Kenai Fjords National Park

According to Wikipedia "Kenai Fjords National Park is a national park that comprises the Harding Icefield, its outflowing glaciers, and coastal fjords and islands. The park covers an area of 669,984 acres on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, west of the town of Seward." One of the best ways to see Kenai Fjord National Park is by boat. I took 6 hour cruise aboard the Coastal Explorer. 

Coastal Explorer

Two otters

Onboard the Coastal Explorer

Getting close to glacier

Ice cave

Glacier calving

Waterfall

We saw plenty of wildlife on our cruise. There were sea otters in the harbor. Sea lions were plentiful. They are the largest of the eared seals. They are not threatened. Where you see a bunch of sea lions is called a haul-out or rookery. Seems like all they do is lay around and sleep. What a life!

Wildlife watching

Rock outcrop with a few resident sea lions

Sun bathing

Birds and Lions

Sea lion haul-out

We saw birds, too. Puffins are the cutest. They are black and white, with large multicolored bills. There are two kinds:  horned and tuft. Puffins hang out in coastal colonies in the spring and summer to breed. They stick with their mates for a long time. Another bird we saw the Black-billed Magpie. It is easily identified by its markings:  black head, neck, and back. They are related to jays and crows.

Puffin rookery

Up close:  Tuft Puffin

A rookery of Black-billed Magpies

We didn't see as  many whales as I saw on our whale-watching trip at Icy Strait Point. Humpbacks and orcas are the most common whales seen in Kenai Fjords National Park.

Turnagain Arm

Just south of Anchorage, the Seward Highway hugs the dramatic shorelines of Turnagain Arm, arguably one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in America. Turnagain Arm is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. 

Signage

Seward Highway

Portage glacier

Three trees

Coastal Classic Railroad

I certainly enjoyed this drive and was able to travel it at a leisurely pace, at least on the way south. On the way back, I had to worry about making my flight. 

Breathtaking scenery

Cove

Beware of the mudflats

Blue water

Large rock outcrop

More tracks

Fishermen

A beautiful spot

Lilly pads

I saw some Dall sheep on the way back, which slowed me down a bit. Sadly, I didn't get any good pictures of them. They were too far away. Plus, they were kind of shabby looking sheep.

Dall Sheep

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Post created 29 Aug 2024

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Moose Pass

After our Alaskan cruise, we were transported by bus to Anchorage. I rented a car and dropped Niki at the airport. She had to get back. I headed south for Seward. I stopped at Moose Pass both ways of the trip. Moose Pass is a beautiful Alaska community located in the heart of the Kenai Peninsula. It is 30 miles north of Seward on the Seward Highway along Upper Trail Lake. The population is only about 200, but there's plenty to attract tourists.

Peaceful little town

Welcome to Moose Pass

My accommodation in Moose Pass: the Trail Lake Lodge

Upper Trail Lake

While staying in Moose Pass, I noticed that they did float plane trips from there. So, on the way back, I checked to see if I could go on a float plane trip. It would be expensive for one person, but fortunately, there was a couple from Minnesota that wanted to go up, too. We shared the cost. It was an amazing experience. We flew over glaciers. We flew high to look for sheep. We flew low along the river to search for bears. We didn't see sheep, but we saw caribou. We saw several Grizzly bears. Landing on the water was cool. 

Hell yeah, I'm excited.

Scenic Mountain Air

My flying companions

Our plane

Our pilot

My view from the cockpit

Flying over a glacier

Grizzly bear spotted in the river

Not sheep, but caribou on the side of the mountain

HERE'S A VIDEO OF US LANDING

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Post created 28 Aug 2024

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Seward's Folly

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.

Welcome to 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.

Mile 1.5

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

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Post created 29 Aug 2026

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