July 28
Arrived in Seward late afternoon at The City of Seward Campground, nestled right on the picturesque Resurrection Bay. Despite the rain, we embraced the cozy atmosphere with yoga, a delicious dinner, and an then off to bed.
July 29
What a delightful day! We met up with Katy and Mike at the renowned Alaska Sealife Center. Watching the sea lions getting fed and seeing their playful performances was a highlight. We even had the chance to touch various marine creatures, including crabs, urchins, starfish, anemones, shrimp, and some fascinating sea worms (whose names elude me). The atrium, bustling with puffins and other vibrant birds, captivated us, where they circulate fresh sea water every 24 hours.
July 30
We ventured to the dock of the Kenai Fjord National Park cruise. This is the main way to see the spectacular park other than flying over it. Saw the beautiful Holgate glacier. Went to a cove where there were 40-60 puffins flying around. They’re so fast that we couldn’t get a picture of them.
Fun fact:
Puffins are even faster underwater, swimming as much as 200 feet deep!
Puffins are even faster underwater, swimming as much as 200 feet deep!
Kenai Fjord National Park feeds nearly three dozen glaciers flowing out of the mountains, six of them to tidewater. The Harding Icefield is a vestige of the massive ice sheet that covered much of Alaska in the Pleistocene era. The ancient ice gouged out Kenai's fjords, creating habitats for throngs of sea animals.
We woke up at 5:30 to arrive a the dock at 6:30 for a kayak trip and hike to the falls that didn't happen due to the winds. The plan was to launch into Resurrection Bay and kayak to Bridal Falls for a short hike. At 7:20 AM we were informed the winds got worse and it would be too dangerous to go. On the way back we stopped at a beautiful water fall.
As much as it was disappointing, we were thankful to not get out in the water and be stranded for hours. We quickly changed gears and went to Safeway to pick up salad, crackers, jerky and some bars. This extra time gave us the opportunity to clean and enjoy sitting outside eating our lunch.
After relaxing, looking out over the Bay, we went to the library for a compelling 30 minute film on the devastating earthquake and tsunami that stuck Seward in 1964. If you visit Seward this experience is a must. The sheer magnitude of the earthquake followed by the tsunami (moving 100 miles an hour) is truly beyond words.
FACT:
This earthquake was the largest in US history (magnitude 9.2 on the Richter scale) and the second largest ever recorded in the world.
Afterwards we went to the Visitor Center and saw a 20 minute film on Kenai Fjords National Park.
Back to the motorhome for a bike ride on a scenic trail along the bay. We enjoyed eating dinner outside and had the pleasure of meeting and sharing our Alaska adventures with Phylecia and Dustin our "neighbors".
August 1
WOW it's already August! This morning before we got our rig ready to leave we went on a lovely walk along the bay. What you see in the picture below are the remains of the railroad tracks from the earthquake & tsunami in 1964. Seward is also Mile 0 of the Iditarod each year to Nome, AK.
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