Seward's Folly

July 2018 -- When I decided to take an Alaskan cruise, I wanted to spend a few extra days doing some land travel. I decided my destination would be Seward. Seward was only a few hours from Anchorage.  I thought that I need more days to spend at Denali. The Seward Highway is considered one of the most scenic in the Unites States. It runs  through the Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. I stayed overnight in Moose Pass and visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center before arriving in Seward.

Seward Harbor

Working boats

Seward is named for former United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, who orchestrated the United States' purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867.  It is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. It is surrounded by peaks. The fjords provide habitat for many different birds and marine mammals. 

Who doesn't love sea otters?

Resurrection Bay

Seward is the historic starting point of the original Iditarod Trail to Interior Alaska, with Mile 0 of the trail marked on the shoreline at the southern end of town. The Trailblazers statue (c. 2012) commemorates Seward's important role in the history of the Iditarod trail.

Historic starting point of the Iditarod (mile 0)

Trailblazer statue

In 2008, Seward was officially designated, “Mural Capital of Alaska.” I took pictures of several. 

Earthquake (2014)

Pony Cove (2006)

Extra Puffs (2017)

I went sea kayaking in Resurrection Bay. I shared the kayak with another traveler (tandem). There were about a half dozen kayaks in our group. It was a morning trip.  We mostly hugged their shorelines. Not sure how far we went. It's always hard to take pictures when you're in a kayak.  A fellow kayaker sent this picture of me in the kayak.

Our group heading for open water

After leaving Seward, I visited Exit Glacier. It is one of Kenai Fjords National Park's major attractions. It is a glacier derived from the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Mountains. It is one of the most accessible valley glaciers in Alaska and is a visible indicator of glacial recession due to climate change. I didn't have time to hike to the glacier.

Mudflats

Exit Glacier