Day 2 in Alaska Sunday Anchorage Bus tour

• Had breakfast at the Country Kitchen across the street from Days Inn. Good b-fast, but things are pretty expensive here in Anchorage. I think I am in the tourist trap area :)
• Walked to the Hotel on 3rd Avenue and on the way took a picture of Balto, the sled dog who is the inspiration behind the Iditarod. This was on 4th avenue which was heavily impacted by the Good Friday Earthquake back in 1964 (9.2 on the richter scale, the biggest earthquake ever in North America).
  

• The bus left at 9:30am and we drove along Ship's Creek. This is where the city started back in about 1913 as a railroad depot for the Alaska Railroad. Ships were being used to bring in the supplies for the construction of the Railroad. They still fish for Salmon out of this creek because they come here to spawn.

• On to the Alaska Native Heritage Museum where all the native "cultures" are described. This was good but not great, don't know if it was because it was still early on Sunday and everyone was tired or what but the young interpreters (Alaskan natives) were very interesting and did a great job answering questions. Along the highway to the Museum we saw a Momma Moose and her calf.

• Bus went back to the Hotel and we changed buses and started to drive out of the city towards Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm. This was beautiful and the Alaska you envision from the brochures. The mountains (Chugach range) rise spectacularly from the inlet of the Turnagain arm and their is all kinds of birds and wildlife. We saw a bald eagle being chased by some artic terns. This is also where you can spot Beluga whales and Dall Sheep. The bus ride took us to the town of Girdwood (this is where Senator Ted Steven's had his infamous chalet built) Alyeska ski resort and the tram ride to the top of the ski slope. The views from the top are breath-taking. You rise from an altitude of about 250 feet to about 3,500 feet. The Tram ticket comes with a complimentary lunch at the top.

• We then went further along the Turnagain Arm towards the Begich-Boggs Visitor center which is on Portage Lake. Visitor center gives good interpretation of glaciers. Next to the Visitor's Center is the Days Lodge, a gift shop and cafe. Had an ice-cream cone and back in the bus to the Portage Glacier tour on the ship, Ptarmigan (named after the State bird - the Willow Ptarmigan and I think this is how Sarah came up with her daughter's name- Willow). Simply AMAZING !! This is a glacier lake and as you turn the bend you come face-to-face with the Portage Glacier. Definitely include this on your tour!! We lucked as the weather was phenomenal and the guide told us that 8 out of 10 days it rains at this lake as you are actually in a temperate rain forest. The pics below do not do it justice, the face of the glacier is actually 300 feet tall. The lake has a bluish hue from all the silt and nothing lives in the lake because no photosynthesis can take place because of the silt. AMAZING !! The glacier "calved" as we were there, this means pieces of it break off and fall into the lake. Never seen anything like it.

• Off to Denali today and if anything like yesterday I can't wait !!