Beware, this post has an abundance of pictures... It's going to be a long one! :)
Shaun's parents, Shaun and I all drove down to Seward, AK for a night. We hiked near a glacier and went on a glacier cruise before meeting up with Josh and Kelli in Cooper Landing, AK for two nights. This picture is from the drive out:
Photo ops from the drive out
In Seward, Shaun and I stayed in a yurt, which is basically a little tent set up with a sturdier frame. This is us in front of it and Shaun inside of it.
We went on the Exit Glacier hiking trail while in Seward. It was my favorite hike of the trip -- shady for most of the walking, waterfalls, and a glacier to cool you down when you're done! The trail started off with a convenient commentary on wildlife you might run into:
All packed up and ready to hike!
This plant is so lush and tropical-looking, not to mention TALL! All the plants in Alaska get huge because the sun is out for 22 hours a day.
Exit Glacier
Exit Glacier with the sunshine
The O'Bryants next to the glacier
Dinner post-hike, look at that view!
A little otter friend to entertain us from the window
The next day it was off to Cooper Landing, AK. We rented this house for two nights and took some time to see the area by land and by river!
Kelli found the rocking duck on the porch! :)
Josh caught it; Kelli cooked it; we loved it! Such a good salmon dinner!!
This wood-burning stove was in the middle of the cabin. Did someone say s'mores?
Kelli's idea of adding strawberries to the s'more was genius!
O'Bryant ladies
O'Bryant men
[Josh is O'Bryant by proxy] :)
On a hunt to find bears (and other wildlife), we took a river floating trip. Unfortunately, we didn't see a bear, but we saw lots of other animals, especially eagles!
On the raft with our guide Brad
Count the eagles that you see -- I see 3!
And what's an Alaska trip without some more wildlife encounters? Here's a couple of random shots:
This moose was practically on the side of the highway!
We saw them often from our cars, and even from our bedroom windows!
And to top this (extremely long) post off... a video of the salmon run!!
