{"id":128402,"date":"2017-08-01T06:38:21","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T04:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T12:07:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T11:07:23","slug":"alaska-travel-blog-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Alaska Travel Blog: The Best of America&#8217;s North"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lucy_sedi.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lucy_sedi.jpg\" alt=\"Lucy sitting in Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50750\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Welcome to our Alaska travel blog! Postcard-perfect mountains, turquoise lakes, and bluish glaciers opened up before us as we arrived on the Kenai Peninsula \u2014 the part of Alaska that we all know from those famous, almost kitsch photographs. The part of the land that, in our imaginations, represents Alaska as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>Before we officially entered the Kenai Peninsula, we stopped at the first port town of Whittier on Prince William Sound. The first words we read about this place with 200 residents were: &#8220;Whittier is weird \u2014 it&#8217;s a place like no other on Earth.&#8221; To get there, you have to pay about $12 to drive through a railway tunnel, and if you&#8217;re unlucky, you might wait up to half an hour because it&#8217;s single-lane only.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50739\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/whittier.jpg\" alt=\"Whittier marina Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50739\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">They say &#8222;It is shittier in Whittier&#8220; &#8211; the guidebook was lying again<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_1 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#The_Quirky_Port_Town_of_Whittier\" >The Quirky Port Town of Whittier<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#This_Is_the_Main_Street\" >This Is the Main Street?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#They_Wont_Rent_You_a_Kayak_on_the_Ocean_in_Alaska\" >They Won&#8217;t Rent You a Kayak on the Ocean in Alaska<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#How_the_Mormons_Tried_to_Convert_Us\" >How the Mormons Tried to Convert Us<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#Every_Evening_We_Cruise_Through_Towns_with_Other_RVs_Looking_for_a_Place_to_Sleep\" >Every Evening We Cruise Through Towns with Other RVs Looking for a Place to Sleep<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#Homer_Is_a_Town_of_Art_and_the_Spit\" >Homer Is a Town of Art and the Spit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#No_Gold_Mining_Here_but_Plenty_of_Gold_Diggers\" >No Gold Mining Here, but Plenty of Gold Diggers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#The_Most_Beautiful_Hike_of_Our_Lives\" >The Most Beautiful Hike of Our Lives<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/alaska-travel-blog-best\/#Planning_a_Trip_to_Alaska_Try_Our_Favourite_Guidebook\" >Planning a Trip to Alaska? Try Our Favourite Guidebook<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Quirky_Port_Town_of_Whittier\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_quirky_port_town_of_Whittier\"><\/span><b>The Quirky Port Town of Whittier<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It didn&#8217;t seem all that &#8220;weird&#8221; to us, though. We set off on a short three-hour hike to a glacier, wandered through the miniature community with its charming harbour and unusually blue water, where there really isn&#8217;t much to see, and then hurried back.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nUiaGcTizuw\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50751\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/ledovec_2.jpg\" alt=\"glacier Whittier Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50751\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The first REAL glacier we&#8217;d seen after three weeks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_Is_the_Main_Street\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_is_the_main_street\"><\/span><b>This Is the Main Street?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We set up camp just outside Hope, which we planned to explore the next morning for its &#8220;typical rural Alaska steeped in history.&#8221; That&#8217;s what our paper companion \u2014 our guidebook navigating us through this northern land \u2014 had promised. We didn&#8217;t discover much historical about Hope and started seriously doubting the quality of information our Lonely Planet was giving us. And so began one of our less successful days in Alaska.<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"0RBmYjSYOS8\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Charming little towns in Alaska: USA - Canada Roadtrip\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0RBmYjSYOS8?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"They_Wont_Rent_You_a_Kayak_on_the_Ocean_in_Alaska\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"They_wont_rent_you_a_kayak_on_the_ocean_in_Alaska\"><\/span><b>They Won&#8217;t Rent You a Kayak on the Ocean in Alaska<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We headed to Seward, where we wanted to go kayaking among the fjords and glaciers. It&#8217;s one of the most promoted experiences here in Alaska, and there&#8217;s no way to get there other than with a guided tour. If you&#8217;re not an expert kayaker, nobody will rent you a kayak for the fjords. And we&#8217;d only sat in one once or twice before. But it costs around $400 per person. We were already prepared to eat roots for the rest of the trip, because we didn&#8217;t plan on coming back here anytime soon and missing this would have been a real regret.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50752\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Valdez.jpg\" alt=\"Valdez harbour Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50752\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The turquoise harbour in Valdez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kayaking completely changed our plans. Unfortunately, the nearest available spots weren&#8217;t until several days later \u2014 Saturday. So we had to change our plans once again and go explore the rest of the Kenai Peninsula, coming back in a few days.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_Mormons_Tried_to_Convert_Us\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_Mormons_tried_to_convert_us\"><\/span><b>How the Mormons Tried to Convert Us<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Have you heard of the Mormons?&#8221; We were sitting in a public park in the City of Kenai after an exhausting journey, grilling freshly caught salmon. Two friendly Mormons joined us for about twenty minutes and told us how they&#8217;re sent around the world as missionaries. They&#8217;d just spent six months in Whitehorse, Canada, before being transferred here to Alaska.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50737\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/losos.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon City of Kenai Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50737\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All we had was salmon, so we went into the woods for firewood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Do you know the Bible? Well, it&#8217;s a bit outdated. We have our own Bible too, and since you&#8217;re so nice, we&#8217;ll give you one.&#8221; The Mormon pulled out a Bible and wrote his number inside. &#8220;If you ever need anything on your journey, just call \u2014 we have missionaries all across America.&#8221; They said goodbye. We kept the card and the Bible. It might come in handy in Utah.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50740\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/rybareni.jpg\" alt=\"fishing Alaska City of Kenai\" class=\"wp-image-50740\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Daily bread for Alaskan families &#8211; catching dinner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Every_Evening_We_Cruise_Through_Towns_with_Other_RVs_Looking_for_a_Place_to_Sleep\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Every_evening_we_cruise_through_towns_with_other_RVs_looking_for_a_place_to_sleep\"><\/span><b>Every Evening We Cruise Through Towns with Other RVs Looking for a Place to Sleep<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After booking our kayaks, we decided we wouldn&#8217;t sleep in campsites anymore and found a spot in a supermarket car park where we slept in the car. We certainly weren&#8217;t alone \u2014 we&#8217;d already noticed that as soon as eight o&#8217;clock hits, RVs and motorhomes start cruising around town looking for a free spot to park up for the night.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50755\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/chiquita.jpg\" alt=\"Chiquita our camper van Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50755\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Our Chiquita is more of a functional home than a luxury hotel, but we love her!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>These motorhomes are no joke, by the way. They cost around $300,000 and only get about one mile per gallon. And inside, they look like a hotel. &#8220;Compared to that, our bed in Red Chiquita is hardly luxury,&#8221; Luk\u00e1\u0161 commented when we first saw the hotel-grade bathrooms in these huge beasts roaming American roads.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Homer Alaska had something special, apart from the cold\" class=\"wp-image-50762\" title=\"\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homer had something special about it, apart from the cold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Homer_Is_a_Town_of_Art_and_the_Spit\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Homer_is_a_town_of_art_and_the_Spit\"><\/span>Homer Is a Town of Art and the Spit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"VbyauyaTNUE\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alaska Roadtrip: Most Beautiful Port Towns: Homer\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VbyauyaTNUE?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Homer is a little town of art. If you wanted, you could spend an entire day wandering through small galleries by local artists. That was our entertainment too. There&#8217;s not much else to do here \u2014 the surroundings are fairly flat and the weather isn&#8217;t the friendliest. Still, it&#8217;s worth visiting. There&#8217;s a thin strip of land jutting out into the ocean that they call &#8220;the Spit,&#8221; and at first glance you understand why. You feel like a stronger gust of wind or a bigger wave could sweep it away, and it&#8217;s hard to believe this scattered, thin, winding strip has managed to hold on in the water for so long.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Homer Alaska miniature galleries\" class=\"wp-image-50761\" title=\"\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homer is famous for its miniature galleries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When it&#8217;s not windy (which happens rarely), it&#8217;s pleasant to stroll along. This curious strip is lined with colourful fishing shacks, the air is a mix of fish and salt, and occasionally a sweet breeze drifts over from the local pancake house. People walk around with ice cream as if it weren&#8217;t about twelve degrees out. We arrived to perfect weather \u2014 sunshine, blue skies, and supposedly the highest temperatures of the summer. But even so, when we forgot our jumper in the car, we had to dash right back.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Seward Alaska perfect weather\" class=\"wp-image-50760\" title=\"\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seward greeted us with perfect weather \u2014 unfortunately it didn&#8217;t last<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We returned to Seward a day early so we could hike the Harding Icefield Trail, which is supposedly one of the most beautiful hikes in Alaska. But the blue skies had turned into persistent rain, the mountains hid behind clouds, and we spent our day crammed into one of the three caf\u00e9s in town with other tourists.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Harding Icefield Trail Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50764\" title=\"\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">We postponed the Harding Icefield Trail for two days because of the weather. It was worth the wait<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We were afraid the next day would be the same and ruin our whole kayaking trip. I couldn&#8217;t sleep \u2014 every raindrop hitting our car woke me up, and every splash stirred up frustration and sadness inside me.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_Gold_Mining_Here_but_Plenty_of_Gold_Diggers\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_gold_mining_here_but_plenty_of_gold_diggers\"><\/span><b>No Gold Mining Here, but Plenty of Gold Diggers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"veRo7JQ-8iQ\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alaska Roadtrip - Kayaking from Seward to a glacier I Loudav\u00fdm krokem\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/veRo7JQ-8iQ?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>At seven in the morning, it wasn&#8217;t raining. We sat ready for our biggest adventure in the office of the company taking us on the trip. There were only five of us, so we quickly boarded the boat and headed out to the ocean. The boat bounced on the waves, and soon we spotted the first whales. We watched these enormous creatures elegantly surfacing and spouting water. Almost as if they knew they were being watched, they swam around the boat while we stood frozen, mesmerised by this whale performance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50743\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/hvezdice.jpg\" alt=\"sea stars kayaking Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50743\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sea stars!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Paddling among small chunks of ice, watching sea lions and sea stars was an incredible experience, even though the sky was overcast and clouds hovered over the mountains. Nobody else around. We often think America has no history because we forget about the indigenous people. And that&#8217;s because they left no trace on the land. It remained untouched. But thousands of years ago, they saw it from their canoes just as we saw it on that cold day. This realisation filled me with a feeling of something almost sacred, rocking with five other people in a kayak, quietly observing the mighty power of nature.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50744\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lucy_ledovec.jpg\" alt=\"kayaking glacier Seward Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50744\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kayaking isn&#8217;t for the faint-hearted<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Most_Beautiful_Hike_of_Our_Lives\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_most_beautiful_hike_of_our_lives\"><\/span><b>The Most Beautiful Hike of Our Lives<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We still didn&#8217;t leave Seward after that. We hoped the next day would clear up and we&#8217;d be able to finish off the Kenai Peninsula with one more experience \u2014 the magnificent view of Exit Glacier, the only glacier accessible from the mainland.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m done with this. Let&#8217;s go.&#8221; I opened my eyes in the morning to dark clouds covering nearly all the mountains around us, the water in the harbour had changed from turquoise to grey as it reflected the sky, and on top of it all, it was starting to rain again.<\/p>\n<p>We were about to leave, annoyed at having lost part of a travel day, but then we decided it was on the way anyway and maybe the weather would be better 20 minutes down the road near the glacier.<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"8YPlf_xCR0k\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Most Beautiful Trek in Alaska: Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Peninsula\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8YPlf_xCR0k?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The car park didn&#8217;t look promising. &#8220;But look \u2014 it&#8217;s breaking up over there.&#8221; I pointed above the glacier. Dark clouds were everywhere, except right over our destination, where a patch of blue sky had appeared and sunbeams were dancing on the ice of Exit Glacier.<\/p>\n<p>So we set off. We took it at a killer pace. The hike was supposed to take 6\u20138 hours in total. We did it in 4. By the time we were a quarter of the way up, the sky was already clearing. Before long there wasn&#8217;t a single cloud, and we were enjoying blue skies that contrasted with the white glacier and purple wildflowers scattered all around. In the year we&#8217;d spent in North America, we&#8217;d seen a lot \u2014 but nothing as beautiful as this hike. When you reach the top, you&#8217;re supposedly treated to a view of what the Ice Age looked like. Harsh and breathtaking. Once again, we confirmed that the best things in life are free.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50745\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"931\" height=\"523\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/exit_glacier.jpg\" alt=\"DJI Mavic Pro Exit Glacier Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50745\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Exit Glacier \/ Shot with a DJI Mavic Pro drone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-50746\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skoro_nahore.jpg\" alt=\"Exit Glacier hiking Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50746\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The grandiose view of Exit Glacier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>A bonus hike that didn&#8217;t make it into the main story \u2014 one we did on the way from Homer to Seward:<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"yq4_gZu5fS0\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hiking in Alaska - Skilak Lookout Trail\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yq4_gZu5fS0?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Planning_a_Trip_to_Alaska_Try_Our_Favourite_Guidebook\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Planning_a_trip_to_Alaska_Try_our_favourite_guidebook\"><\/span>Planning a Trip to Alaska? Try Our Favourite Guidebook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/partner.mrtns.eu\/banners\/banner.js?type=banner&amp;brand_id=2&amp;uItem=145786&amp;size=full&amp;show_price=1&amp;color=white&amp;z=XLVD1V\"><\/script>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Postcard-perfect mountains, turquoise lakes, and bluish glaciers opened up before us as we arrived on the Kenai Peninsula \u2014 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":50750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Alaska Travel Blog: The Best of America's North","rank_math_description":"Explore our Alaska travel blog covering Kenai Peninsula, glaciers, kayaking &amp; Homer. Discover the best of America's north. Read our tips &amp; stories now!","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Alaska travel blog","rank_math_seo_score":""},"categories":[374,684],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-128402","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-north-america","8":"category-united-states-of-america-usa"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/lucy_sedi.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Lucie Kone\u010dn\u00e1","author_link":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/author\/lucie-konecna\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130776,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128402\/revisions\/130776"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}