Exit Glacier
Day 3: Sunday, July 23, 2006
The Sea Life Center and Exit Glacier
The rain started on our drive down to Seward and the forecast didn't call for sun any time soon. We slept in and had a late breakfast. Since the rain deterred any major outdoor plans we might have had, we decided to check out the Alaska Sea Life Center. This research institution is funded by the Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement and is home to sea lions, harbor seals and a variety of sea birds and fish. We spent about 2 hours checking out the center and then headed north to Kenai Fjords National Park and Exit Glacier.
The Exit Glacier is one of the many extensions of the Harding Ice Field which covers about 500 square miles on the Kenai Peninsula. The trail that we took to the glacier was surrounded by lush vegetation and colorful flowers. The glacier itself is a vibrant color of blue — unlike any we'd ever seen. We hiked around the glacier, oohing and ahhing over its immense presence, then took the short hike back to the park entrance.
Even though it was still light outside, it was getting late. We headed back to Miller's Landing and called it a day.