We (me and hubby) and our friends had been thinking about planning a vacation together since a really really long time. After a lot of pondering, the destination was decided and finally everyone agreed upon the dates as well. So after almost 7 - 8 months of planning, consulting, numerous messaging on whtsapp and face timing, our most awaited vacation with friends was finally here. And in no time we all found ourselves packing for....ALASKA!!
The beauty of Alaska and all that it offers is very hard to describe in words. Breathtaking, gorgeous, amazing, alluring, mesmerizing are some of the adjectives that comes to mind now when I think back about the wonderful time that we spent there. You have to actually see it and experience it to believe it. I think no matter how wonderful photos you click, it still won't do enough justice to the breathtakingly natural beauty that Alaska is.
Pssttt.....almost all the pictures (except for few) are clicked with Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. So yea you do not always need a DSLR to click amazing pictures :P.
There are so many ways you can explore this beautiful state. We opted for all the possible adventurous options that we could find for exploring Alaska. I think that is the best and the only way to enjoy mother nature and get up close with her. Although our schedule was a bit tight considering we had made plans only for 8 days, it was surely an experience of a lifetime. Hence no regrets whatsoever. I think we managed to do many things and saw many places in a really short amount of time. So believe me when I say this, if you are ever planning a vacation with friends then Alaska should be definitely on your list.
This post is going to be a short photo essay. I hope you will enjoy the pictures.
Day 1: We reached Anchorage around 10:30am, rented a car and drove to our first stop that was Seward. First day was pretty much a rest day. We had booked an AirBnB for the night.
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| Enroute |
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| AirBnB at Seward |
Day 2: Kayaking at Kenai Fjords. This was one of the best and the most unforgettable kayak experience ever. The first few pictures were clicked on our way to the starting point of kayak from the water taxi.
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| This picture was clicked on our way to Kenai Fjords |
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| Spotted a lot of humpback whales also. It was such a beautiful experience to watch this gentle giants swim around. |
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| Sea lions lazing around on the rocks :D |
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| Beautiful views everywhere we looked |
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| Aialik Glacier: This was our final kayaking destination watching this beautiful glacier and witnessing some major glacier calvings |
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| Such a wonderful experience. Lunch by the glacier with our amazing friends. |
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| Time to head back |
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| With our kayaking guide |
After an awesome kayak experience we did some sightseeing at Seward. Spotted some fresh caught halibut, salmon and other fishes at the dock and then headed to our next stop at Seward.
Next stop was Summit Lake Lodge where we spent the night. The below picture is the view near the lodge. Isn't it awesome?
Day 3: Started off our day with a beautiful hike to Harding Ice field. The hike was moderately strenuous but totally worth it. With beautiful trees, flowers, glaciers and mountain for company, it was site to behold.
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| At the Exit Glacier |
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| At the top (almost)..... totally worth it. |
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| Breathtaking.... isn't it? |
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| Two of our friends decided to climb all the way up. Can you spot them? |
Day 4: Was a rest day which also included a trip to REI to pick up our camping stuff and some grocery shopping (which included loads of cup noodles....hehehehe) :P.
Day 5: We reserved a one way train trip to Denali National Park through Wilderness Express. The train journey was amazing with some beautiful views. Below pictures were clicked from the train.
Once we reached Denali we took the shuttle bus to reach our camping site named "The Wonder Lake Camping Site" which was 85 miles inside the national park. On our way we spotted a lot a wild life and enjoyed some more breathtaking views.
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| Caribou popularly known as Reindeer |
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| Spotted a blonde grizzly bear :) |
Day 5 and Day 6: Camping at Lake wonder lake was one of the most fun experience for me as it was my first ever camping experience. The camp site was right in front of the mighty Denali mountain but unfortunately the clouds covered the mountain the whole time and we never even got to see a glimpse of it. :(
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| This is where we camped for 2 nights. Can you see the mountains in the background?? That is where Denali is situated. |
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| Noodles in the making LOL |
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| The Wonder Lake |
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| Just as we were packing our camping stuff to head back....we spotted this huge Moose behind us |
Day 7: We headed back super early in the morning from the National Park to Denali where post lunch we went for ATV Ride and River Rafting. I would highly recommend the ATV Ride, certainly a one of a kind experience.
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| Hubs :D |
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| River Rafting |
Day 8: Our last day on our way to the airport to Anchorage we had booked an Airtaxi ride and glacier landing at Talkeetna. The views from the flight was simply fabulous and absolutely mesmerizing. We also landed on Ruth's glacier and spent 15 mins playing with the glacier snow and clicking loads of pictures. :). Do check out my Instagram account where I have uploaded a video of the flight as well.
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| Glacier River |
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| Majestic glaciers everywhere |
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| Our ride :D |
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| Ruth's Glacier |
I hope you enjoyed this post. Please let me know you opinions and comments, I would love to hear from you all.
