Riding in a high-speed catamaran along an Alaskan fjord, the captain asked: ‘See that glacier ahead? How far away do you think it is?’ A dozen of us on a boat tour were travelling under a cloudless blue dome of a massive sky with ice floes knocking the hull and waterfalls tumbling down hillsides on either side. An eagle flew high overhead, sea otters clustered in near-still water.
Our catamaran was in College Fjord, where glaciers are named after famous US universities. The one ahead was Harvard and its crevices and edges were so clearly defined that it did look close. Two miles, I thought, but it was obviously a trick question so I said five.
‘We are 20 miles from our destination,’ revealed the captain. ‘That’s roughly the distance from England to France.’
It served as an indication of the vastness of this place – and if you crave stunning scenery and outdoor adventure, along with food to die for and an unusual holiday destination that will turn the heads of your friends and family, Alaska beckons. […]
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