After hiking in Denali, Tanya and I rode the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage and then drove across the Kenai Peninsula to the town of Seward. This marked the southernmost point of my nearly 1000-mile overland trip from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Gulf of Alaska in the south.
The route from Prudhoe Bay to Seward. Courtesy of Google Maps.
From Seward we embarked on a 3-day kayak camping trip in Kenai Fjords National Park. The scenery was spectacular, with mountains and glaciers, deep blue sky, swirling mist and clouds, and wildlife everywhere: otters, seals, whales, sea lions and all types of birds.
Humpback whale in Aialik Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park.
Kayaking by Aialik Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park
Finally, sadly, our trip was over and it was time to go home. We rode the Alaska Railroad back across the Kenai Peninsula from Seward to Anchorage – which has to be one of the most beautiful railroad trips on earth – then flew back to New Jersey.
NJ road sign
My Alaska experience was one of the most interesting and beautiful trips I’ve ever had, and I’m looking forward to bringing it back into my classroom this fall.