Day 2: Coastal Drives, Glaciers

Day 2 (Sunday): Coastal Drives, Glaciers, and Wildlife Wonders

After a hearty and delicious breakfast at Middle Way Cafe, we explored downtown and greater Anchorage by car. The city surprised us with its size—bigger than we expected—with tall office buildings and modern hotels. We were especially impressed by the abundance of pedestrian and cycling greenways that weave through scenic parts of the city. Anchorage feels like a place that values access to nature. I must be candid and mention that the poverty here is very noticeable. Most of the retail shops lock their bathrooms for customer use only, and we saw an almost innumerable number of people experiencing homelessness who were sleeping on sidewalks, under bridges, and more. We witnessed several who appeared to have obvious mental challenges, drug abuse challenges, or both. You often hear about this kind of thing in AK, but seeing it was sobering.

Once we finished up downtown, we hit Alaska Highway 1, and our day of coastal adventure began.

Our first stop was Potter Marsh Boardwalk, a beautiful wetland wildlife lookout just south of the city. We were treated to a National Geographic–worthy scene: a bald eagle feeding her young, large hawks soaring above, and a pair of stunning belted kingfishers darting through the marsh. It was a peaceful, immersive encounter with Alaskan wildlife.

Next up: Beluga Point, where we had incredible views of the Turnagain Arm. The tide was out, so no beluga whale sightings this time, but the panoramic views of water and mountain were more than enough to make the stop worthwhile.

We continued to Portage Glacier and hiked part of the Blue Ice Trail. The turquoise water—cradled between jagged peaks—was breathtaking. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel small in the best way possible.

After a full day of driving and trail walking (with weather hovering around a cool and cloudy 60 degrees), we headed back to Anchorage for dinner at a cozy Mexican restaurant, followed by ice cream at the world’s northernmost Tastee Freez—a sweet ending to a beautiful day.

I crashed early tonight—still adjusting to the time zone and feeling the effects of all the fresh air and movement. But in just a couple of hours, we’ll board the Alaska Railroad for a two-hour ride through the wilds to Whittier, where we’ll set sail on the Norwegian Jade for seven days of glaciers, fjords, and unforgettable ports.

Alaska is already living up to the hype—and we’re just getting started. 😊もっと詳しく