I love it when family comes to visit, even if some are not directly related to me.  This past weekend my daughter and son-in-law came up with one set of his grandparents.  We had met them just one other time at their wedding.  We didn’t know them, but this was a great opportunity to get to know them!

They weren’t here a really long time, just 4 days, but we had a great time touring them around.  I enjoy getting out and playing tourist here in Alaska, even though I’ve seen most of it, I really enjoy the sights.  I also enjoy playing the tour guide a little bit as well.  There are so many fun places to visit and things to show people.

Because Alaska is huge and we only really had 3 days to tour around, my daughter and son-in-law picked the places they thought would be the funnest to visit as well as most memorable. 

So we went to Talkeetna on Sunday afternoon after Church.  The sun was out, the sky was clear, and they have a fantastic view of Denali and the Alaska range.  This summer it has been hit or miss with all the clouds, so to see it all on Sunday was so lucky! 

Monday we made our way over Hatcher’s Pass, stopping along the way to look at the mines and river.  We then made our way down to Anchorage and in to Whittier.  The train tunnel is always a favorite, and the fish coming up the rivers was impressive.  We were able to catch fish with our bare hands as the river was so thick with fish.

We then stopped at Portage lake so we could take a boat tour to see Portage Glacier.  We had a unique opportunity to see a bear swimming across the lake and then get up on the rocks and climb to the glacier to cross.  That was a new one for me as well as the Park Ranger on board.

We then continued on to Seward and made it on time for a late dinner and bed.  The next day we toured the Seward Sea Life Center, took in some sights and gift shops, and then headed back toward Girdwood for lunch with a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  We ended our day in Anchorage, dropping them off at their hotel late in the afternoon.

It was a whirlwind trip, but so fun to visit and share this place we love to live.  We’re so glad they came and so glad we got to be a part of their vacation!