Alaska 2008 Sea Kayaking

So a few months ago I took my wife Zanna whitewater kayaking down the Provo River. We had a great time. That evening we were telling Richard, my father-in-law, about our experience and how how we thought he would like kayaking, especially sea kayaking, which my wife and I do as often as we have the chance. Next thing we know Richard is on-line looking up places to go sea kayaking. We ended up booking a 3-day trip to Fox Island through Kenai Fords Tours. Having worked in Alaska I knew this was the trip for our group.

It had to be a quick trip due to time constraints put we flew into Anchorage Alaska on Monday August 18th and arrived home Friday August 22nd. Tuesday the 19th we got a rent-a-car and drove to Seward Alaska on the beautiful and renowned Hwy 1. We hopped on a boat in Seward which took us out to Fox Island and an all you can eat Salmon cook out. It was fantastic. The boat continued it's tour but we along with only a handful of people stayed on the Island. It was magnificent! We got a small room which was quaint but had all necessary amenities including hot water, flushing toilets and clean sheets. It was perfect.

That afternoon and evening was our free time. We hiked up the only trail on the island which was about a mile long rough trail straight up the mountain behind the resort. Along the way we picked ripe wild raspberries and blueberries. The view from the top was incredible! Mountains in every direction, vast glacier fields, and plenty of blue ocean in between. That evening with the other 12 guests who would be staying overnight on the island, we ate an amazing meal prepared by the chief. This was five star dining with an unprecedented view. To end the day we walked along the beach skipping rocks and looking for starfish during the low tide. Due to my experience kayaking, I even got to go for a short kayak trip with the employees. It was a great day. Zanna and I who are used to roughing it in the woods were enjoying it immensely yet it paled in comparison to my father-in-law and mother-in-law who are used to big city hotels. It was a perfect combination of the wilderness experience and five star resort treatment.

Wednesday was the kayaking day. After another delectable breakfast by the chief, we signed the waivers and got geared up. My mother-in-law was very nervous especially after dropping her kayak and watching it slide down the beach into the ocean. We easily retrieved it, calmed her down and off we went. It was a bit windy as first but the skies were clear, the temperature was nice, and it was just a great afternoon. Our only break was pulling over on a beach and having lunch. If you have never been sea kayaking in a wilderness location such as Alaska, it should be on your list. Pure bliss! Especially the rope swing off the docks after kayaking all day!

Dinner and breakfast were unbelievable again. It tasted like we were eating at the Chief's Table in Orem just with a way better view. After breakfast another boat came out to pick us up. This one took us on an 8 hour glacier and whale watching cruise. It was a little more overcast this day but we ended up sea lots of beautiful wildlife including Puffins, Cormorants, Bald Eagles, Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Dal Porpoises, and Humpback Whales. The only thing we didn't see were Orca's which was a little disappointing but Northwestern Glacier which we did see was spectacular! Nobody got very sea sick and it was fantastic. That evening in Seward we visited some old stomping ground of mine at Apollo's Restaurant. (I lived and worked in Seward during the summer's of 2003 and 2004.) It was a great way to end the trip. We drove back and slept in Anchorage tht night and flew home on Friday. If anyone wants to see Alaska but do it in style, this is your trip. All four of us had a wonderful time. Pretty much all of my time in Alaska has been amazing but this trip was had the least stress, best food, and some of the most beautiful views. Cheer's to Alaska!