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.