Trains, Whales and Glaciers? Oh My!

As much fun as it is to travel by yourself, and really get to know more about yourself as a person, no one can deny the fun of having friends with you! So when I started planning a second trip to Alaska for work, I decided I needed some friends to come along for the ride! Some Denver friends: Julie, Tiffany, Jeff and April were up for the fun - and April has a childhood friend, Tommy, that lives in Anchorage that we could spend time (and crash) with while we were there.

What made the most sense for us was to head up over Memorial Day weekend. With the holiday, everyone was able to have a long weekend not take quite as much time off. And I planned to spend the weekend exploring with them, and once the workweek hit, they would keep exploring while I hit the office.

The big part of the trip was a long weekend in Seward, Alaska. Seward is a small town in the Kenai Peninsula, about four hours south and east of Anchorage. Because there were six of us making the trip together, a car would be tough. Luckily, the Alaska Railroad is a huge part of the Alaska tourism experience. And with the events and activities we wanted to do, we found a tour option that included rail, hotel and our tours, all in one package. Early in the morning, we boarded the train and took the trip to Seward. What makes the train ride even more incredible is that it goes through a part of the state that the highway doesn't, so you get to see some incredible scenery and views. Seriously, you guys, we wanted to just take pictures every single second of the way it was so stunning. And add to it, there is food and drink on board if you need some refreshments. :)

Once arriving in Seward, we had a tour scheduled to hop on a boat and see the KenaiFjords National Park. We picked this particular tour because it would give us an opportunity to (hopefully) see whales and other mammals, and end with a view of the glaciers - a little mix of everything! Let's just get it over with and say while this tour is incredible.......it was exhausting! Particularly coming off of the

train ride. It's a loooooooong day. Legit, we kept looking at the clock wondering if the trip was almost over because it felt like it was so long. But once again, the views beautiful, the fresh air refreshing (no pun intended), and the wildlife we saw, incredible. And to top it off, we DID see whales, other mammals AND part of the glacier crash into the water. This is one of the things you really think about when you think of Alaska.

But not to mention, May in Alaska and it was cold! So while the fresh air was nice, it was usually brief because we would get so dang chilly, especially with the wind. :)

Final takeaways for this one? Absolutely take the train, but pack some snacks for the boat cruise!