Kayaking in Whittier

After securing housing and jobs, I set about exploring the nearby wonders of Alaska. Playing in the ocean near Anchorage is dangerous due to the tides and mud flats, so you have to drive a bit to put your sea kayak in the water. We decided this apartment was going to work based on the fact that the kayaks could fit inside if we leaned them on the kitchen counter. The rudders hang over the kitchen counter. Luckily there is ample counterspace, so it all works out okay.

Unfortunately, my kayak was damaged on the journey north due to some overzealous strapping to the rack action, so we used a rental from Alex's work. The drive to Whittier is short, as long as you hit the tunnel when it is open to traffic going in your desired direction. I love the idea of a shared resource, but not when I have limited exploration time.

The town itself is pretty small with some very interesting stories, mostly due to it's isolation. The state ferry accesses the town during the summer, as do cruise ships who disgorge their passengers onto the trains and buses. There are also a couple good food places as well as kayaking outfitters. And one cool shop with local handmade goods. I bought a scarf there for $30 and it is so cool I'm wearing it now instead of one that I knit. The alpaca fibers are from the owners animals and they are super soft.

Eventually we got on the water.

Can you guess why there was some lollygagging about town first? It was cold! I mean numb your ass while Alex decides he wants to rock fish and you can't paddle around while he does this cold. This was May and is apparently normal weather.

The other highlight of this trip was this really cool sea bird rookery. There were thousands of birds congregated here to lay eggs and the noise was deafening.