I truly think we saved the best for last! Our two week trip driving up the Alaska Highway and touring our 49th state ended with the fantastic Columbia Glacier cruise from Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises. It was a partly cloudy morning with little wind as we left Valdez Harbor, but sitting outside you need to be bundled up when it is early September. But being outside is the only way to see all of the sites that the captain points out during the trip. The wildlife we saw was remarkable - sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, Dall's porpoises, and a humpback whale! But the highlight is the Columbia Glacier. Prince William Sound begins to get more and more crowded with small icebergs - some blue, some dirty from their trip down the glacier to the sea. Our captain told us that he got the boat closer than he ever had before - a third of a mile - to the face of the Columbia Glacier (hopefully he doesn't say that to every tour!!). Sometimes, we would see a large chuck of ice break away from the face of the glacier - then a few seconds later we would hear a loud "crack" and a rumble like thunder as the sound finally reached the boat. Truly an amazing experience! We had hot clam chowder and a bagel as lunch, and coffee was free during the trip. It rained a bit on the way back to Valdez, so we spent most of that part of the trip inside, where it was warm and toasty! We saw where the Exxon Valdez ran aground years ago and learned of all the cleanup efforts...also saw the terminus of the Alaska Pipeline as well. This is a highly recommended tour!!!