Day 3: Glacier Bay National Park – Johns Hopkins Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier & Bartlett Cove
There may have been a moment of self-doubt as we dragged ourselves out of bed just before 6 a.m. Did we really need to be up this early? As we rounded the corner to the bow of the ship, we knew we’d made the right call. Johns Hopkins Glacier was simply stunning, especially in the early morning glow. The chunks of ice in the water glittered like jewels and the glacier was bathed in hues of pink and blue. This is another massive tidewater glacier, at 12 miles long and 250-feet tall. It’s a very active one, we heard the sounds of “white thunder” (the glacier making thunderous cracking and popping noises) and saw occasional bits of ice calve off the face into the water below. It was a stunning experience. It’s amazing how long you can stare at a glacier and not get tired of it, but eventually it was time to move on.
The lounge was a hub of early morning activity as guests came in to warm up from the chill of the glacier with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa. As the captain pulled up anchor, we headed to the dining room, hungry for breakfast after the early morning wake up call. The daily breakfast special was eggs benedict topped with prosciutto and tomato tarragon dressing or a salmon cream cheese omelette. Since we couldn’t decide which dish to order, we went with the half-and-half combination so we could try both! That’s always a good choice if you’re not sure what to order. The kitchen staff is happy to accommodate this request.
About the time breakfast was over, we’d already arrived at yet another glacier. Yes, another one! We were still in Glacier Bay, but now situated at Lamplugh Glacier. This one was a bit smaller than the others we’d just seen, at only 150 feet high and 16 miles long. It had a craggy, blue face, just what you’d imagine a glacier should look like. The Wilderness Legacy was already pretty close to the face of the glacier, but this morning’s activities allowed us the opportunity to get even closer. The choices included a skiff tour, a guided kayak tour and a hike on the glacier itself. We were warned that only experienced hikers, those not afraid of heights, should attempt to climb the glacier.
Our family split up. Dad and daughter hopped into a kayak, while mom and son opted to go by skiff. While the kayaking group headed straight for the glacier, the skiff afforded us to see more of the area around it that included interesting geological formations, waterfalls and lots of birds. Then we zipped over to the glacier. The captain killed the motor on the boat so that we we could sit in silence, listening to the glacier. A piece of ice is noisier than you might expect. Our guide fished a chunk of the glacier out of the water so that we could all touch it. It was cold!
Speaking of cold, it was time for something special. We had to get back to the boat for the polar plunge! At one point during the week on most UnCruise Adventures in Alaska, guests have the opportunity to jump into the glacier water. The water is in the mid-40s. Brr. For that reason, our family was conflicted about whether to participate. Our daughter had done the polar plunge before and didn’t want to do it again, and our son was a bit scared by the prospect. Eventually we all came around to the idea and decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime family bonding experience. So we changed into our swimsuits, put on our life vests and headed downstairs.
We lined up behind a group of other passengers. Most of the participants were younger, nearly every child or teen on-board took the leap. When it was our turn, we stepped onto the Sea Dragon. The crew snapped a family photo, then we lined up along the back of the boat. It was then that we realized that nearly every passenger was watching us, lined up on the decks above us, looking down. No pressure, right? We counted down from three and jumped! I was only under for a few seconds, but it felt much longer as the water was so cold. The life vests helped pop us out of the water quickly. Then we scrambled back on board. The crew handed us towels and congratulated us for our bravery. We didn’t have much time to relish in our moment. For one it was freezing and it was also time for lunch!
Related: A Tween’s Favorite Moments in Alaska
We changed back into clothes and arrived at our table with wet hair. It was a badge of honor in the dining room and a point of conversation between the “hads”, and “had nots.” Lunch hit the spot! It was a shawarma served open faced with sautéed chicken, and hummus; and topped with tomatoes, feta, olive and cucumber salad, served with a side of Tzatziki. We had carrot bars for dessert. My teenage daughter had worked up an appetite from the kayaking so she ate two shawarmas and two desserts!
Apparently while we were dining, our crew was busy fishing out a large chunk of ice from the water. They set this “growler” (a piece of ice that breaks off from glaciers) on a tray in the lounge. Guests were challenged to guess when the ice would completely melt.
We sailed past a spot called “Gloomy Knob” where we watched mountain goats climb the face of the rock wall. Impressive to watch as there appeared to be little to grasp onto. Yet these precocious little goats slowly made their way across, undeterred by our watchful eyes.
During the afternoon, passengers were invited to participate in the Junior Ranger program. The caveat – in order to get a badge, the passenger must present a song, dance, poem or piece of original art. My kids weren’t interested. In all, just three passengers, a 5-year-old boy and two adult women shared their talents and earned their badges. We watched videos about Glacier Bay National Park, in advance of docking at the park’s visitor center.
For happy hour we munched on tortilla chips and artichoke dip as well as plates of meats and cheeses. Then it was dinner time. Tonight’s menu options were braised red wine short ribs, soaked overnight or rockfish with a saffron vanilla sauce. Dessert was Tres Leches.
As we dined, we watched our captain steer us up to the dock at Glacier Bay National Park. As soon as dinner was over, it was time to step off the boat for an evening hike through the park.
It was pretty awesome to experience a second day in Glacier Bay National Park, a place most people never get to visit even once, let alone spend two whole days exploring. It’s a huge park at 3.3 million acres, and a tricky location to to get to, making it one of the least visited of the national parks. We gathered in groups and headed out with our guides. Our guide Bobby had spent a lot of time in this place and was full of knowledge about it. It’s incredible to realize that the forest you’re walking through is just a few hundred years old, young in comparison to other parts of the area. There are just a few maintained trails in all of Glacier Bay National Park. There’s lots of signage and spots to stop and stare at the beauty around. We ended our hike at the whale exhibit. The skeleton of a humpback whale named Snow is on display. The nearly 4-thousand pound skeleton provides perspective on the size of the animals. Then we walked to the Huna Tribal House, belonging to the Tlingit clans.
We popped into the gift shop quickly and grabbed a few Glacier Bay Souvenirs (and snacks for our rooms), then used our few last moments on land to check email and texts! From there, it was back on the boat. All aboard was at 9:30 p.m. and we were quickly losing daylight.
KidTripster Tip: As already mentioned, connection to the outside world is very limited during your UnCruise vacation. If checking-in is a must, be aware that there is WiFi at the Glacier Bay National Park Visitor’s Center at Bartlett Cove. There are a few places where you can get a strong enough signal to quickly scan emails, or send a text to family.
Click on “4” below to read about Day 4 with UnCruise.
