On the north side of the Whittier Tunnel, we took the Portage Glacier Highway north to Sterling Highway (AK 1), hung a left to the Seward Highway (AK 9), and finally another left on AK 9 which terminated at the southern end of Seward. We took a rest stop along Portage Lake for more glacier pictures.
Seward’s Waterfront Park runs for a mile along the western shore of Derby Cove. There were several RV campgrounds in the park, and I mistakenly reserved our spot at the north end. I called it a mistake because our site sat in a dusty parking lot, which with one entrance, forced us to endure all the traffic. But there were several bright sides. First, our views of Derby Cove and mountains to the east were spectacular; and second, there was a salmon-filled creek within 100 feet of us.
We stood on the nearby bridge spanning Scheffler Creek and watched energetic salmon trying to attract mates. They appear red because carotenoid pigments stored in their flesh gets transferred to their skin and signals they are ready to spawn. The spot was posted “No Fishing” except for children during specific time periods.
Of all the small Alaska towns we visited, Seward projected the most comfortable vibe, had an interesting style, and was very clean despite the dust. They accommodated crowds of tourists, but the retail stores and merchandise looked higher-end. The harbor was busy and colorful.
We toured the Alaska SeaLife Center at the end of 4th Avenue. The Center was an outgrowth of the need for improved facilities to treat injured wildlife that resulted from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Federal Appropriations, financing from the City of Seward, and Private Funds ($1 million from Seward resident alone) supported the construction of the Center, which held its Grand Opening on May 2, 1998. The Center facilities included a public aquarium with exhibit tanks of research animals and other North Pacific mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrates; and a veterinary suite with quarantine pools for orphaned, diseased, or injured wild animals brought in for rehabilitation, and resident animals needing medical attention. For the future, the Center focuses on marine research and continues to enhance understanding and developing ways to maintain marine ecosystems. The aquarium and related exhibits were OK, but nothing exceptional. The tickets weren’t inexpensive; however, we felt the cost included an investment into the on-going operaqtions and maintenance of the Center and its critical mission. We were glad to help.
Of course, I googled coffee shops, and we enjoyed two great locations for such a small town. The first was Resurrect Art, and the second was Coffee House. Resurrect Art had once been a small chapel with beautiful arched windows. The walls were covered with works by local artists and a small gift shop contained a myriad of crafts. They also had a wide assortment of fresh-baked pastries, which we failed to resist.
Coffee House was located inside one of four retired rail cars arranged around a wooden deck. A young couple ran the shop and their husky was the official greeter. No pastries but extremely cozy seating and delicious joe.
Hanna and I took advntage of gorgeous weather and hiked half of the Skyliner Trail on Marathon Mountain west of Seward. We probably got in about 5 miles, climbed about 1,500, and had great photo opportunities. Less than half way through, we were engrossed in chatting while moving through some tall vegetation, when I looked up and we were face-to-face with a moose cow (800-1,300 pounds) and her calf. Encountering any wild mother can be a recipe for disaster, so we slowly backed uphill from them, sat down, and quietly took pictures and videos. The cow didn’t seem at all distressed; however, we could tell she was watching us closely. The calf was very curious, but never left mama’s side. We felt so fortunate this happened and happened without incident.
The halflway point of our hike put us in a huge mountain bowl, which was the source of head waters for Scheffler Creek. We stopped for a snack, some water, and photo op, and met two other hikers who were summiting Marathon (4,826′).
We had several chances for pictures of Seward from the mountain. For us, these evoked that good Seward vibe I mentioned earlier.
