 Travelling to far away places always gives me the greatest thrill! The unknown might sound terrifying, yet there is no better way to learn and grow, than through travel.
As we landed into Anchorage, I couldn’t help but feel the sudden fresh breeze, miles apart from the familiar. We made our way up through the scenic route to the Matanuska Glacier and spent a few days exploring this corner of Alaska. Walking on an ever-changing glacier was definitely a memorable experience and getting a better understanding of their formation, while being in the middle of it all was an education in itself.
The preserved wilderness was very prominent, especially in Denali National Park. A precious home to many wildlife species such as bald eagles, grizzly bears, wolves, and moose, to name a few. A day trip through this sanctuary was the perfect way to get a closer insight into the wildlife and geology of this spectacular National Park.
While in Seward, we took a long but rewarding day cruise into the Kenai Fjords. Here we saw more of the Alaskan wildlife such as the adorable otters, seal lions, a diversity of seals, whales and even saw two black bears swimming! The tidewater glaciers flowing into the ocean and the magical untouched scenery along the coastlines showed us how powerful nature can be.
Our final destination was Homer. This fishermen’s village has a very strong, yet relaxed arty community feel to it.
The spit, a narrow 7.2 km long gravel bar, the longest road into ocean waters in the world really explained the term of “where the land ends and the sea begins.” We crossed the coast to two artistic communities named Halibut Cove and Seldovia. The perfect places to escape reality, recharge and find inspiration in a peaceful and isolated environment.
Last but not least, the highlight will definitely remain our bear viewing helicopter safari trip with Eric. Flying to the remote Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a must! We found ourselves immersed into a world of wonder, where bears could run free and nature was at its strongest. To think that one could just sit along the riverbanks surrounded by at least 23 bears, who seemed completely unbothered about our company.
This was definitely the greatest surprise of all, as one is lead to believe that bears are threatening. Eric’s great passion for the outdoors and knowledge gave us a greater understanding that these creatures are not necessarily as dangerous as we are led to believe. As we sat beside the lake watching them it was obvious that in this environment they have in a sense adapted themselves to the presence of humans - we were not a threat to them so they largely ignored us.
As we made our way back over an infinite blue, looking over the ocean I couldn’t help but feel that experiences like this leave your mind in awe, and that perhaps collecting experiences is the greatest treasure of life.
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Alaska walk
