Alaska Day 5: Cruise and then Cruise

 We had much anticipation for Day 5.  It was an early morning leaving our campsite in Girdwood on our way down to Whittier.  We were a bummed that the rain was still coming down--and not just a little rain.  However, the rain did make for some spectacular waterfalls and vibrant green landscapes. 

 

A highlight on the 45 min drive to Whittier was the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.  This tunnel is 2-1/2 miles long and boast the longest highway tunnel in North America.  The picture below shows the entrance to the tunnel.

Just after exiting we were treated with this beautifully colored glacier high on the mountain.

Rain was really coming down at this point.  The beauty of the RV is that the kids could lay down and sleep while driving.  Our plan was to take the Portage Pass Trail in Whittier that ends at great view of Portage Glacier.   The kids were wiped from the day before and we knew that asking them to join us on this 4 mile hike in the pouring rain was not going to go over well.  We decided to let the kids sleep in the RV and enjoy a yummy breakfast while Karen and I did this adventure just the two of us.  

A little rain hiking is good for the soul.  We nearly missed the viewpoint, and it would have been 10x better is the clouds had lifted, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.

Timing was perfect for us to park at the Whittier port and hop aboard the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise.  This boat ride is a 6 hour adventure, complete with a hot salmon chowder meal.

Owen holding Fluffball tightly as we pulled out of the dock. 

We were a bit apprehensive when the first 30-40 minutes were really socked in with clouds and rain.  Did this mean we would only see 1/2 of the 26 glaciers?  The tour was spendy and Karen and I looked at each other like, "Uh oh...this could be a waste."

This is about when we wondered if we would see anything.

The further we got from Whittier the more the clouds lifted.  The air was super chilled outside on the boat deck, but when glaciers came in view we were very excited.

We would go out on the deck in shifts.  Once the chill had reached our bones we went inside and warmed back up.

All of us were thrilled when a massive chunk of ice calved into the ocean.  It generated a pretty big wave and boat had to rotate to better take on the wave energy.  Every time I see these pictures I still hear the thunderous cracking of the glacial ice.

No, that little chunk of ice was not one of the 26 glaciers we saw that day.

The boat moved pretty quickly which made for some extra icy wind chill conditions out on the deck.

Yes, that's another stuffed animal Owen has in his hands.  He bought a stuffed animal otter from the on boat gift shop.

Owen decided to show off his stuffed animal to the seal population on the rocks ahead.

Kate started getting a little goofy on the boat.  Maybe it was a little too much hot cocoa!

The stuffed animal goes everywhere with him.

I think this was Glacier #26.  I have decided one of my new favorite colors is glacial blue.

Owen was spent with the adventure and took a delightful nap with his new stuffed animal.

We all took turns using Dad's binoculars to spot seals, eagles, sheep, jelly fish.

From Whittier our next camp destination was Seward.  As forecast, the storms started to lift and the blue sky was returning!  The drive from Whittier to Seward is shockingly beautiful.

We had booked the Seward KOA for one night.  It was close to our adventure the next day -- Harding Ice Field. It also had full RV services, laundry, and hot showers.  By the time we had dinner ready it was after 11 pm.  We still had to laundry loads and showers to complete.  Although it would be a very late night, those hot showers were worth missing sleep.

Queen of the KOA (doing laundry with Mom at 1am).  Get to bed, Kate!