Postcard-perfect mountains, turquoise lakes, and bluish glaciers opened up before us as we arrived on the Kenai Peninsula — the part of Alaska we all know from those famous, almost kitsch photographs. Before officially entering the peninsula, we stopped at the quirky port town of Whittier on Prince William Sound.

"You know we just smuggled across the border everything we confirmed we didn't have? A weapon (bear spray is considered a weapon), alcohol, fruit, and commercial products." Crossing from Canada's Yukon into Alaska turned out to be surprisingly smooth — and that was just the beginning of our wild Alaskan road trip.

It's been raining for three days straight. We're driving along what's supposedly one of the most beautiful highways in the world — the road to Alaska — but aside from a broken road and bears along the way, we haven't seen a single stunning view.