Exit Glacier is one of the most accessible valley glaciers in Alaska. It is a major tourist attraction of the Kenai Fjords National Park and a visible indicator of glacial recession due to climate change. 

What’s unique about this glacier is that year markers, starting in 1815, are located on the approach road to the car park showing how far down the valley the ice once reached.

As you drive and then walk closer towards the modern toe of the glacier, year markers map out the dramatic recession of the glacier over time! The most shocking recording is between 2013 and 2014 when the glacier receded 187 feet in one year!

The blogger’s intrepid fellow travellers! From left: Uncle Mike, Kevin, Ian, Mike and Bob.

Exit Glacier.

The location of the glacier 2005 versus today!

Fishing for Alaskan Salmon is a treat in itself. That one is able to have the catch filleted, frozen and shipped to your home is another matter altogether!

Alleged fishing novice, brother Ian, landed the first fish of the day and was the only one of us who maxed out on his allowance of six salmon!

Our intrepid self appointed fish-catching leader and giver of encouragement (and non-requested advice) didn’t even manage to pick up a rod! He stayed warm inside the cabin and appeared when the shrieks of “fish-on” reached their peak!

Scores on the doors: Ian 6, Uncle Mike 4, Kevin 3, the blogger 3, Bob 3, Mike ZERO!

From left: Kevin and Ian waiting for the fish to bite!

Apologies if you’re yawning with boredom because of the photographs taken in the Kenai Fjords National Park of cute and adorable wildlife and my fellow travellers being, well, my fellow travellers, but here we go again …!

Puffins, pictured above.

A harbour seal, pictured above.

Orcas aka killer whales!

A rare sighting! The very shy and mysterious retirement trio emerging from their winter hibernation! From left, Mike, Uncle Mike and Bob!

Today we spent six hours onboard a wildlife and glacier boat tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park which sits west of the town of Seward where we are now staying.

The sun shone all day (rare for Seward), the water was calm, the wildlife performed and the scenery was spectacular!

A Sea Otter, pictured above and below, enjoying the sunshine!

Sea Lions, pictured above, basking on the warm rocks.

Pictured above and below, spectacular scenery in the Kenai Fjords National Park.

Potters Marsh, pictured above, is a popular 564-acre freshwater wetland and wildlife viewing area located just south of Anchorage, Alaska.

Featuring an elevated wooden boardwalk, it allows visitors to explore the marsh easily without damaging the delicate ecosystem.

The view from Potters Marsh to Turnagain Arm. During his 1778 voyage into Cook Inlet, British explorer James Cook hoped the branches would lead through the continent to the Atlantic Ocean. After exploring the inlet’s eastern branch, his men confirmed it was just a river and a dead-end, leading Cook to label the feature “River Turnagain” because it forced  his frustrated crew to turn around and head back! It was later renamed Turnagain Arm.

Breathtaking scenery pictured above and below.

Kevin, the blogger and Bob in our tour.

Posing with the bear statue! From left: Kevin, Bob, Ian and Uncle Mike.

Proof that we were there! From left: Kevin, Uncle Mike, Ian and the blogger!

The Denali National Park in Alaska covers a whopping six million acres and caters to visitors of all levels. You can sit on a bus and enjoy a guided tour; hike; hire bicycles; book into a camping ground, RV park, cabin and all else in-between! 

There are also Grizzly Bears – so either pick a mode of transport that best fits how you’re going to deal with meeting a bear or choose a traveling companion who is slower than you are!

Happy Birthday Mike!

Caribou … pictured above and below!

Our cruise is coming to an end as we approach Whittier, Alaska where we will disembark, board a coach to Anchorage, meet-up with Kevin O’Malley, pick up our rental cars and drive to Healy where we will be visiting the Denali National Park.

As an ode to our time onboard, here are a few photographs to close chapter two of our epic adventure!

See you tomorrow in Denali!

Nutty Mike Neary, far right, taking part in the Polar Plunge on board the ship!

The Last Supper! From left: Uncle Mike, the blogger, Mike, Bob and Ian.

Bob enjoying the scenery.

The blogger and Uncle Mike taking part in a Wildlife Spotting session!

Tucked inside the lush Tongass National Forest, are 50 acres of temperate rainforest – a rainforest that spans a total of 16.7 million acres across Alaska! Mind blowing! It is the largest national forest in the US and forms the core of the largest intact temperate rainforest on Earth!

The gardens are the creation of Steve and Cindy Bowhay, former local commercial fishermen and master gardeners. Their vision took on a life of its own and includes a two-mile tour through personally designed and installed botanical gardens set within the natural rainforest.

And an unexpected visitor – a black bear hanging out!

Adjacent to the Medenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska is the spectacular Nugget Falls which propels water nearly 400 feet down rugged mountainside terrain into Medenhall Lake.

Powered by meltwater runoff, the waterfall makes its decent in two tiers – 99 feet and 277 feet – before gushing into the chilly, aquamarine water. 

Nugget Falls is spectacular and easily reached by a well-trodden two-mile round-trip trail with great photo opportunities when you get there!

The blogger and brother Ian in front of Nugget Falls.

Nugget Falls, Juneau, Alaska.

Not far from Skagway, a restored gold rush town, is an aptly named waterfall – Pitchfork Falls – a massive 2,000-feet cascade which splits into two streams near the bottom that mimics the shape of a pitchfork!