Hubby and I just returned from the trip of a lifetime – an incredible Alaskan adventure that we’d been planning and dreaming about for almost a year! It was such an amazing experience, and I have so much that I want to share with you, that it’s hard to know where to start. So how about we follow the advice of Julie Andrews and start at the very beginning; after all, it’s a very good place to start!

Our trip began two weeks ago, June 6th, when we left Atlanta and flew to Alaska by way of Seattle. We landed in Anchorage, rented a car, and then headed to a hotel to stay overnight. The clock said 10:30pm as we crawled under the covers, but our bodies assured us it was 2:30 am back home!

The next morning, we set out for Seward, a coastal city on the east tip of the Kenai Peninsula, where we would spend the first half of our time away. The Seward Highway is one of the most scenic drives you could ever imagine, so we took our time and “oohed” and “aahed” at the abundant beauty that was everywhere we looked. All along the way, we were treated to views of rugged, snow-capped mountains that had volcanoes and glaciers tucked among them.

The mountains had such a severe majesty that you couldn’t help but feel small in the best possible way.

One of my favorite stops was at a bird sanctuary called Potters Marsh, which had a series of boardwalks that meandered along lakes and marshes. Although it was cold and drizzly (two words that would be constant companions throughout the trip!), we walked about the preserve and I was able to get pictures of several first time birds – like this Black-billed Magpie. You don’t have to be around them long to tell that they are in the Crow/Jay family – not shy, and kinda bossy!

This male Green-winged Teal (Isn’t he striking!) was also a first…

…as was this female Common Merganser, a duck that is a diver, not a dabbler! These fish eaters have sharp serrated beaks and are constantly disappearing under the water and coming up with a fish.

There was also a Belted Kingfisher that was flying from perch to perch, and didn’t seem to mind our presence in the least. I’ve taken Kingfisher pictures before, but this male (the female has a rusty neck ring) was far less skittish that any I’ve met before. He was definitely a poser!

Our last stop before arriving in Seward was in a town called Moose Pass, where our VRBO host (who had been so very helpful in our planning) had urged us to stop at Estes Brothers (a family owned mini-mart type store) and get some Caribou Caramel ice-cream. He promised we wouldn’t regret it, and he was 100% right! It’s probably a good thing they don’t have this flavor where I live!

Once in Seward, we checked into our home-away-from-home, “The Bear and Berry Lodge”, which was a clean and comfortable studio apartment with a wall of windows that overlooked Lost Creek. The Red Salmon were just starting to run, which led to LOTS of Bald Eagle activity. Let me share just one picture as a teaser, but rest assured, there will be plenty more coming!

It’s gonna take me awhile to sort through all the photos, but stay tuned for otters, and eagles, and bears – oh my! And there will likely be a few pictures of this fella too, my ever-willing, Tilly-wearing traveling companion!

I have so much to share with you!