My blogging buddy Tiburon has started another fun blog post idea: My favorite Monday. Every week, there is a different theme, where you post about your favorite something. This week the theme is favorite vacation spot. Since my most "favoritest" thing to do in the whole world is travelling, I had to jump on the bandwagon.
Of all the amazing trips I've taken, the best vacation ever was my trip to Alaska. When I graduated from college, my dad gave me a trip. He and I went for 8 days, and had no agenda. We had a rental car reserved, and flights scheduled, but no other plans other than to experience Alaska. We stayed in hotels when they were available, but we also camped as well. I've always been drawn to wide-open spaces with more wildlife than people, so this really is the perfect place for me.
Our first stop was Denali National Park to see Mt McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. The mountain isn't visible very often, because it creates its own weather and is usually hidden by the clouds. But the day we were there, the sky was blue and we got a great view of the mountain. We were also there at the end of August, and autumn had already come. The leaves were changing and it was breathtaking. This isn't my picture, but its very much what it looked like while we were there.
We camped one night in the park, during a torrential downpour. While we stayed dry, I didn't sleep very well. Every sound I heard in the forrest outside the tent I was sure was a bear coming to rip us to shreds (we'd seen 13 grizzly bears in the park during that day). But it was so much fun.
Our next stop was Anchorage to visit the "big city". One day as we were driving along the Cook Inlet, I looked out across the water and could see a school of whales surfacing. We pulled off the highway and watched the beluga whales for about an hour. It was amazing.
We also spent time in Seward, where I got to camp on the beach under the blaze of the Northern Lights - one of the most amazing things ever.
Another trip highlight was hiking in Kenai Fjords National Park. I know most people who visit the park do so from the ocean side, as a part of their cruise ship excersions. But I'm one of the lucky few who has hiked the trails and glaciers from the interior.
I've wanted to go back to Alaska ever since. I'd live there if I could find a way (the job I applied for a few months ago never even netted me an interview). In fact, my brother-in-law is living there right now, and I'm insanely jealous.
8 comments:
That's awesome, my parents favorite place to cruise is Alaska
Wow that sounds like an amazing trip! I have always wanted to go to Alaska. Thanks for playing :)
That looks amazing!!
That looks like an incredible trip. I'm more the lounge-on-a-whitesand-beach type, but someday I would like to see Alaska.
It looks amazing -- Alaska is somewhere I'd like to see also. Beautiful place.
I don't know if I'd live in Alaska (although you do get paid to live there) but I would like to see it someday. I like the open outdoors as well. With the way my husband "camps" and "roughs it" I doubt we'll get there anytime soon.
Oh man if my husband reads this he will be so homesick! The two times I went up to Alaska to visit his family I was left with such awe and a feeling of being really small. One day as we were on the beach near the mouth of the Kenai River, salmon were jumping out of the water, bald eagles were flying just feet from us, and a Moose and her calf were grazing just about 100 yards away. I felt like I would see the Nat. Geographic cameras pop out at any moment! Only once before had I experienced such untouched beauty, and that was in Venezuela. We love Alaska!
Christie, This is Wendy. I was just going to tell you what popped into my head as I was reading your post and came to the picture of the beluga Whale. The Raffi song that came to mind, after hearing it a million times because my kids always listen to it, is Baby Baluga. In college I had 3 roommates from Alaska. They had told me a lot about Alaska although I think Alaska almost has to be seen. I love your pictures! Sounds like lots of fun!
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