A Tradition of Alaskan Charters

Glacier Bay, Alaska, 2006

Ever since I was young, I can remember staring at the wall in our living room covered with framed pictures of calving glaciers and amazing views. I was in awe of my parents adventurous trip to Glacier Bay National Park, and have wanted to experience it myself ever since.

Alaska was more than I could have ever imagined, and even though we have over 500 pictures and 70 video clips, they just don’t do it justice. Having spent my entire life living in one house in New Jersey, to experience two weeks living on a boat traveling around Glacier Bay is something that will stay with me forever. We could have spent a month in the park and not have been able to do or see everything that we wanted to, but there were so many great experiences.

Being able to start a hike at sea level in the rocks at the bottom of a ridge and then ending up in 2 foot deep snow at the top was an adventure in itself, let alone glissading all the way back down. Getting up so close to the face of a glacier and hearing it crack and pop and watching it calve were surreal moments that not many people can say they have witnessed. Kayaking after dinner and staying out until 10:30pm without getting lost in the dark because of 19 hours of daylight was something all of us miss now that we’re home. But the most impressive experiences were all of our contacts with the abundant wildlife. Having lived in an area where all land is continually being developed and overdeveloped and the most exciting wildlife encounter is chasing the neighborhood raccoon away from your garbage, to see bald eagles as common as pigeons and otters just lounging on their backs in the water, was by far the most incredible undertaking. The black bears along all the shores, the young moose in Blue Mouse Cove, the mountain goats on the rocks, and the whales at Point Adolphus were just a few of our many encounters that have made me cherish wildlife more than I did before.


The trip was unforgettable and has had a positive impact on my views of the environment and nature. I hope to one day have my children experience the same with me, because despite worries of throwing each other overboard by the end of the trip, being there with my family made the trip that much more meaningful to me.


Amy Braunschweiger
Age: 19
August 7, 2006