Alaska UnCruise with the Family: Dawes Glacier

 After exploring Juneau and leading a hike up Mt. Roberts in drizzly rain, we woke up to the sound of ice scraping down the hull of the Wilderness Legacy. I woke with excitement for my family to experience once of my favorite places in Southeast Alaska, a huge fjord called Endicott Arm. It is a steep valley, filled with water and towering cliffs, created by a massive glacier called Dawes Glacier, which still sits about 26 miles into the fjord.

Southeast Alaska is one of the ultimate wilderness experiences. The entire day we didn't see another boat, person, road, or building. There are no ticket booths or lines. It is just you and nature. Which is quite unbelievable since the beauty of the place is greater than any national park in the lower 48 states. It is like if you took Yosemite National Park and flooded it with the ocean. I still can't believe that I got to experience this with Heidi and the kids, when they were so young! Catalina is 5, Fisher 3, and Dela is only 1 year old on their first expedition cruise to Alaska.

We got as close to the glacier as we could with the Wilderness Legacy, then launched our small zodiacs for skiff tour around the ice. Giant chunks of ice, that had fallen off the glacier, now lay scattered across the fjord. Several harbor seals were seen lounging on top of the ice, including new baby seals. Orca don't venture back here too often so it is a great place for the seals to relax and give birth on the ice.

The beautiful Wilderness Legacy, surrounded by ice in Endicott Arm

    We also checked out towering waterfalls, created by snowmelt, thousands of feet high on top of the cliffs. It is an otherworldly place, and I feel so privileged to share it with my family. After our zodiac tours and lunch back on board, we explored a side bay created by another glacier called North Dawes. This time we explored by kayak. I will never forget the site of a mom and cub bear, standing up looking out as us from the grassy shore, with my three year old son in font of me. I quietly asked if he saw the bear, and he replied, "yes, and I saw the cub too!"

Fisher leading the adventure in North Dawes

Amazing place to explore together

Harbor seals keep a wary eye on us from their floating ice platforms

Dawes Glacier

I'm not sure how much the kids will remember about this trip, especially Dela, but for me it a chance to share one of the places on Earth that I love the most, with my family. That is something I will never forget.