Salmon Bake Cabins Seward

... our full fare. I guess I'll just have to return sometime. <br><br>The day finished with a three hour train ride back to Anchorage - I finally saw some moose, but it was not light enough to get pictures.<br><br>Tomorrow I am back on the train for the trip to Denali and then a flight to a glacier...let's hope the weather cooperates better than it did today.<br>

... habitat. There was also plenty of bird life, my favourite being the Puffin.<br><br>The highlight of the trip was the Aialik Glacier and watching pieces of ice fall off into the ocean. The cracking noise sounded like a gunshot. It was incredible to see and hear, captivating you.<br><br>After returning to the harbour we went to our cosy hotel and had a great meal before settling down for our only night on the trip in a bed.<br><br>

... was very good at keeping the conversation following and she was really interesting to listen to. Heidi was from Vermont but had been spent 4 summers in Alaska and had just completed her first Winter! If you stay 2 winters you are no longer called a Snow Bird e.g. people who fly south for winter. <br><br>We left Anchorage and headed out on the Old Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm (so named because Captain Cook kept saying Turn Again as it is so ...

... the B plan for the day is the sea aquarium and Exit Glacier. Dave and Val enjoy the puffins and eiders, and then watch the seals from the underwater viewing area. From there they come back to pick me up and go to Exit Glacier. I ride all the way out to Exit Glacier only to find that pets are not allowed so I have to stay in the car while the four of them climb the mountain to get a close-up view of the glacier. It was raining the whole time, and when they got back in ...

... hours. But I was so glad we did not have to drive long hours. The B&amp;B was outside the town, an annex of the main house in a quiet neighborhood. Quite expensive, 120 or so, but really spacious. The hostess was an accountant, worked at home, home schooled her children, the son's going to U. of Fairbanks. She kept talking about ...

... We stopped at the Bear Glacier which doesn't come clear to the water. There's a moraine in front of it that's a popular place for sea kayakers to camp. There are lots of small islands and rock outcroppings just off shore. Seem to be a popular place for birds to nest and stellar sea lions to sun themselves. We passed through 2 or 3 pods of killer whales and some seemed happy to pass close by to have their pictures taken. Got to see my first puffins on the trip. They're an ...

... and saw some Bald Eagles, all sorts of sea birds, a sea otter playing right next to the boat. We also saw two humpback whales swimming along an breathing. But the coolest thing we saw was a whole pod of Orca Whales. We started seeing one dorsal fin, then there were three, then about 10, then all of a sudden there were 20 fins!!!!...then one breached and jumped out of ...

... We all had rain jackets on, and the sea kayaks have skirts to make a reasonable attempt to keep you dry. Although not 100% effective, they worked quite well. Even in the ****** weather and rain, we had a great time. We didn't get any great views of glaciers, or see any whales, but it was a blast. We got to see an area the salmon hang out, which did offer two neat wildlife viewing opportunities. First was the salmon. They jump wildly as you paddle through schools, often so close ...

We started off in Anchorage and on our first day took the early morning<br>train to Seward. The train ride follows along side the Seward scenic<br>hwy, considered one of the most beautiful byways in the US. Leaving<br>Anchorage the train descends thru Anchorage Wildlife Refuge, aka<br>Potters Marsh, and Turnagain Arm, featuring the world's 2nd highest<br>tides at over 30 feet, and passing by many rivers, lakes, and glaciers<br>including Spencer ...

... enough for us, but if we went over, we were charged 70c/minute. Very simple to set up, although the length of the telephone cord needs to be increased to avoid falling over cords - the phone is on the opposite wall to the desk). As we wandered around the ship, it felt like I knew where I was going, but it did take me a while to get aft and forward directions imprinted in my brain! We checked out the spa because Alan wanted to use the gym, and wanted a haircut. They could fit him ...