Olympic National Park | National Park #67

Last Saturday I visited my 67th National Park - Olympic National Park! I wasn't sure what to expect. Visiting the Olympic peninsula in February could have been a terrible choice. To be on the safe side I rented a four-wheel drive vehicle and was mentally preparing for the worst. I just had to get there, see a bit, and take a hike. I was imagining it would be similar weather to what I encountered in Denali.

Instead, I was delighted to find a spring-like day with temperatures reaching the 50s and clear roads even on the mountains. I guess the 4Runner I was driving was overkill. An economy car would have suited us just fine. But at least we looked like we were ready for an adventure.

I got to share my passion for National Parks with my friend Kristen on this adventure. She was a fantastic navigator and kept me from driving too far in the wrong direction (which I started to do shortly after we left the ferry). It was great to have a travel companion or "bear bait" as I referred to her that day.

By now you're probably sick of reading about my adventures, so I thought I would bring you along this time. Check out the video below for our day in review! Click the gear icon and select 1080 to watch it in HD. Select the Full Screen icon to expand it.

It's a big world out there. Go. Live.

Sailing Seward | Alaska Part 3

After my near all nighter and a couple hours of sleep, it was time to head south to Seward, Alaska. I had heard that this drive along appropriately titled Seward Highway is one of the most beautiful I will ever take in my life. So I wanted to really take my time and make lots of stops along the way.

I was hoping for a bright sunny day to enjoy the scenery. Instead I got clouds, fog, and some snow. But something about getting snow in Alaska just felt right, so I didn't mind.

After picking up my pick up truck, I was off. My first stop was right outside of Anchorage back at the place we had been photographing the lunar eclipse the night before, Potter Marsh. Potter Marsh is a bird sanctuary with boardwalks meandering through a wetland. I didn't see many birds, but I enjoyed the scenery.

I made several other stops on the drive south to take in the views of Turnagain Arm, glacial lakes, and other beautiful vistas.

 

Before I reached Seward, I visited my 59th National Park Site with a visit to Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. Exit Glacier is the only part of Kenai Fjords accessible by land. After the turn off on Seward Highway, I expected to see the glacier at anytime, but in reality I had to drive about 10 miles along what I thought was a river, but I now know it to be a glacial runoff stream. Soon, across that stream, I saw my first glacier!

After a short walk from the parking lot, I found myself overlooking the Exit Glacier. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Glaciers are HUGE!  Up close it looked like marshmallow fluff with blue raspberry syrup mixed in. The blue color is there because the structure of a glacier reflects blue light. I really wanted to walk on the glacier, but you're not allowed to do that.  Glaciers are constantly moving and cracks, otherwise known as crevasses, form. Clearly a stroll on a glacier is not something I should do.

I still wanted to touch it. I wanted to know what it felt like. How dense is a glacier? Does it just feel like densely packed snow? That's what it is. A glacier forms when more snow falls in a year than melts. It piles up and piles up and the snowflakes at the bottom are compressed into crystals known as firn before becoming glacial ice. Exit Glacier is one of several glaciers stemming from what is known as the Harding Ice Field. The Harding Ice Field easily gets more snow per year than what melts. In fact it can get up to 70 feet of snow. Yes, you read that right. FEET. 70 feet of snow per year. So stop complaining about your winter...

I found a path into the outwash basin (home of the same glacial run off stream I could see from the road) and wanted to walk to the edge of the glacier, known as the toe of the glacier. However, it was getting dark and the few people I saw at the Exit Glacier overlook were leaving. I decided that walking a stream bank alone, in the dark, in a place with rapidly changing weather patterns wouldn't be my best move. So I headed for Seward.

It's amazing how a typically charming town looks sketchy on a dark and rainy night, but that was my first impression of Seward. I found my hotel but drove around looking for a place to eat dinner. I finally decided to just head to the supermarket then back to the hotel for a dinner of cup-o-noodles and a lunchable. Yes, I promise I'm an adult despite my eating habits.

The next day I had a wildlife sightseeing tour with Major Marine. I was excited to see some wildlife, but I kept my excitement in check because it was a three hour cruise. I've heard this story before.

I was early for the tour, so I hung out in the port area watching a sea otter swim and eat. This little guy was crunching those shells loud!

Unfortunately, I didn't see any whales on my cruise, but I did see sea lions and bald eagles.

We came close the other side of Kenai Fjords National Park where we could see icebergs floating in the water. The glaciers I saw here also were formed from Harding Ice Field. These icebergs are actually chunks of glacier that fell off, or calved from, the toe.

This wasn't the picturesque Alaskan cruise you see on commercials. It was rainy and cold. I stayed outside the entire time, but had to kneel on the deck to get out of the wind. I had on at least five top layers, two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, and chemical handwarmers in my pockets. At one point I needed to change my camera battery so I headed inside to do it someplace dry. As I was walking in I considered staying inside for a bit to get warm, but when I got inside many people were seasick with their heads down the the tables. It was sad in there. Back out into the elements I went. Good to know I've still got my sea legs!

When the tour was over I dashed back to the hotel room for all new layers before heading to the SeaLife Center - a public aquarium and marine rehabilitation facility. I hadn't seen enough wildlife on my tour, so it was time to pay them a visit. I had less than an hour before they closed, but I made the most of it. I especially enjoyed seeing the puffins as it was too late in the year to see them in the wild.

I wanted to try the brewery next door for dinner, but after I walked through the rain I discovered them closed for the season. Ah the joys of off season travel. The trip is cheaper overall, but not everything is available. The restaurant next to my hotel looked less sketchy in the daylight so I headed over for some soup and a sampler of Alaskan beers.

The next morning I watched the sea otters swim in the harbor from my hotel room. Soon I was on the road to Talkeetna, north of Anchorage. Before I left I wanted one last chance to touch a glacier.

Even though it was still raining I headed into the outwash basin at Exit Glacier. The full day of rain had risen the water level substantially from my previous visit. Being alone and not knowing what I was getting myself into, I turned back. I was disappointed, but as Ellen Griswold said in Christmas Vacation, "I don't want to spend the holidays dead." That was my mantra on this trip. Have a good time, be adventurous, push yourself, but come home alive.

Now it's your turn. What adventures will you have?

Skipping Stones in Snow

Have you ever skipped a rock on a frozen pond? Me neither. Then I saw this guy do it and after I stopped kicking myself for not doing it while I was in Alaska like him, I told my dad that we were doing this when I came home for Christmas.

After an unseasonably warm holiday, the outdoor AC finally kicked on for the last day of 2014. Dad and I took the ATVs for one final run of the year and we wrote you this little song.

Yeah. It was pretty awesome. It blew my mind a bit.

I love spending time with my dad in this patch of woods. While we typically are hunting or riding ATVs through here, we have also panned for gold, gone metal detecting, and now this! Just face it- we're pretty cool...or at least easily entertained.

Enjoy one final song of 2014.

Now, get out there and explore. I encourage all of you with access to a frozen body of water to give this a try. I want to see the videos! Tag me: @valeriedperry

Go. Live.

Alaska Sneak Peek

I can't believe I've already been back from Alaska for a month. I am sooo sorry I haven't posted more Alaska stories. I have a problem where I can't stop having adventures long enough to write about the adventures I've already had. The first step is admitting I have a problem, right?

I have been working on getting the material up for you. But it turns out I take a lot of pictures. A LOT of pictures! Over 2,500. I've dedicated significant portions of the past few weekends to processing images and I still haven't sorted through every folder yet. While I keep working I wanted to give you a taste of what is ahead.

Enjoy this sneak peek!

Come back to hear the stories behind these photographs plus there will be glaciers, chartered flights, a pickup truck, bald eagles, whales, an abandoned gold mine, a log cabin, and so much more!

Enjoy the adventure!

Throwback: Chicago by Train

When I tell people my story I start to realize that I must enjoy living on transportation. I spent 2 years practically living on a bus and nearly 4 years living on a ship. Maybe one day I'll have a private plane I can live out of! I would actually love to give RVing a try…but I don't want to drive it. So if there are any drivers out there, let's join forces. In December 2013 I got to cross trains off my "Types of Transportation I've Lived On" list. It was only for one night, but it counts!

There's a saying about the hardest part of the journey being the first step. That was especially true for this journey because I couldn't find the train. Since it's much closer to me, I decided to book my trip out of Rockville, MD instead of Union Station in DC. I had seen the Amtrak terminals at Union Station before- very airport-esque with screens to tell you at which gate your trip would begin, friendly staff to direct you, etc. Rockville station doesn't even have a sign that says "Amtrak." No markings at all. It is just a set of tracks next to the Metro tracks so I prayed I was in the right spot. I even called Amtrak customer service to ask if I was in the right place, but they weren't even sure! I was thankful I was leaving a full day ahead of when I needed to arrive to Chicago - I thought I might need to go book a last minute flight. **TRAIN TIP #1: Book your trip out of a real station, not these side of the road "stops." Your peace of mind in knowing you're in the right place is worth it.**

Finally, more people started to show up and my confidence began to grow. Eventually the train arrived, the conductor stepped out and said, "I'm looking for one person. Is Valerie Perry here?" Gulp. Why were they looking for me? There were now about 20 of us at the station. Why was he asking for me? I shyly raised my hand. He asked if he could store my large bag for me before showing me to my compartment. That's why he was looking for me - I was the only one that booked first class! Whew!

I climbed aboard and the train moved forward a few car lengths to allow the rest of the people at the station to get in the coach car. Have you heard comedian Brian Regan talk about first class people? (Watch in HERE.) It was like that. "Close that curtain! Snap it! Snap it shut!" I felt like I was out of my league, punching above my weight class - a feeling I have often. Anyway, I boarded my fancy first class train and my "Sleeping Car Attendant" took me up a tiny little staircase to the second floor. (Did you know Amtrak cars have 2 floors?! The lower level was luggage storage, bathrooms, and showers, while the actual private compartments were on level two.) At the top of the stairs he showed me where the complimentary water, coffee, juice, and soda station was located. He then showed me to my room and asked what time I would like to have dinner.

I was 20 minutes away from my apartment, but I was on an epic adventure! Here I was on a trip of 700 miles in over 17 hours with a bunch of strangers and on a train! This is exactly the kind of excitement my life needed.

I loved my private compartment. It was probably a bit more than half the size of my last ship cabin, so it didn't really feel that small. After all I lived in that cabin for three months. I would be living here one night. Each compartment accommodates two people. It would have been cozy with a roommate. One bed folds up against the wall and the bottom bed is made of the two seats that face each other next to the window. Each compartment has a sliding door with a little latch on the inside. The only thing I did not like about my trip was that there was no way to lock my compartment when I left. I didn't want to carry my laptop and camera bag around with me, but I hated that there was no way to secure my stuff. Amtrak, please fix this!

The seats were really comfortable. They provided pillows and blankets so I kicked my shoes off, propped my feet up on the chair across from me and snuggled in next to the window. Unfortunately this trip was in early December so it was dark an hour into my trip. **TRAIN TIP #2: Book your train travel during daylight hours. I saw very little.**

I was comfy. I was warm. I was content. But I knew that I had a whole train to explore so I couldn't just sit there. The car directly behind mine was the Dining Car. Just like in White Christmas! (Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow!) More on that in a minute.

The next car was the Sightseeing Car - all windows. Even part of the roof! I stayed here until it was too dark outside to see. It's a great space. Amazing views, lots of room, even booths where you can play games. The lower level of this car had a snack bar where you could buy sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc.  The car after that was the Coach car. In hindsight I should have explored more. I wasn't sure where all I was "allowed" to go so I laid low. I should have just went and apologized later if I needed to.

Soon it was time for dinner. One of the great things about booking in the Sleeper Car is that your fare includes all of your meals! The downside (that I didn't know about when I booked) is that your meals are community seating- meaning they just pair you up with some random person/people who also needs a seat buddy. I hate this concept. Ask my parents about taking me to local fire hall dinners. I support the fire department. I do not support eating my meal across from a stranger. But I embraced it here - a bit of a "When in Rome" situation I guess. And it wasn't bad at all. I got paired up with a guy who was traveling from DC to Chicago as well. He was originally from Philadelphia and the Eagles were playing the Bears in Monday Night Football so he decided to hop on a train and go see it for himself. He was a former professional soccer player, but he got injured so now he does something in IT but also earns quite a bit of money playing poker at local casinos. And that's when I realized: I could be anyone I wanted to be on this train. No one knew me. We were all going our separate ways in 17 hours. I told him I was a comedy scout for SNL and was coming to Chicago to look for fresh talent at Second City, iO, etc. I didn't. But I could have! It was a freeing feeling.

After my steak dinner I went back to my compartment and enjoyed the solitude. This was early December and the holiday craziness was already beginning to effect the rest of my life so it was really nice to just relax for awhile. There were no expectations of me at all for the next day. No one to please. No one to impress. And no real agenda to keep. Just time and travel. (But sadly no time travel. That would for sure impress some people.)

I decided to get ready for bed and went downstairs to use the tiny bathroom. Even this didn't bother me. It just reminded me of the ship. When I came back up my Sleeping Car Attendant asked if I was ready for bed and he prepared the top bunk for me. They have a cargo net that you hook to the ceiling to ensure you don't fall out of bed - something cruise ships can learn from. I know more than one crew member that had to take days off of work after falling out of bed.

One of our middle of the night stops was Pittsburgh and I really wanted to see what my old town looked like via train. I assumed I would be sleeping very light with announcements, rail noise, and stops and starts waking me up often. In reality, I slept soundly. I didn't wake up until after 6:00 am. I enjoyed a huge breakfast in the Dining Car then stared out the window.

There's not that much to see through Indiana and Illinois next to the Amtrak tracks, but it looks like a slice of typical midwestern Americana. I was still very much in my "adjusting to land life" stage during this trip and seeing so much of my own country reminded me how much of the world I have yet to see. I loved seeing the plants and mills along the tracks. The people that work there are who have literally built this country.

We were significantly delayed as we got closer to Chicago. There was a lot of freight traffic and we were told that rails were too cold. I'm not really sure what that last part meant, but it the end it meant my trip took about 2 hours longer than I had expected. I didn't mind. I got some juice and read my complimentary newspaper (how did they deliver newspapers to the train?).

Fun Fact: I took my first solo trip to Chicago. It changed my life.

I got off the train at Union Station in Chicago but my journey was just beginning. For starters I couldn't figure out how to get out of the station so I wandered around for a bit. It was lightly snowing when I finally made it outside. I knew my hotel was only a few blocks away, but it took me awhile to get my bearings. I eventually found it, was grateful for an early check in and a hot shower in a room 7 times the size I'd just spent the night in.

After warming and resting I was ready to go experience a Chicago Christmas. After all I got here a whole day early - I better not waste it! The Christkindlmarket and the Marshall Fields building were right across the street from my hotel.

Marshall Field & Company (Now Macy's) Building

Spectacular tree in Marshal Fields

Tiffany ceiling built in 1907.
Largest glass mosaic of its kind.

It took some searching, but I found the wreathed lions at the Art Institute of Chicago. Now I was hungry, exhausted, and cold. I bought some food, headed back to my room, and warmed up while watching Christmas movies.

But…there was still more to see! I calculated that the Lincoln Park zoo was only about an hour's walk away. I could walk there, see the Zoo Lights, then come back via Navy Pier and Magnificent Mile to see their lights. One thing I hadn't calculated: a snowstorm. It put down about 3 inches before I even reached the zoo and it kept coming. But if you know me at all you know there's no stopping me when I commit to a crazy idea. I made it to the zoo and really enjoyed the lights.

A storm is brewing.

The storm has arrived.

It made everything beautiful.

I was too late coming back to see the Christmas stuff at Navy Pier, but the lights on Magnificent Mile were gorgeous in the snow.

I needed a quick stop in CVS to thaw on
the way home. I'm covered in ice.

When I went to bed that night I knew our speaker had arrived but the rest of our staff was delayed because of the snowstorm. **TRAIN TIP #3: Snow doesn't stop trains the way it stops planes.**

When my colleagues found out I was taking a 17 hour train trip instead of a 2 hour flight they all thought I was crazy…and told me so. After my trip, many of them asked me about it and then confessed that they too would like to try a train trip one day. I think a lot of life is like that. People will tell you that you're crazy or you can't do something. But when you do, you'll find out you're not the only one who wanted to try. You're just the first one who tried. In the end I'd rather be seen as crazy or adventurous than boring. If a 17 hour overnight train trip and 3+ hour city hike in a snowstorm keeps me unboring then I guess I have some adventures to plan.

**TRAIN TIP #4: Do it.**

I flew home.