The highlight of our Alaskan cruise

Mendenhall glacier, Alaska

   An Alaskan cruise is one of those "wow" vacations packed with adventure and beauty. The sights at each port on our round trip voyage from Seattle on Celebrity Solstice were like photographs waiting to be framed and hung on the wall.

   The highlight of our cruise came on day four. Day four took us to Juneau and the breathtaking Mendenhall Glacier. After laboring through the endless list of excursions months before, we finally made a decision on how we'd spend some of our time at this popular port. What made this excursion so exciting, was the way we would experience the mass of ice---by helicopter and by foot.

   Our two daughters, ages 9 and 12, looked forward to this excursion for so long.  Neither girl had ever been in a helicopter and none of us had ever seen a glacier, let alone walked on one!

    Our journey started with a short bus ride to the Temsco hanger where we watched a safety video.  We ditched our shoes for special boots made for walking on glaciers. Not knowing exactly how cold it would be, we bundled up in fleece and waterproof jackets, gloves and hats. (that later turned out to be a good move)

   Temsco employees put us into groups of six based on weight. Our family of four was riding with another couple. Coincidentally, we had met them on the ship a few nights before! As we stepped outside and waited to board the chopper, noise from the propellers silenced pre-flight conversations. We watched for the hand signal motioning us to the helicopter.  Single file, we walked to the aircraft in our assigned seating order. After meeting the pilot and buckling in, we were off!

   The Mendenhall glacier is 12 miles from Juneau so it didn't take long to get to the glacier.  The scenery was amazing as we soared to where the mountaintops meet the clouds.

Mendenhall Glacier

    The pilot showed us around the glacier by air before landing on it.  The textures and colors were gorgeous and I felt blessed to be able to see so much beauty from above.
    As we made our descent, I became even more excited. Now, we'd get to explore by foot! I stepped out of the helicopter onto the ice. I was a little nervous--would I wipe out? Would my kids? Thankfully, those special boots did their job--so did our jackets and gloves. The glacier air was cold and the wind whipped around us.
    We were free to walk around for a few minutes before gathering with the guides so I took that opportunity to capture some memories.

My husband and daughters taking in the sights.

   We spent the next 25 minutes or so listening to the guides and walking on the glacier. They were very knowledgeable and fun and even played photographer, taking family photos.  The guides recommended not taking photos while walking. That's because the glacier is filled with crevasses, some larger than others. Some of the crevasses are filled with crystal clear water.

Glacier water

   We were all invited to take a taste of the water. No cup required. I scooped the water with my bare hands.

   Our kids drank right from the source. (waterproof gloves come in handy here)

 
      As our time on the glacier came to and end, I paused to take it all in.
   

   We loaded back into the helicopter and rose once more above the glacier as the tour guides waved goodbye to us from below. None of us wanted this once in a lifetime excursion to end. This was worth every penny. Unforgettable.