Alaska's Switzerland

Great Alaskan Adventure – Part III

Part I and II here

Valdez

Our final — and perhaps most spectacular stop of the trip — was Valdez. I am running out of adjectives to describe the scenery. So, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

We stopped no fewer than a dozen times to admire the vistas along the Richardson Highway as we drove into Valdez.

It is obvious why they call Valdez, “Alaska’s Switzerland.” As we drove into town, we were greeted by mountain peaks on all sides and a vast green-blue bay.

Hickory was a fan.

See that little house up on the hill? That was our B&B. Beautiful view, but a bit quirky.  For example, this was in our room:

That would be a tanning bed, circa 1989, right in our room.  Whatever floats your boat, eh?

Wildlife galore:

Steller Sea Lions soaking up the sun

Sea Otter with her pup

Humpback Whales

For our last hurrah, we splurged on a guided kayaking tour of the Columbia Glacier on Prince William Sound.

We were blessed with a nearly cloudless day, a rarity in Valdez. Our morning started off bright and early with a boat ride to the glacier.

Once near the glacier, we beached the big boat and got settled into our kayaks.

The glacier is so massive (approximately 1,770 square miles) that, though we felt we were kayaking right up to its lip, we were still 7-8 miles away. Sadly, the glacier has shrunk in length 9 miles since 1980.

Paddling among the “growlers” and “bergy bits” — small ice bergs — was truly magical.  Quietly gliding through the water, we could hear the eery sounds of the ice as it cracked, rolled and shifted.

Needless to say, it was a day to remember.

And a trip to remember!