Guess Who Went to Alaska?

These three are world travelers. They love to see all the sites as much as the rest of us.

It would not be the Davi-Coughlin Clan without them!

Kenai Peninsula

When planning a mere ten days in Alaska we knew we would be only barely touching the ground. Five states of Alaska make up the entire lower 48. That is a serious fact to ponder when taking in how much land there is here. So much to see and do. In an effort to see some highlights we opted to do Denali and then the Kenai Peninsula. I thought that would allow us to see some of our top choices; Denali, wildlife and glaciers. Not that original in ideas (millions of tourists do the same thing each year) but to witness those would be pretty darn awesome. The Kenai Peninsula, on the south central coast would give us access to two out of three of those. We knew the land and seascape would be pretty spectacular but we had no idea just how auspicious the sights would be or just how lucky we'd get with all the wildlife.

Our trip on the peninsula allowed not only for grizzlies but we saw salmon in the river, flying fish, jellyfish pods out on the ocean, a mama eagle and her two young in a nest right in front of our RV site (where we stayed three nights) and two out on the water, two moose (from the air), puffin and five orcas.We have played in lakes and rivers. Hiked up to the glacier and trekked through some woods. We have smelled the deep woods and breathed in the frigid cool glacier air.  We visited sled dogs who partake in the famous Iditarod Alaska race. We came upon ice cold, crystal clear lakes and met some of the friendliest people. We have seen and learned so much in a short time. But most important we have witnessed the magnificence of the Great Creator.

The days are long here, darkness falls just before 11 pm. The girls are going to bed late and waking up a tad too early. They are, at times, as grumpy as a hungry grizzly but overall the wonder and awe of the natural world here has feed our hearts and souls. We love this part of Alaska and are most grateful to be here.

There were many salmon in this river; they were bright red; which was a sign that they were at the end of their life.

Kenai Fjords National Park~by Land & Sea

While in Seward, we were staying at an RV park just a few miles from the only accessible road to the Kenai Fjords National Park.  We had flown over a glacier but could not pass up the opportunity to hike up to Exit glacier to get a bit more up close and personal. And, it allowed for the girls to work on their Junior Ranger Program. We learned so much during hike through the trees up to the glacier. We learned how old the glaciers were and how quickly they were retreating (there were date markers all along the trail, which was quite telling and disturbing). We learned how much snow falls each year on the ice field (up to 100 feet a year) and why it was in the mid-seventies on the lower trail but when we got up close there were winds and air temps in the fifties  (the temperature of the ice changes the air temperature).  Our hike made for a very good afternoon.

The following day we took a six hour boat tour into the park.  The boat ride was a commercial operation but there was a Park Ranger on board who provided even more educational information for us. We learned about the original peoples of the land, the history of Seward and how glaciers impact the ecosystem of the world's oceans. We all need be concerned with their rapid melting.

We also saw some wildlife that was the stuff of National Geographic. Sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions (who were sparring on a remote stretch of rock way out into the ocean), countless birds including the cute puffin, a pair of eagle and then the show stopper, a family of five orca. And all around us, for six hours were breathtaking peaks, water as clear as glass and at other times as turquoise as that in the Caribbean. I don't think I would ever tire of a place like that. It was beyond beautiful. Words like exquisite, breathtaking, splendid; they just don't cut the endless raw beauty.

The crew fished out some glacier ice to make margaritas. They were kind enough to give us a cup of ice to chew on.

We saw hundreds of jellyfish. 

Sled Dogs

One of the more tourist outings I planned was to visit a dog sledding operation. I thought the girls would enjoy seeing the dogs and their pups. And they did. What I did not take into account is the rich history of dog sledding in Alaska and the famous Iditarod race. We met (yet another) super friendly Alaskan family, the Seavey's, who came to homestead here back in the 60's. Over time they became involved in the race and of racing the dogs who partake in it (and their family members have won the race many times over).  We got a great history lesson and then up close and personal with the four legged ones before a dry ride with the dogs. It was quite overwhelming how excited they got when they were loaded up for a run. The joyful howling and barking could probably be heard for miles!

The girls, being involved with dogs in their dog sitting/boarding business back home, were over the moon to spend some time with these guys (and gals). Havana is especially sweet with animals. She has a natural gift. Amara is gentle and kind with them as well.  They both got to dress up in the gear worn when riding the sled, which delighted them both. It turned out to not only be a great outing but also educational as well. 

Check out the Seavey's website for more info and history https://ididaride.com