Determined not to waste a minute, we booked a last minute kayak trip in the Valdez harbor for the morning before we caught the ferry across Prince William Sounds. It took a bit for me to figure out the foot pedal and paddle coordination, but once we got going we saw some cool wildlife, including a bear, devouring a dish. (Note: No bears to be found in WSE, but as soon as we hit a sizable town, we find them dumpster diving and chowing down on fish in the harbor.)
We got pretty close, and I was feeling pretty safe in the kayak, assuming bears couldn't swim. I found out otherwise a little later on, but fortunately this bear was more interested in a fish breakfast than a human one. We also saw juvenile bald eagles and sea lions popping their head up. It was a great way to start the day.
Next we said good-bye to Valdez and boarded the ferry for Whittier.
Coming off the ferry we got stuck in an Alaskan traffic jam waiting for the tunnel to open because it would make too much sense for them to time the ferry arrival with the tunnel! This is AK afterall! Once on Seward, we finally splurged on a yummy salmon dinner! And gelato! Mmmm...
Best quote of the day came from a gluten free guy on the ferry, originally from Kansas, who told us that "living in AK is all about diligence and wool socks."
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