Two guys and a Jeep: Day 19

Valdez is a harbor town so it seems natural to do something on the water. At the suggestion of our friend Shaggy from the campground, we embarked on an all day kayak trip to Columbia Glacier. Early in the morning we went down to the tour guide station to get suited up in rain boots and pants. Our guide, Mike (who happens to be from Chicago!) gave us a quick introduction to kayaking- it's not really that hard to get started. Then we hopped on the boat and rode two hours out to Columbia Glacier. On the way we saw a couple sea mammals including a group of sea otters, and a seal taking a nap on the buoy. He seemed annoyed by our presence but just went on sleeping as we passed him. Once we got there, we took out the kayaks and started paddling along the glacier. The water was filled with little floating icebergs. All around you could hear crackling sounds as the hundreds of pieces of ice slowly melted into the ocean. Something there would be a loud bang like thunder and one of the larger icebergs would split in two or sometimes completely flip over. It was an amazing experience being able to paddle through this field of ice while being surrounded by towering mountains . Halfway through we took a short break on an island to have lunch. Peaceful is the main feeling that comes to mind. The landscape was completely natural- a real wilderness. The same can't be said about the meal we had afterwards! We were starving after our trip so the Fat Mermaid restaurant was our first choice (the name should tell you something...). After a feast of halibut tacos, cheesy breadsticks, Hawaiian pizza, and jalapeño mussels, we were out for the night and ready to move on from Valdez.