Alaska: Days 1 & 2

Our trip to Alaska was an amazing vacation and adventure! I'm going to break it down into several posts in effort to capture it all. I can't begin to describe the vastness of God's creation up there. It is just breathtaking and truly magical. The wilderness and beauty left me in awe. If you ever have the opportunity to go you definitely should!

Well it all began with our 6.5 hour plane trip from DFW to Anchorage. The flight was direct which I was very thankful for and all in all it was a smooth trip. I was probably most nervous about the flight, but Lilly did great! She was a little wiggly which was to be expected, but with all 12 of our hands on deck we did it. We passed her around, ate snacks, and played with toys. She slept for maybe an hour, but probably more like 45 minutes. Even when it was 10pm Dallas time she was still awake and not too fussy. So... she had no trouble adjusting to the 3 hour time change. When we arrived it was around 7pm in Alaska and when we got settled in at the hotel she went straight to bed.

A toast and prayer for a smooth and quasi-peaceful flight! :)

lots of energy...

We passed her around!

Breathtaking views as we flew into Anchorage...

The long Alaskan summer days were definitely difficult to get used to. The sun rose at about 5am and started setting about 10pm. It was pitch black by about 2am. Black out curtains are essential! :) The weather on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. The highs were low 60s and the lows were low 50s. It was a nice escape from the scorching 110 degree Texas heat!

We stayed at a hotel the first night and then took a guided bus tour down to Seward where we boarded the cruise ship. Our guide was Gary. He was super nice and very knowledgeable! Along the way we stopped for photo opts, visited a wildlife park, and pit-stopped at a local bakery and espresso shop for a snack.

"The Magic Bus" as it was called...

Our guide, Gary

Wildlife Park

moose

muskox

coyote

bears

I must say that I'm very intrigued by the intensity of this animal (hence all the pics). Leading up to our trip there were several bear attacks, some ending in death. So, I was very apprehensive about coming into contact with one of these majestic creatures, especially in the wild. Unfortunately the stuffed teddy bear gives us an unrealistic expectation of this animal. They are fascinating, but you must respect them. These bears were in a wildlife park, but later you will see some bears that we actually encountered in the wild. They will be from a much greater distance though! :)

look at the size of that paw!

check out those claws!

taking care of an itch...

elk

bald eagle

pretty lake where we had lunch

do you see the bee?

jere captured me capturing everything and everyone! ;)

Once we arrived in Seward we boarded the cruise ship and set sail for Hubbard Glacier! We watched the beautiful sunset from the back of the ship! Jere was a stud and put L down to bed. We missed him!