Thursday, March 5, 2009

Outside Anchorage

One of the best things about Alaska is its natural beauty. It truly deserves the nickname "The Last Great Frontier." Although cities have sprung up throughout the state, there are still many people living in the wilderness as they have for centuries.

Chugach Mountain Range




The Chugach Mountain Range welcomed me as I walked off the plane in Anchorage and because of its position along the Gulf of Alaska, there is more snow in Chugach than any other place in the world. Unfortunately when I landed it was cloudy, so I could make out the mountains but I couldn't see much of them. On the way back from Resurrection Bay, we encountered beautiful snowfall driving through the Chugach Mountains.

Resurrection Bay

Located on the Kenai Peninsula, Resurrection Bay is probably most famous for being featured in the opening of The Hunt for Red October is home to a large amount of wildlife. Today the captain of Chugach, our cruise ship, did not disappoint us. We saw a Pacific North Humpback Whale which he thought was the first one of the season. We also saw sea otters playing around and a whole pod of Orca or Killer Whales. A mother and baby came right up to our boat and had everyone aboard running to and from the deck (it was really cold outside) to try to get the best photos.


Pacific North Humpback Whale

Sea Otters

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