Monday, September 14, 2009

Glacier Bay


One of the prettiest stops on our trip was Glacier Bay, between Juneau and and Skagway.

The Swedish captain Gunnar parked the ship right beside Wharton Glacier on one of the prettiest days they have in Alaska.

I had reservations at La Trattoria, the Italian restaurant onboard with big picture windows facing the glacier.

It was so unusual the staff stopped to look too. It was a very special moment.

They had a local expert explaining what we were seeing and how it was formed.

"Welcome to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve!

The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve includes tidewater glaciers, snow-capped mountain ranges, ocean coastlines, deep fjords, and freshwater rivers and lakes. This diverse land and seascape hosts a mosaic of plant communities and a variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife and presents many opportunities for adventuring and learning about this unique and powerful place.

Dynamic Change

Glacier Bay's story is one of dynamic change in the wake of dramatic glacial movements. Glacier Bay collects many glaciers flowing from the tall surrounding mountains with abundant snowfall. As recently as 1750 a single glacier thousands of feet thick filled what is now a 65-mile long fjord. This glacial retreat has exposed a resilient land that hosts a succession of marine and terrestrial life. Here is an opportunity to see how the physical world shapes the biological."

We just sat there and enjoyed great food with one of the best scenes you could look at.

I hope you get a chance to do the same if you really want to.

Ed

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