Category: Swim

Aialik Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Kenai Fjords National Park has the unique position of being one of the few national parks where the majority of its land is covered by ice. Because of its location, the easiest way to explore this national park is actually by boat, which is the reason Mountain Dad and I took a cruise through Resurrection Bay with Kenai Fjords Tours.

Aialik Glacier
The weather was wet, cloudy and cold, and I was very glad that I had purchased a rain jacket just the day before. Because of the stormy weather, the water was really rough as we crossed into the open ocean outside of Resurrection Bay. The four to six foot swells and ten to twenty knot winds were enough to make Mountain Dad quite queasy. To me it felt a lot like a roller coaster, not a sickness inducing traumatic event, only because I took motion sickness medicine beforehand.
Along the way out of Resurrection Bay we were lucky to find a pod of Orcas, or Killer Whales swimming out to sea. I’m impressed by their matriarchal society, with grandmothers being the ones to call the shots. Through out the day long cruise we saw a lot of wildlife including Oystercatchers, Comerants, Tufted Puffins, Puffins, Orcas, Dalls Porpoise, Sea Stars, Mountain Goats, Seagulls, and even a Humpback Whale. Zoom in close to the rocks near the water to see some harbor seals.

The highlight of the Kenai Fjords National Park cruise for me was watching the Aialik Glacier do its thing. This tidewater glacier morphs daily as huge chunks of ice break off and plunged into the water below. It was a spectacular view of nature’s forces at work, and one of the main things we wanted to see in Alaska.

The beautiful scenery, wildlife sightings and glacier experience were pretty amazing, but what topped off the trip was a stop on fox island for a prime rib and salmon buffet and a park ranger chat. It was a great end to a wet day on the water. Although pricey, the boat trip to see such an incredible part of the world was worth it.
Price: $172 Adults / $86.00 Children (2–11), plus tax and fees
Time: 8-9 hours, includes lunch and dinner
Tips: Shorter and cheaper cruises are available as well as day cruises with different companies. Kenai Fjords Tours did not sponsor this post in anyway.

Better than the Aquarium: Tide Pools at Carpinteria State Beach, CA

I have a thing for starfish. I find them beautiful and fascinating, even more so when I can see them in their natural environment. One of the coolest, mind-blowing experiences I’ve had this year was watching sea life in the tide pools at Carpinteria State Beach in Southern California.

Maybe I find these animals so amazing because they are not part of my daily life. As a mountain mom, I grow tired of seeing deer, wild turkeys, blue jays and hummingbirds. They’re always around. But sea stars, anemones, crabs and harbor seals? That’s something to see.

On our visit to Carpinteria State Beach tide pools little g was most excited to find this baby sea star hiding in the sea weed, but my favorite animals were farther out – the harbor seals that rest on the rocks near the shore. Below is a photo, but you have to look closely – their camouflage is pretty good.

Finding different kinds of wildlife gave me a chance to see nature through the eyes of my children. Watching anemones curl into themselves, and explaining the empty crab shells we found on the beach, gave me the chance to explain what a food chain is.
Encouraging little g to touch with care, and look for snails under the shells she found gave me a chance to watch exploration and discovery through her eyes. Having Big E tell ME what camouflage means made me realize that kids pick up a lot without me even really trying.

 

Exploring the tide pools at Carpinteria State Beach was better than any trip to the aquarium. Not only did we get to see unique and interesting wildlife in their natural habitat, but we got to explore and discover new things as a family.
Read about last year’s Carpinteria adventures here and here.

 

Green River, Dinosaur National Monument, Jensen, Utah

If we had more time at Dinosaur National Monument I would’ve loved to raft the Green River through the area. As a river guide in college, Mountain Dad introduced me to the world of inflatable kayaks and rafts, and although river trips still scare me, they can be a lot of fun.
We’ve run the upper section of the Green River near Flaming Gorge Reservoir in the past, where the water is fairly mild and the sheer rock cliffs on either side of the river make for some beautiful scenery. On this trip to Dinosaur National Monument, however, we had to make due with a picnic at Green River Campground and splashing in the water at Split Mountain Boat Ramp.
It was the perfect end to our Dinosaur National Monument adventure, because who doesn’t like to get their feet wet after a hot day the sun? The 2 mile one way River Trail also begins here, a lovely trail along the Green. For more info on rafting and hiking in Dinosaur National Monument click here.

Sliding Rock, Alpine, Utah

Tucked among the subdivisions of Alpine, Utah is a secret swim spot that’s a favorite with the locals. The hike there is an easy stroll along a mostly paved but traffic free road, to a beautiful end result – a natural water slide.

To get to Sliding Rock the whole family headed North on Alpine’s Main Street and turned left on Fort Canyon Road. We followed the curves in the road for about a mile and a half until we reached a metal gate on the north side of the road. The sound of flowing water from nearby creek, plus the other cars parked along the road signaled that we had arrived.

As we passed through the gate to start our hike, I immediately wished I had brought a bike. The trail began as gravel but quickly changed to asphalt and the lack of shade would’ve been less noticeable with a biking breeze in my face. Big E and little g survived the uphill trek well, but we were excruciatingly slow thanks to little g’s tiny stride and resistance to being carried.

One mile up the well defined trail we reached our destination – Sliding Rock! Water spills over rocky slopes creating a fun water ride into a cold pool below.

Playing in the water was so fun, but I also made sure to keep a close eye on the tots as there were some ledges to the south of the water slide area.

Mountain Dad was like a kid himself, scrambling up the sides to slide down the slick rock surface. And just so we’re clear, it doesn’t hurt your backside to enjoy this trip.

The return hike was a pleasant downhill stroll past trees and wildflowers. The perfect end to the perfect summer afternoon.

Sliding Rock
Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy hike, Moderate scrambling required at the sliding rock
Tips: Stay on the pavement until you reach the water. At the fork in the road take the right.