Exit Glacier
Have you ever had a day where things just did not go as planned? The rain has really set in the past two days. It would actually be a ton of fun if we had the proper clothing to enjoy it, as the air temperature is not too bad at fifty degrees. Our biggest concern is making sure the baby stays warm, dry, and comfortable. On our way out of Seward we took a chance and ventured down the road to Exit Glacier. We were told the road was washed out from all the flooding, but we might be able to make it far enough to see the glacier. We are really glad we took the chance because the glacier was amazing. When the road is open you can actually walk up to and on Exit Glacier, which is enormous. The next time we are in the area we will definitely be taking the time for glacier exploration!
After our quick stop at the glacier overlook we started the long trek north back towards Anchorage. Our big event for the day was the air tram which would take us to the top of a mountain for fun scenery, wild life viewing, and hiking. Elijah was so excited and talked non-stop about the adventure. When we got to the tram I went in to talk with the attendant. The tram was running even though the rain was pouring. The air temperature on top of the mountain where the tram drops you off was 26 degrees with rain and snow flurries. During the busy season there is a restaurant at the top where you can do lunch, but during October the building is locked and there is no shelter to protect adventurers from the weather. So, when you step off the tram into the elements you better be prepared for them until the tram goes back down the mountain, which occurs every 30 minutes. I just could not see taking the family up and standing out in the elements for 30 minutes until we were allowed to come back down. Elijah, our three year old, had a hard time with my decision and declared he would go by himself and that we could wait for him to return if we would like to. He was not able to understand that we were not prepared to enjoy the conditions at the top of the mountain, but he did eventually come to terms with daddy making the decision for the group.
Full Contact Sleeping
We then decided to continue driving to Anchorage to find a hotel for the night. Our search for a hotel turned out to be quite lengthy. Every hotel I spoke with had the availability for the room I was requesting, but when I checked to make sure they were good with the number of kids we had they immediately either got silly with their pricing ($20 per child extra) or insisted we would require two rooms. I finally called one of the nicer hotels in town and spoke with Caleb the manager. Caleb, who comes from a large family, was awesome, and he knew exactly what I was asking for and how it was more than doable on our end. Caleb hooked us up and even gave us a big family discount for being completely open with our intentions. Our hotel suite turned out to be awesome with enough beds for all, so no one had to sleep on the floor!
