Marvelous Marine Life

We were all hoping to spot a whale during our time in Alaska, and the marine wildlife cruise certainly did not disappoint. 

  

Incredible! 

We also spotted several seals, sea otters, and sea lions!  One, two, three...jump!

 Killer whales too!

And one final picture in front of the cruise ships.  I have a feeling this is as close as Jon and I will ever get to one!:) 

To the Trains!

We were all surprised when a limo picked us up the next morning at 5:30 to take us to the train station.  We were told a shuttle would be provided, so this was an added bonus for us and another new experience! 

We boarded the trains for a six hour train ride.  It was beautiful and so fun.  This might have been one of our favorite parts (although I may have already said that about something else!). 

We were even served breakfast in the dining car!

The kids humored me by wearing these shirts.  This is how we told them we were taking a trip to Alaska before the trip- by handing them each a shirt with two letters on it. They then had to try and figure out why.  One of them thought we were getting a dog and tried to spell out some sort of dog name.  :) 

The observation deck was a big hit with the kids.  They wanted to spend a lot of time out there. 

Beautiful Alaskan scenery and several bald eagles!

Best Day Yet?

It is still hard to nail down a favorite activity or day in Alaska.  We loved so much of it.  However, this day certainly ranked near the top. 

We took a ride in an army truck to our boat.  Jon spent lots of time on these during his days in Iraq. 

The path was very bumpy, but it was most impressive when the trucks drove right through the water! 

We then got on a speed boat which took us around some glaciers. 

So pretty!

 

We then had some time to explore the area...

and take a picture or two...:)

The purple wildflowers in the background were an added bonus. 

We ended the day with a small amount of gold panning.  Unfortunately, Jon won't be able to quit his job anytime soon. 

Great day!

Day in Denali

We hiked a little around Denali National Park in the morning.  

In the evening, we took a scenic flight around Mt. McKinley. 

Jon got to be the co-pilot! 

This was a spectacular ride!  The views were incredible.  I'm not sure the pictures do it justice.  Mt. McKinley's peak can be seen in the photo below.

I praised the Lord for a safe landing after this flight!  This might be about as adventurous as I get.