Guerin’s On The Go !

We began the final day of our land tour in Seward. Seward is a small port town in southern Alaska with a population of about 2100 people. It is on an inlet of the Kenai Peninsula  and is considered the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. There are many glaciers in the area and we took the opportunity hike to one this morning. Our tour guide, Charles, is amazing and asked the driver to bring us, as it was not listed in our itinerary. We hiked the loop trail to the Exit Glacier. It is part of the Harding Ice Field and is named the Exit Glacier because it was where the first expedition to cross the Harding Ice Field exited . The Glacier, unfortunately, is rapidly receding. 

There are markers along the approach to show where it was at various points in time. From 2013-2014 it retreated 187 feet! 

The weather was on our side again and we had a fabulous morning. 

After this, we boarded the buses and headed to the small ship harbor. Here, we boarded the Kenai Fjords Cruise tour. This tour was about 6 hours. It was an amazing experience. We were able to see both Alpine Glaciers, which formed on mountain tops and slowly push down through the valleys as well as Tidewater Glaciers, which flow right into the ocean .
We were able to pull right up to the front of the Aialak Glacier. It was awe inspiring as we listened to the thunderous noise of the glacier when it moves. We saw some pieces fall off into to Seanad could hear it melting in the ocean with crackles and pops. In addition to the glaciers , we saw many interesting island and rock formations. While the whales were not to be found, we saw an abundance of wildlife , including Stellar Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Sea Otters, Coastal mountain goats , Bald Eagles , Cormorants and Puffins, even a black bear very high up on a ledge! ! My camera was turned on constantly!

As fabulous as the tour was, it was also exhausting. The constant motion in addition to the cold temps made for a tired group afterward. After the tour concluded , we bid a farewell to our top notch tour guide and boarded the ship. The Radiance of the Seas is a smaller vessel and a bit older. We grabbed some dinner and all collapsed with exhaustion after an exhilarating 5 day land tour…. 

Tomorrow will be a quieter day at sea, a much needed recovery day!