Days off and a new tour...

I've been consistently working on the Northwestern Fjords Tour, but this past Saturday, I was put on a National Park Tour- it's much shorter than the NWFT and therefore there are more passengers. This tour left at 1130, so I didn't have to be at work until 930- I'm usually there at 7 for the NWFT, so sleeping in was GREAT. The boat (Orca Voyager) is the newest one in the fleet, and everything was so nice and shiny and new, compared to the Alaskan Explorer that I'm used to. It was weird working with an entirely new crew and captain, because they have been working together for at least a month now and I'm a newbie to both the crew and to working on boats in general! I made it work, though.  Like I mentioned earlier, this being a 6 hour cruise means that there are lots of passengers- lots of cruise ship people- we had a little over 100 on board, and I'm used to about 60 on the NWFT.  Big difference.  The passengers themselves were different too- lots of people taking pics with just their phones, as opposed to the more "photographer" like people we often have own the NWFT. Anyway. Despite all these things, it was still a great day on the water- sunny skies, warm temps, and lots of sea life! We had a pod of orcas with a couple of calves hang around the boat for a while, one of them breached, and the other highlight was a gray whale! The majority of them have already migrated through here on their way to the summer feeding grounds, but this one was a bit late...lucky for me! I didn't get any pictures of it, though :( 

Once we returned to the marina, I assumed my day was done, but I was wrong! We had to clean the boat- vacuuming, wiping down the tables, etc.  we don't have to clean on the other trip that I do, since it's such a long day for us, the boat cleaners do both the outside AND inside on the Alaskan Explorer.  After cleaning and divvying up the tips, I was done and ready to start my weekend- I had the next two days off! 

I decided Sunday morning that I was going to get a room at one of our sister properties, the Seward Windsong Lodge- we get a great discount, so why not go and sleep in a REAL bed for a night?! I arranged for the room, then went for my first run since arriving here in AK. I ran along Resurrection Bay, a much more scenic route than the exciting suburbs in South Florida! It felt good to get back running again, and I have to keep at it, because I'm doing the Tower of Terror 10 miler at Disney in October. I walk at least 2 miles every day just going to and from work, so I figure I'll be in great shape when I get back home!! I have to start hiking Mt Marathon- I just bought a bear bell to be safe, so now I'm ready to start climbing! 

I arrived at the lodge around 4 yesterday, got to my room, and jumped on the bed. It was wonderful :) I went to the lodge's bar to watch the Heat game, had some delicious Alaskan beers, and later on, gratefully collapsed into my bed that I didn't have to climb a ladder to get into or have springs poking into my back.  Today, I took a shuttle from the lodge to Exit Glacier and did an easy 2 mile hike to the edge of the glacier. I tried to take pictures of the same places/angles that I did when I was here last year, to compare and see if there is any difference from 2012 to 2013.  I don't have my 2012 pics with me, so I'll have to wait until I get home. 

After a relaxing two days off, I'm back to work tomorrow, and no days off until next Friday :( But I do have a "maintenance day" on Saturday, so I won't be on a boat, but I could be cleaning, painting, pretty much anything...

Exit Glacier and the out wash plain. 

Exit Glacier from about 4miles away. 

A female orca. 

Some glacier calving at Northwestern Glacier. 

I believe this is Emerald Cove... It's beautiful, wherever it is.