Cruise the Inside Passage aboard the Statendam - (Glacier Bay National Park)
    We entered Glacier Bay early this morning but we slept in for the first time on the trip.  Unfortunately, later we heard that there were whales in the water of the narrow passage into the National Park and we missed them.  We sailed to the end of the Park waters, to an inlet holding the massive Margerie Glacier.  We guessed that it was at least 200-300 feet tall but the distances make size hard to gauge.   They pulled the ship up parallel to the glacier while the park rangers talked about the discovery of these glacier–filled inlets by Captain George Vancouver in his search for the Northwest Passage, the efforts to protect this unique area and its numerous glaciers, and what it means when the glacier “calves” chunks of ice the size of a house.  A strong wind kept us pretty chilled but, for nearly the first time on this cruise, the sun came out and made it possible to stand outside and watch.

Driving it Home
    We had seen glaciers before and I remembered them as being nearly pristine, blinding white or a frozen blue.  The glaciers we saw this morning had been grinding their way across and through the mountains surrounding them and some were so dark with gravel and silt that it was hard to recognize them as ice and snow.  Margerie Glacier had dark streaks but was a spectacular sight and we were rewarded with several large calves breaking off, echoing across the bay like rifle shots.  The entire bay, with its numerous inlets and both small and large glaciers, was quite beautiful.
    After leaving Glacier Bay, we headed on toward College Fjord, our final stop before we arrive in Anchorage on Sunday morning.  We aren’t due at College Fjord until 5:00 pm Saturday so we have two full days at sea. As a tip for those who might decide to take this cruise, keep in mind that ice floats in this water.  That is a clue!  I had packed what I thought were warm clothes (and they would have been if we were in the Gulf).  Not warm enough for open ocean this far north.  Bring warm clothes!
Montana Majestic Mountain T Tour
On The Road Again
Yellowstone then Home
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Runs great...
  ....Drive it home.
Runs great...
      ....Drive it home.
Margerie Glacier - Glacier National Park
Day 9 - Friday, July 2, 2010
Getting to Anchorage
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   Contact Us      About Ben & Nancy
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We don’t know how many glaciers there were in the park but it w
Nancy is really enjoying the veranda off our room.
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Many small icebergs floated in the bay.  This one was especiall
We came up on the higher deck after the boat turned and enjoyed
Even though this bay was part of the ocean and salt water, it w
This hardy group of ocean kyakers were spotted by Nancy along t
Nancy, far right, consults with Dr. Lee, a physician from Reno
A big splash is caused by a piece of the glacier about 40 ft ta
Pieces of the glacier that had fallen off flowed away like a ri
Someone with binoculars was scanning the shoreline and spotted
A  small boat with Glacier Bay National Park specialists came o