NORTH TO ALASKA 2025 - DAY 64 - LOOKING FOR WHALES, ANCHORAGE, MATANUSKA GLACIER

We decided our next adventure would be trying to spot some whales at Beluga Point on the Turnagain Arm.  We looked up the tide tables and planned a visit to the lookout point at high tide. That's the best time because they come in with the tide chasing the fish.

We packed up and left Tenderfoot Creek in plenty of time after breakfast.  It was a cloudy icky looking day, as we drove east and north up to the Turnigan Arm.  We made a quick stop again in Girdwood to partake of their free potable water faucet over by the fire station. We also popped into their little grocery store and restocked with items that we were low on. That way we didn't have to battle any of the big stores in Anchorage later that afternoon. 

We headed north on the Seward Highway and worked our way up to the Beluga Viewing Point.

We found a great spot to park the motorhome and started watching out of the windows from the warmth inside. It was windy and damp outside. 

We looked and looked for about 2 hours. A lot of other vehicles stopped and looked and took pictures too. But nobody saw any whales. It was noted that yesterday there was a female and a calf that were in the area. But today they were nowhere to be seen. Guess they didn't want to come back with the new tide.

While waiting, we also cooked up a nice lunch of tacos.  Steve browns up the hamburger meat and I cut up all of the other ingredients. Then we kind of leave it set out like a taco bar, and assemble each to our own preferences.

Actually, the tide started rolling out. We put away our stuff from making lunch and decided to tackle getting through Anchorage before rush hour. 

The problem with driving through Anchorage is there are no bypasses or alternate routes. It's one highway right through the smack dab middle of town! 

We managed to hit the major part of town about 2:00 p.m. That wasn't so bad. It was more like driving through the middle of Green Bay with lots of stoplights and lots of chain stores and lots of crazy drivers pulling out right in front of you.

Some really dark storm clouds were rolling in and it looked like it was not going to be a very pleasant afternoon.

We headed on further east on the Glenn Highway. We made it through Palmer and headed further east into the beautiful mountains of the Chugach National Forest. It felt so good to be up in the mountains again and out of the crowds. 

Make no mistake, we are glad we visited the Kenai Peninsula and went all the way down to the Homer Spit. But the tourist crowds and the traffic was not to our liking. We really enjoy getting back out into the quieter areas. As we head further east, the traffic lightened up and we were soon traveling along admiring all the scenery on both sides of the road.

The next stretch from here to Tok is going to be a " repeat" for us of doubling back on the route we had originally come in on. It is about a 300 miles stretch, where we will basically see the same things. But Steve said we'll be seeing them from a different angle because we'll be coming from the opposite direction! He has such a good outlook. 

We drove on through Chickaloon, which is the area where we got our windshield chip on the way west. No chips this time! It was flat clear pavement and no gravel when it happened. Figures. An oncoming car kicked up a rock and we got it right in the windshield last time.

We drove as far as Matanuska Glacier. We had stayed here on the way West and we figured it would be a good spot to stay again on the way east. It's a state recreational area and cost $25 a night. They are beautiful individual sites tucked into the woods and you don't see the next camper because of the heavy brush and tall trees. There are outhouses and a pitcher well pump and a dumpster. There are no hookups, but it's right next door to the big glacier viewing deck which is a plus.

We got settled in for the night after a long day of driving.  We also pulled out the maps and went online and figured out more about our route home. We are looking at taking the Cassiar Highway and having less doubling back on the same routes.  The dark blue line is our route that we had already taken. The lighter turquoise line is our proposed route home...

The next morning, the rain was gone! We were excited that we were going to actually see Matenuska Glacier from the viewing deck with good clear skies!

Can you imagine waking up, pulling up the shade and looking out the bedroom window at scenery like this?

This is the kind of camping we enjoy, compared to parking in a lot like we did down in Homer! The birds were singing and the sun was peeking through. It's time to get breakfast cooking and head over to the viewing platform and see what we could see of the glacier...

WOW!!!!

The morning lighting was perfect. The glacier seemed to be glowing white as if it were all fresh brand new snow. Actually, this glacier is 30,000 years old. 

The sun was up and warming the chilly air around us. It was so beautiful to sit on the viewing platform, all alone, and watch the morning light spread across the valley.

How many times have I said how much I love love love my camera? Steve bought it for my birthday just specifically for this trip. I was able to zoom in and really catch the details of the ice on the glacier.

What is amazing is that this glacier looks so fresh and clean and white. The clouds passing overhead made it look gray in the back section, but they were rolling back off the mountain sides and clearing the way for a bright sunshiny day. 

As I zoomed in, I could see the craggy ridges and peaks of the glacier. I could not imagine ever trying to traverse such a thing. It's like you would be mountain climbing over every little ridge just to go a short distance.

I am in awe of how close this camera can get me. It's like seeing the details and not having to cross over dangerous terrain to get to experience the textures and the facets of the glacier.  It's amazing to watch the sunlight dancing off the various parts and planes.

It's a shame that these glaciers are melting so fast. Too fast. They are rapidly receding.  I wonder what's going to happen next with this type of natural resource?

Steve had his binoculars, and I had the camera lens to let my eyes play over the different areas of the glacier. It was amazing to see how this huge slab of ice is crumbling and sliding forward over the centuries. And now it's melting and receding.

I know I know I know, how many pictures can you take of a stupid glacier?

But the way I look at it, it was the one and only time I was going to be standing in this particular spot, with my camera, looking at it. Why not preserve it in my memories with a photo? Or lots of photos?

I think that sadly, someday, this will all be gone. I'm so glad that we have the opportunity now to see it. It may just look like a photo of some chunks of ice next to a mountain. But in reality it is humongously huge, and I am in awe.

Here's the video that goes along with today's blog: 

178 miles traveled today 

5329 miles traveled so far