Having a Wonderful Time in Alaska
We have spent the last two months exploring Southeast Alaska with separate visits from Sandie’s cousin JoAnn, our daughter Jennifer, and our good friends Mike and Jan. We witnessed breath-taking calving on Sawyer, Margerie, and John Hopkins glaciers, enjoyed drinks chilled with glacial ice, observed bears, caught crabs and shrimp, and have been surrounded by whales. And best of all, we shared it with family and friends.
Several glacier calvings were large enough that we had to turn the boat into the ensuing waves to reduce rocking. It’s always exciting to see a tidal wave headed our way.
We spent two days in North Sandy Cove in Glacier Bay with a view of 12,728 ft Mt. Crillon. The whales continually fed in the shallow waters of the cove providing non-stop entertainment. One whale surfaced 25 feet from the boat and a juvenile whale feed alongside its mother.
The weather has been typical Alaska; chilly temps, rain, fog, with a few beautiful sunshiny days thrown in. We experienced a gale in Glacier Bay that made for a restless night and prompted us to return to Auke Bay a day early. But the magnificence of Alaska makes it well worthwhile. It feels like the United States’ last frontier.
We will start our trip back to Washington in the next day or so depending on weather. We are anxious to return to Oregon where our new house awaits us.