Pat enjoying coffee by the pond

John, by the Alyeska Hotel pond

Friday, August 30, 2013...It was a lazy morning for us, allowing us to have time to enjoy the beautiful hotel facilities, relax by the pond with a cup of coffee, and enjoying the beautiful scenery.  Then we headed over to the tramway station to use our pass.  It was a speedy trip to the top of Mount Alyeska.  The views on the way up were wonderful, but were even more amazing at the very top.  The seven glaciers on surrounding mountains were beautiful to behold.  We found a great table with wonderful views of the Alyeska property, and enjoyed a light lunch.  We then made our way to the "Round Top" gift shop and ski museum.  We found some very unique, Alaskan made gifts, and also learned that Alyeska is hoping to be a Winter Olympic venue in the future.  On our way down, the tram driver explained that the trees that we were seeing are completely covered in snow in the winter....an average of 140 feet of snow per season!!  It makes for great skiing and snowboarding!  I don't think I'll try to come back in the winter!

 

Alyeska Tram

Summer bike and hike trail down Mt. Alyeska

There are seven glaciers in view of Mt. Alyeska

 

Four Star Hotel Alyeska

Glacier bowl

 

 

John and glaciers

Round Top Gift Shop and Ski Museum

Turnagain Arm, in the Cook Inlet from Mt. Alyeska

 

After descending the mountain we were just in time to climb onto our tour bus for the last time.  Bill would be driving us to the port in Seward to board our cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas.  On the ride we saw lots of beautiful glacial lakes, the Kenai River, a bear, and hanging glaciers in the area mountains.  We arrived at Port Seward at 4:00 PM and began the well organized embarkation process.  The Royal Caribbean agent went over our documents and printed out our new ship ID, then we headed aboard the ship and quickly found our state room, 9578, near the Centrum Library.  We had just completed the amazing "land" leg of our Alaskan adventure, and had been blown away with this amazing state.  The feeling that I had stepping out onto our state balcony led me to believe that this part of our adventure was only going to get better.  Let the cruise begin!!

 

 

Our home for the next seven days, Radiance of the Seas