Exit Glacier & Seward

Finally had time to take my first day trip, well actually overnight trip.  First I should introduce the Ranger Assistant in the park, Theresa.  There are actually two RI jobs but the other RI will not be here until July sometime.  Theresa flew into Anchorage last Wednesday just in time to sit through the entire day of training.  I thought her head was going to hit the table several times during that day.  I should ask her before I post a picture.  I think eventually there will be a total of four volunteers working in the park with one more host coming in too.

We took a overnight trip away from the park down to see the Exit Glacier.  We got a really late start and we had to drop off some water samples in Anchorage and go to the DNR headquarters before we really got started.  Linda the office worker at HQ recommended a campsite near the Russian River for the night, finally we were on the road but still didn't make it to the Glacier until right at 5pm, they were locking the doors as we walked up.  This will probably have to be a return trip because the hike up to the glacier will take more time then we have right now.  I took a picture of the actual glacier but it is all washed out white.  So this one will have to do for now.

Next stop was Seward, AK which is "Mile 0" of the Iditarod trail which is a dog sled race held every year to Nome, AK.  That is the Gulf of Alaska in the background, it was a little cool and windy near the water so really just snapped a few pictures and then found a grocery store to pick up something for dinner.

The plan was to camp near the Russian River and have dinner but as we drove north on the Seward highway we missed our turn to Homer and drove quit a bit further north so we got to see the same sights three times that day.  It is amazing the different view you get by just going in the opposite direction!  Everywhere you look here you see something amazing!  This is a lesson learned, no matter how simple the route I will plug my destination into the GPS an let that annoying voice tell me when to turn.

Dinner that night turned out to be grilling our sausage in a view point parking lot.  Never did make it to the site that was recommend to us so we just pulled into one of the many campgrounds.  Theresa had to set up her tent on a pea gravel slab so I gave her my mattress the carpeting in the camper cap is comfortable as-is anyways. 

This was the first time I was actually able to sit around a fire since I have been here, it was a cool night but comfortable enough to enjoy the fire and an Alaskan brew.