end of the trip we polar plunged into icy waters, a thrilling experience, though you’ve never seen people exit the water so quickly. What fun!
