Today was the start of our great Alaska RV adventure. We took a 9AM flight from Seattle to Anchorage. Penelope did very well in the airport, and she was very excited when we told hr that we were going on an airplane. One advantage of Penelope being older is that we could put her down while we went through security and she will stay by our side (well, at least for now). She is also in a "helpful" phase, which means most of the time she is helpful. Having a seat for Penelope on the plane was really nice. We had a lot more room and were mucm more comfortable. The only problem was that Penelope was sitting in her car seat, which meant she could kick the seat in front of her, which she did a lot. Unfortnately, discipline doe not work well in confined places. After about 1 hour in the car seat, Penelope got bored and we played with her on our laps. Then she spent the last 45 minutes of the flight in her seat again. Overall, it was a lot better than before, but we're not sure about using the car seat again.

Once in Alaska, we went to pick up our RV. We were early for our reservation , so we had to wait. Then they showed us a how to use and not break the RV video. Penelope was very tired by this point (it was an hour past her nap time), so she went a little crazy during the video (crawling on things, rolling on the floor, banging the walls, and generally making a mess). After the video, it was time to meet our new temporary home. We rented a 28 foot RV with a sliding section. It is cozy but comfortable and fits us well.

Since Penelope was so tired, we got on the road as fast as we could. We drove down the Seward Highway, around Turnagain Arm, to Seward. Penelope fell asleep instantly and slept the whole way, about 2.5 hours. The scenery was amazing, and it was a very pleasant drive. The RV is a bit of a monster to drive, but I've gotten the hang of it. It really catches the wind, though, so going straight is surprisingly difficult. And it sure is wide. It pretty much takes up the entire lane, so you really have to pay attention to stay in the lane.

Once in Seward, Penelope woke up and we stopped to get groceries. We got all the food and supplies we will need for a week on the road, since we are not sure what will be available the rest of the trip. Then we drove to a waterfront campground in "downtown" Seward. It is a lot different than tent camping in the forest, but we have nice parking spot along the water with a great view of the mountains.

It has been a long, full day, so time for bed. We wake up early tomorrow for our boat tour of the Kenai Fjords.

Oh, one thing I forgot to write about. RVs are definitely not toddler friendly. In the course of about an hour in the campground, Penelope fell down three times in the RV. First, she fell down the stairwell (the door was closed, so she fell down, not out). Then she fell off the step from the bedroom to the rest of the RV. Then she fell of the bed!! This one was really surprising, because at home she is very smart when she is on our bed and stays away from teh edges. I think she was mostly tired, but she was sitting on the RV bed and dropped a piece of paper over teh edge by accident. She went to see where it landed, then for some reason, she reached for it. Well, before I could stop her, her giant head pulled her over the edge and on to the floor (yes, head first). It was pretty scary to watch, but other than some crying she was fine. She seems to be built well. The other problem with RVs and toddlers is that everything is within reach. The cabinets, the stove nobs, the door handles, everything. It is just too small of a space to keep thinks out of reach. We are dealing pretty well, and Penelope hasn't been too much trouble, but it is all so tempting for her. So, yeah, RVs and toddlers were not really made for each other.

Ok, now it's off to bed for real.

Our first full day in Alaska. We woke up pretty early since we are still on Seattle time and it gets bright here so early. We got ready, then headed to the harbor for our Kenai Fjords cruise. The boat left at 8AM for a 6 hour cruise. Penelope did pretty well on the cruise, and was very excited to be on a boat, but she got a little restless at times being in a confined (and not toddler safe) space.

On the cruise, we saw mountain goats, fin whales, sea lions, puffins, humpback whales, harbor seals (in the distance) and a few other birds including a very far away eagle. We also got up close to Aialik Glacier ans saw lots of beautiful mountain scenery. The highlight of the trip was probably the glacier. We got about a 1/4 mile away from it, but it seemed like you could touch it. The close second highlight was the swhales. We saw four fin whales and two pairs of humpbacks, but only one pair of humpbacks was active (the others were resting). The active humpbacks went on a dive and showed us their tails, which was awesome. Although we saw relatively little of the whales, they were amazing to see and to get so close to. And the water was very calm, which made the trip much more enjoyable.

After seeing all the sights on the boat, we had a 2 hour cruise back to Seward, during which all three of us fell asleep and took naps. Back in Seward, we bought some fresh fish for two nights of dinner, then went back to our RV. We moved from a "dry" site to one with water and power hookups for a little extra comfort. Then we walked to old historic downtown Seward and visited the Alaska SeaLife Center. We saw more sea lions, seals, and sea birds as well as many fish, star fish, and an octopus. It was also a great chance for Penelope to run around and get some energy out. She enjoyed being a bit closer to the animals and made sure to say "Bye" before leaving any of them.

For dinner we ate in old downtown Seward, probably our only non-RV meal while we are in Alaska. The food was great, but the service was slow, and we were all very tired. After dinner, we headed back tot he RV. We stopped at a playground in the campground for Penelope to play a little more. It is a really nice playground, with a big area specially designed for 2-5 year olds. We will probably go back tomorrow before we hit the road.

After putting Penelope to bed, Katie and I watched a cruise ship leave Seward harbor. It was cool to watch a giant ship turn around. Now it is time for bed. Tomorrow we hit the road (and ferry) to Valdez.

Another full day. We woke up when our alarm (aka Penelope) went off at 5:30AM. She woke up happy and full of energy, but we were still a little tired. After breakfast, we went to the nearby playground so that Penelope could have some run around time before we hit the road. Then it was off to our ferry in Whittier.

On the way out of Seward, we stopped at Exit Glacier, part of Kenai Fjords National Park. We were running late, so we put Penelope in the backpack and booked it up and down the ~1 mile trail to see the glacier up close. It was pretty cool to see and hear the glacier up close, and the breeze off the glacier was refreshing. We were sad that we didn't have time to stay longer and enjoy more of the trails. After a fast hike back to the RV, we drove back to the highway and on to Whittier.

We were in a rush because not only did we have a ferry to catch, but the road to Whittier has a one-lane tunnel that opens only once an hour. It is an old rail tunnel that was modified to allow cars to run through it, and everyone had to take turns. Luckily, we arrived 10 minutes before the tunnel opening that we needed to catch our ferry. Driving through the nearly 2 mile long tunnel was pretty cool, although it was a bit scary being that far under a mountain for so long.

In Whittier, we had trouble finding the ferry terminal staging area, and in the process we had our first (and hopefully only) RV incident. I found myself in a dead end and had to turn around. I thought I had enough room for a 3-point turn, but as I backed up, we heard a crunch. Turned out that I backed into a guard rail and bent the back bumper. We eventually found the ferry terminal staging area, but by that point, the damage to RV and ego was done. I called the RV company to report the damage. For once, we actually opted for the damage waiver, so hopefully it won't cost us too much, but it was a real dampener on an otherwise fun trip.

The ferry from Whittier to Valdez was about 6 hours. I'm pretty sure every passenger except for Penelope slept at some point on the boat. Penelope had taken her nap on the drive to Whittier, so she was awake and full of energy the whole time. Luckily, the ferry was clean and spacious, so we just let her play with her toys on the floor most of the time.

Although the weather in Seward had been clear and beautiful in the morning (very photogenic), the ferry ride was overcast and raining most of the way, so we didn't get to enjoy much of the scenery. We did see some more whales and sea lions, as well as some seals and porpoises. Passing by the Columbia Glacier, we went by an ice field with some very large chunks of ice floating by. Penelope was very excited about the ice and whales, and kept asking to see more.

Eventually we made it to Valdez. Penelope ate her dinner and got ready for bed on the boat. She was asleep in her car seat almost as soon as we left the dock. We drove to a nearby campground and transferred the sleeping Penelope to her bed. Then we cooked our own dinner and planned out tomorrow's adventures. No more 6 hour boat rides, so it should be a little more relaxing. Hopefully the weather will clear up, too, so we can see some more amazing mountains.

Today we drove from Valdez to about half-way between Glennallen and Palmer along the Glenn Highway (there is no town where we stopped). Unfortunately, the weather was not very cooperative today and was overcast and raining for most of our drive. However, Penelope was very nice to us and didn't wake up until 7AM, allowing us to sleep in. It was a good way to start our day.

After a scrambled eggs breakfast, we headed North from Valdez along the Richardson Highway. Passing through Keystone Canyon, we were surrounded by waterfalls. The road was under construction, though, so photo opportunities were limited. The road then climbed up to Thompson Pass, where we saw a very wet bald eagle sitting on a snow plow guide pole. Our plan was to stop at a State Recreation Site to check out Worthington Glacier, but when we got there, it was closed due to unmelted snow. We stopped anyway and could see the glacier, but the trail to get close to the glacier would have needed snow shoes, so no hiking for us.

We continued on the highway and stopped to check out the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. It is large and looks like a very long snake going as far as you can see in either direction. After some quick photos (it was cold and wet), we headed toward Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Unfortunately, the clouds kept us from seeing much along the way. We stopped at the visitor center, where the ranger gave Penelope a sticker, which made her very happy. Luckily, the clouds lifted just enough for us to see one of the three main mountains in the National Park. Penelope also walked most of a short loop trail all by herself. We had lunch in the parking lot in the RV, then continued on our way. As expected (and planned), Penelope fell asleep right away.

Shortly after the visitor center, we switched onto the Glenn Highway, which heads back toward Anchorage and will take us to the road to Denali. We were disappointed with the bad weather and low visibility, which kept us from seeing the striking scenery around us. However, as we drove, the skies started to clear somewhat, and we could see the bottoms (but not the tops) of the mountains in the Chugach Range. We were lucky enough to see a few more glaciers from the highway and some stunning (bottom of the) mountain views. Surprisingly, there were almost no turnoffs, so we had to take it all in from the road and couldn't get many good photos. Once we passed through Eureka Summit, some view points started to appear, so we could stop for photos and leg stretches.

We stopped for the day at Grand Views Campground, which has pretty good views, and may even be grand on a clear day. We paid extra for a "premium" site with a fire pit, so I built a fire (with help from Katie) and we cooked our dinner of fresh salmon and zucchini in foil pouches in the flames. Right as we were done cooking, the rain returned, so we retreated into the RV to enjoy our excellent Alaskan fish. The rain let up enough for Smores, but surprisingly Penelope was not interested in roasted marshmallows. Maybe it is an acquired taste. We were also very proud of her for being very good around the fire. She even helped gather kindling.

Now the rains have returned, so time for bed.

Today we finally saw the sun, but we had to drive a long way to see it. It rained all night at our campground last night, and when we woke up it was raining, overcast, and foggy. Our first stop was 10 min away at Matanuska Glacier. This is a glacier that you can easily access and walk on with a guide service, but given the weather we just stopped at a viewpoint and walked the 1 mile loop trail. The glacier was nice, but not as impressive as some of the other glaciers we had seen. We were also glad that we had taken the time to stop at Exit Glacier near Seward, which was not part of the original plan. With Exit Glacier, we had nicer weather, a better and more fun hike, and a closer view of the glacier. Still, I think Aialik glacier wins among the glaciers we went to see (there were some cool ones that we saw from the road but couldn't stop to check out).

After our glacier stop (and a snack, of course), we drove toward Palmer and the Parks Highway (which leads to Denali, but is named for George Parks, not the National Park). We stopped at the musk-ox farm to see some musk-oxen, which are used like sheep for their soft coat. Unfortunately, the only way to see them was to go on a 45 minute tour that started 15 minutes after we got there, and we didn't have enough time. We snuck a peek (and a photo) through the fence, then drove to a recreation site near Palmer for lunch and a quick leg-stretching hike. The weather was still miserable, so the hike was pretty messy, but I needed some physical activity after so much driving.

With lunch done and Penelope ready for nap time, we got on the Parks Highway and headed north toward Denali. We passed through Wasilla on the way, but just kept going (it was a small town, nothing special). As we drove north, the weather slowly started to improve, which we were expecting from the weather report. With the bad weather in the South, a sleeping baby in the back, and not much in the way of points of interest before Denali, we decided to push north as far as we could go. Our reservation at the National Park doesn't start until tomorrow, but we wanted to be close and do some hikes in the State Park and National Park before setting up camp tomorrow.

Eventually, the rain stopped and the dark clouds started to break up into nice puffy clouds. As we headed north, we started to see the smaller mountains of the Alaska Range, but no sign of Denali. When we got to the first viewpoint in the Denali State Park, the skies had cleared a lot. It was sunny and warm, and we could see the base of Denali (aka Mt. McKinley), with its peaks just in the clouds. Penelope woke up from her nap, so we had a snack and then walked to the viewing area. The view was great. The peaks of Denali popped in and out of the clouds. Personally, I enjoyed some of the lower mountains more than Denali itself, which is tall and impressive nut not much to look at. I found the lower mountains more aesthetically pleasing, with their sharp peaks and rugged features. Overall, though, it was amazing. We finally got the great weather and great views that we had been hungering for the last few days.

After soaking in as much of the sun and views as we could, we drove 10 minutes up the road to a campground in Denali State Park, which extends off of Denali National Park. It is a nice, wooded campground, not just a parking lot like some of the RV parks. It is also the same place we plan to do some hikes tomorrow, so we should have a nice and leisurely morning tomorrow.

We cooked a totally RV dinner of rice and beans using the stove and microwave (powered by the built-in generator). We are starting to get the hang of the RV lifestyle. After dinner, it was bath-time then bed for Penelope. Now we are enjoying the beautiful, bright sunshine that makes it look like mid-afternoon despite being 9PM. Ah, the joys of Alaska.

We woke up this morning, got our RV in order, and then did a 5-mile hike around Byers Lake at the campground we were staying at. It was a pretty good hike, but the mosquitoes were out in force and made some sections miserable. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the mountains reflected in the lake, but the clouds did not cooperate. However, other than cloudy mountains, the weather was great, which was a welcome change. Along our hike we spotted some loons and a beaver in the lake. We also saw signs of moose and bears along the trail, but luckily we had no encounters.

After a quick snack, we drove 20 minutes north to a second viewpoint in Denali State Park. It was a good view, but unlike the day before, Denali stayed hidden in the clouds. Still, it was a nice spot for lunch and run around time for Penelope. Then it was on to Denali National Park. Penelope slept the 1.5 hour drive. Once at the park, we checked in for our campsite, then drove about 30 minutes along the park road to the Savage River campground. It is a nice area with wooded, spacious sites. One of the things we noticed as we drove north today was how the vegetation changed from dense forests to sparse trees and shrubs, a sign of how far north we have come. Savage River is a great example of the taiga and tundra environments, so different from the places we usually camp.

Once at our campsite, we started a fire and cooked dinner (BBQ chicken) over the fire. No microwave tonight. The weather was amazing: clear, sunny, and warm. It was great. We ate dinner outside, walked around a little, and let Penelope roam our campsite. This did lead to Penelope turning to Katie and saying "moose poop!" as she proudly held some scat in her hand. At least she didn't burn herself on our fire. After Penelope went to bed (which took a little extra work tonight, maybe because it is so bright, maybe because we let her have some chocolate for desert), Katie and I roasted marshmallows and had s'mores and enjoyed being outside in such a pretty location on such a warm and pleasant day. As always, the sun lingered high in the sky, providing warmth but altering our sense of time. Eventually some clouds (nice clouds, not rain clouds) came in and the temperature dropped quickly since it is so dry here. That brought us back into the RV. Now it is time to rest for a full day of exploring Denali tomorrow.

Today we ventured farther into Denali National Park. We caught a mid-morning shuttle bus for a 5.5 hour round-trip into the park. Some buses go even farther in, but we were already concerned that this bus ride would be long for Penelope.

After some difficulty getting Penelope's car seat installed on the bus, we settled in for our ride. Our final destination was Toklat River. Along the way, we saw grizzly bears (very far away), caribou, and Dall sheep. We also passed through some amazing scenery. The highlight of the trip was Polychrome Pass, which entailed a harrowing climb up a road that was right on the edge of an 800ft drop. At the overlook point, we got out and soaked in the amazing view. We also saw a fox nearby. There were some trails nearby that probably would have been fun, but we didn't have time with our bus.

At Toklat River, our plan had been to eat lunch, walk around a bit, then catch a later bus back (which might have meant waiting for one that wasn't full). However, when we got there, a storm had just blown in, nixing our plans for a lunch on the river bank. Given the uncertain weather and uncertain bus system, and lack of shelter, we decided to take our own bus back and had lunch on the bus after some leg stretching and photos at Toklat River. On the ride back, we all fell asleep, but we still saw some more animals and enjoyed passing back through Polychrome Pass. Penelope did really well on the bus, especially considering how long she had to be restrained in the car seat. A dose of Benedryl at the start probably helped, too. We certainly hope to come back when she is older and we can travel deeper into the park, but we got a nice taste of Denali, and Penelope seemed to have fun, too.

Back at camp, we had snacks, then went on a short hike out of our campground to Savage River and the Mountain View Loop, but the mountain was hiding in the clouds (luckily we had already gotten nice views of it the two days before). We started another campfire to cook our halibut dinner. The halibut was not as good as the salmon we had a few nights ago (mainly due to our limited spice selection), but the campfire gave it an extra special flavor. Then we played with Penelope, who enjoyed being outside and insisted on wearing just a T-shirt because she was "hot." After Penelope went to bed, we ate our last s'mores of the trip and burned the last of the wood. Our great Alaska adventure is coming to a close, but we are so glad that we saved the best, Denali, for last.

I'm writing this entry as we fly back to Seattle. Penelope is asleep in Katie's lap, so it is a good time to write. Yesterday was too busy.

We ended our time in Denali National Park with a 2.3 mile hike up Mt. Healy, an elevation gain of 1700ft to a final height of 3500ft. The hike was listed as strenuous, but that was an understatement. More likely, it would be strenuous without a toddler strapped to your back. By the top, I was exhausted, but it was a great hike. The weather was once again sunny, warm, perfect. We had amazing views of the park all the way up the trail, but looking away from Mt. McKinley, not toward it. Still, the mountain vistas were great. At the rocky top of the trail (a little shy of the top of the mountain), we stopped for lunch and photos. It was windy and cold at the top, but still sunny. Penelope played peek-a-boo with a ground squirrel that came to investigate us. Sadly, we left our phones in the RV, so no video of the Penelope-squirrel encounter. In addition to the squirrel, we saw a rabbit on our way up and down the trail. When it went away, Penelope said it was going to its "bunny house." Despite the exhausting steepness (or perhaps because of it), it was a really fun, great hike and the perfect end to our time in Denali. As expected, Penelope slept on the way back down the trail.

Back at the RV, we headed out of the park, back toward Anchorage. Our plan was to drive to ~1 hour outside of Anchorage so that we would have an easy drive back to return the RV and catch our flight. To help break up the drive, we stopped at the North and South Viewpoints in Denali State Park, which we had also done on our drive up. At the north viewpoint, Denali flirted with us a bit, but was mostly cloud covered. We didn't mind too much, though, because we already saw it.

At the South Viewpoint, we planned to have dinner (reheated BBQ chicken), but when we got there, Denali was in full view, so we put off dinner and soaked in the view. The south viewpoint had already given us the best views of the mountain, but this was even better. No clouds covering either peak and very nice evening light, too. Maybe I had been to harsh on Denali when I said I liked its neighbors better. With a full view, Denali was very impressive. We were so lucky to have stopped a second time.

After getting our fill of Denali, we went back to the RV and had our leftovers dinner. We had estimated our food needs well, and were mostly just finishing up the last of everything. After dinner, we went back for one last look at Denali. Amazingly, it was still in full view, and the air was nice and clear with only a few clouds around. Wonderful. We all said "Bye Mountain," then got Penelope ready for bed so that she could fall asleep in the car seat. Then we drove.

Originally we were going to stop in Houston for the night, since they had a nice campground with a playground for Penelope. However, we hit empty on the RV gas just before Houston, and then we couldn't find the Houston gas station (if there was one). So we drove past Houston to look for gas, but hit some really bad road construction. After getting gas, we didn't want to drive back through the construction, so we kept heading toward Anchorage in search of a place to stay. We ended up stopping at an RV park on the outskirts of Wasilla that was listed in one of our guidebooks. It turned out to be a bit of a dump, but for one night, we just needed a place to park.

Unfortunately, when we got to the RV park, Penelope woke up. We tried to get her back to sleep, but to no avail. She was up, so we let her roam around the RV while we started packing up. Then we all went to bed. Penelope had a lot of trouble falling back to sleep, so it wasn't the most restful night for us.

In the morning, we finished all our breakfast foods (and Oreos), then we finished packing while Penelope sat up front and "drove us to the airport." On the way back to the RV rental place, we stopped at a park on the outskirts of Anchorage so that Penelope could run around and play a little. Then we returned the RV. I usually never get the collision damage waiver on a car rental, but I'm glad I did for the RV. My little back-up incident would have cost us at least $500 (seems excessive, but whatever). The CDW cost $200 and reduced our deductible to $250, so overall, I saved at least $50. Well, that's my positive spin on it, anyways. RV returned, we headed to the airport. As I write, we will land in Seattle in about an hour, and Penelope will be well rested (she's still asleep on Katie's lap).

We had a great time. We are so glad we ended with Denali, because that was the best part of our trip. Kenai Fjords and Seward were great, too. And 9 days was the perfect length. A great trip, but we are ready to be home.