Alaska Adventure, Late August 2019 - Valdez, Wrangell St. Elias NP, Kennecott AK

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Kennecott

Still in Whittier, we check-in for our ferry ride to Valdez.  While waiting, the person taking our information receives a call asking if the boat can be held; the road from Cooper Landing, where we had been three days previous is closed due to the Swan Lake wildfire erupting again.  This also explains all the haze appearing in the Whittier area over the past day.

 

Valdez
Our six hour ferry ride to Valdez is the first of four in Alaska.  The Alaska Marine Highway parking lot is full of people and vehicles waiting to board the ship.  There are 9 different lanes of different size vehicles.

Alaska adventure, Mid to Late August, 2019 - Hope, Seward, Homer, Kenai, Kenai Peninsula, AK

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Glacier near Whittier

Passing through Anchorage we stop at the Marsh Bird Sanctuary.  There are only a few ducks swimming along the stream and ponds surrounding the boardwalk.  We also notice very few birders which should have been an indication that this is not necessarily the best time to visit.