For Father's Day I made Dad my (non) award-winning cinnamon rolls. 
The next morning Brian decided it would be a good idea to slice them... 
and make french toast. 
What a clever man I married. They were delicious! (Please note that real maple syrup was available for Brian's use, but he declined). 
After such a hefty breakfast we went for a short walk on the Portage Glacier trail. There Brian found this massive tree. I appreciated Brian allowing me to photograph him for scale (he was kinda being goofy and was thrilled that we were going to turn around after this photo was taken...the mosquitoes were really bad and we didn't bring bug dope).
The next morning Brian decided it would be a good idea to slice them... and make french toast. What a clever man I married. They were delicious! (Please note that real maple syrup was available for Brian's use, but he declined). After such a hefty breakfast we went for a short walk on the Portage Glacier trail. There Brian found this massive tree. I appreciated Brian allowing me to photograph him for scale (he was kinda being goofy and was thrilled that we were going to turn around after this photo was taken...the mosquitoes were really bad and we didn't bring bug dope).On our final day in Valdez, Brian, Bolt, and I hiked the Salomon Gulch trail up to a lake created by a hydroelectrical dam. This is where Valdez gets its electricity. Here's Brian at the top- an incredible view.
On the way back down the mountain we ran into a black bear. Here he is under the pipe that brings water to the hydroelectrical plant. See him?
We brought a sidearm with us, so we weren't too worried about the bear. We talked to him a bit and he decided to go the other direction. A closer look. Been a while since we've seen a bear, so it was kinda exciting!
We were both sad to leave Valdez the next morning, but were excited to head up to Fairbanks to see the rest of the family and many friends. Thanks Mom and Dad for an exceptional week!
Taking a lunch break with a cup of hot cocoa on the rocky shore. 
This is where we climbed up onto the Valdez Glacier. 
On top of the glacier. 
Behind us is the lake we kayaked through to get up to the face of the glacier. 
Paddling up to the ice cave. Because it was an overcast day, the ice reflected a bright blue. 
Where we docked.
Brian drinks some glacier water. 
We flew into Fairbanks on Monday and then drove to Valdez on Tuesday. Outside of Valdez we stopped at Worthington Glacier. It has receded even since last time we were there, which was interesting (and a little sad) to see. I was pretty excited to be hanging out by glaciers again- not many in Iowa. 
Horsetail falls in Keystone Canyon. Beautiful even on a rainy day. 
We had such a good time with Mom and Dad (Platt)! Their downstairs apartment was open, so the accommodations were excellent- even a stocked refrigerator and cabinets! Even though it was cloudy and drizzly a lot of the time, we spent as much time outside as we could- including taking many walks. While exploring "old town" (the old Valdez town site that was destroyed by a tsunami in 1964) we came across a humpback whale that had been hanging around the harbor. Here's the whale only about 20 yards offshore- amazingly close. 
And here's Dad's black lab Bolt going after the whale. He has a history of chasing large marine mammals. Last year there was an incident with a pod of orcas. 
Bolt- the dog with no fear. 
Brian at Old Town. 
Mom on the Dock Point trail. 
There's plenty of wildlife to photograph in Valdez. Here are some black-legged kittiwakes nesting on the bridge by the salmon hatchery. 
For the last few years we've been sending Dad grow-your-own-mushroom-kits for his birthday. We haven't been there to see (or eat) the harvest until now! Here's dad with a few of the mushrooms he harvested during our visit (button and portabellas). Mom and I made stuffed mushrooms using Julia Child's recipe. The stuffed mushrooms were eaten before I could take a picture- but they were tasty! Julia Child sure knew what she was doing!
We played a lot of Parcheesi (the greatest board game ever). 
Brian's father was very kind and let us borrow his new 4-wheeler for our trip to Valdez so we could do some exploring with Mom and Dad. Here are a few photos from our trip up Mineral Creek. Mom and Dad- getting ready to head out. 
Mom and Dad crossing the bridge to Mineral Creek road. 
Brian testing out his dad's machine over a landslide. 
Even on a cloudy day the views are spectacular!
Dad getting annoyed at my photo-taking because we needed to get back for a Stan Stevens cruise. 
Heading home.
Mom and Dad treated us to a Stan Stevens cruise that toured us around Prince William Sound. The cruise lasted about 6 hours. We were served a tasty lunch of soup, a bagel with cream cheese, and Oreos. I did not pack well and had to buy a coat for the trip- guess I forgot how cold it can be on the water even in June. I loved the coat I found on sale a The Prospector, so it all worked out okay. Here I am inside the "Glacier Spirit", excited for the cruise. 
We saw lots of wildlife. Like this friendly otter. 
And this sea lion. 
Lots of sea lions. 
And more whales. 
One of the highlights of the trip was when a group of Dall Porpoises played between the bow of the boat and a humpback nearby. They would zoom to the whale, then zoom around the boat. They were hard to get a photo of, but he's my best shot. The Dall Porpoises kinda look like a mini orcas- black and white. 
Columbia Glacier (off in the distance) and miles of ice in front of it. Stan Stevens was our captain. He brought us closer to the ice than I'd ever been- having to break through many small ice bergs to get us up to the edge of the ice flow. 
We bought new hats for the cruise. 
Ice, ice, baby.
That's the end of the cruise around Prince William Sound. As this post is getting a little long, I'm going to continue in another...