This years first trip brought us to Alaska to celebrate 20 years together. Wow! We decided to do a land trip and explore by car, but I honestly don’t think you can make a wrong choice whether you visit and travel by vehicle or take a cruise and explore the port cities.

We flew into Anchorage and immediately traveled 5 hours north to Denali where we’d spend to next 2 days at the Princess Wilderness Lodge. When I booked this lodge it never occurred to me that this was associated with the Princess cruise line. The place was packed with passengers from the ship, but luckily the lodge had its own mini village with multiple restaurants, small shops and places to explore. Heading into Denali National Park, we planned a transit bus tour. These tours are less narrated than others, but does give you the ability to hop on/off at any point to explore. Due to a recent landslide, only authorized vehicles are able to travel 43 of the 92 mile road within the park. This does limit accessibility to the other half of the park unless you are camping or plan to hike out past the checkpoint. We spent the entire day riding the bus looking for wildlife, taking in views of Denali and hiking a few of the trails. On our trip through the park we saw caribou, Dall sheep, bald eagles and a moose which we were lucky enough to see up close. Tips- get your park pass ahead of time to avoid lines and book the transit bus if you want to be able to get off the bus at any time to explore. There are some marked trails but for the most part you can hike anywhere. Don’t forget to stop by and see the sled dog demonstrations that are done several times a day. Even if you don’t make it in time for the demo, it’s still fun to stop by and see the dogs.

After leaving Denali, we made a quick stop through Anchorage and then headed down to Seward, known as the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. We took a 4 hour boat cruise with Major Marine Tour Cruises in Resurrection Bay in hopes of seeing some wildlife. Although we didn’t see orcas, we did see some eagles, puffins, sea otters, seals and a humpback whale and calf. Due to the possibilities of seasickness, we decided to stick to the tour in the bay that is much calmer. If the rough water doesn’t bother you, take the longer boat trips that go out further to the glaciers where you’ll have a better chance of seeing wildlife.

While down in Seward we also had some time to head out to Kenai Fjords National Park and take the short hike to see Exit Glacier and the Harding Icefield. If you have time and can handle the strenuous hike, I’d recommend the Harding Icefield hike, or even walking some of it for some great views.

We stayed in a cute little cabin just outside of Seward that happened to be just down the road from the Bear Creek Weir. Here you can watch the salmon swim up the creek where their migration is tracked and you can watch them jump the falls. We also spotted a massive eagle nest nearby.

On our final last full day in Alaska we left Seward and headed back up north to the town of Whittier for a boat cruise in Prince William Sound to see several glaciers and waterfalls. The experience of getting to Whittier is a bit unique as you travel through a shared vehicle/rail tunnel in order to reach the harbor so if your timing isn’t planned right you could end up waiting 30-60 minutes to travel through.

After leaving Whittier we drove to our final stop on the trip, the Alyeska Resort. We made reservations for the Nordic Spa which was so relaxing and much needed. Here we dipped in between cold and hot pools and steam and dry saunas. I’d definitely recommend this if your in the area.

Our trip was short but such a wonderful experience. Being able to travel and explore new places is definitely something I don’t take for granted and am thankful I get to do it with my love everyday. #vincentadventure #Alaska #Denali #vacation #vacationblog #wildlife #Seward #travelblog