Seward Alaska

24 June - 7 July 2025

On 24 June 2025 we drove from Palmer to Seward Alaska.  We stopped at scenic overlooks a couple of times on the way. One of the stops was at Bird Creek, which has a good view for see Beluga Whales. We didn't see any because it was low tide. Bird Creek enters Turnagain Arm, the second highest tide in the world.

Our drive from Palmer to Seward Alaska - 24 June 2025

Our drive from Palmer to Seward Alaska - 24 June 2025

Our drive from Palmer to Seward Alaska - 24 June 2025

Our drive from Palmer to Seward Alaska - 24 June 2025

Our drive from Palmer to Seward Alaska - 24 June 2025

Our drive from Palmer to Seward Alaska - 24 June 2025

We stayed at the Seward Municipal Waterfront Campground (Resurrection North).  The view out our back window was of Resurrection Bay.  We could see cruise ships docked when they were here and we saw lots of boats coming and going.  The forecast for Seward when we arrived was rain on many of the days during our two-week stay.  Our first full day in Seward we just drove around a little, but mostly stayed in due to rain. 

On Thursday (26^th), we went on a ranger led hike to see Exit Glacier right in Seward.  The hike was easy and only about a mile each way.  We learned a few things too. The Exit Glacier got its name from early explorers who found that they could “exit” the surrounding forest by traversing the glacier.  One of them wrote EXIT on his map for his own purposes, but from that map the glacier got its name.  It should be Resurrection Glacier since everything else in the area is named Resurrection.  That got its name because when it was discovered, it happened to be Easter. 

After lunch we went to the local library to watch short films on the 1964 earthquake in Seward (same one that wiped out Valdez and Anchorage), and on the Iditarod trail and sled dogs.  We also learned that Governor Palin designated Seward the Mural Capital of Alaska in 2008.

We looked in to the Sled Dog Tours, but Anita was not really into it.  The concern is for the dogs.  Even though they’ve pulled heavy loads for centuries, Anita just didn’t want to be on a sled pulled by dogs.  In the interim we found out the cost is $109 per person.  That made the decision to skip the dogsled tour final.  They do put shoes on the dogs to protect their paws and that’s only  relatively recently, but Anita was relieved that we didn’t do the dog sleds.

Cruise ship coming in one day...

Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier Overlook Trail - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier Overlook Trail - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier Overlook Trail - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Exit Glacier Overlook Trail - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Marathon Mountain

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

There are many murals on downtown Seward buildings...

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Standard Oil tanks had burned during the Earthquake/Tsunami of 1969

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Mural...

Walk around downtown - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Mural...

Hike in Two Lakes Park - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Hike in Two Lakes Park - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Hike in Two Lakes Park - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Hike in Two Lakes Park - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Hike in Two Lakes Park - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

We had met a couple (Sue and Scott) in Valdez on the fishing trip.  Sue and Scott arrived in Seward the day after we did and they were at the KOA campground near the Exit Glacier.  We had them over for Halibut one evening and had a nice time. 

Misty rainy harbor - Seward Alaska - 26 June 2025

Us with Sue and Scott

Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Seward Alaska

Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Seward Alaska - 28 June 2025

View from our back window...

View from our back window...

We had plans to go to the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward on Sunday 29 June. Scott and Sue had not seen it yet, so they planned to join us there. We met up with them late morning and saw some of the aquarium together. They stayed after we left since they'd arrived later. The sea life center is well done with a good cross section of local sea life. We enjoyed seeing all the birds, as well as the Sunflower starfish among other underwater life. We just headed home after having our sack lunch with a view of Resurrection Bay.

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Ring Seal

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Harlequin Duck female

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Horned Puffin

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Tufted Puffin

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Speckled Eider duck male

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Speckled Eider female sleeping

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Red Legged Kittiwake

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

King Eider male

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

Sunflower Sea Stars

Alaska Sealife Center - Seward Alaska - 29 June 2025

King Crab

On Monday 30 June 2025, Steve did a moderate to difficult hike at Caines Head State Recreation Area. Anita opted out to protect the ankles. Anita walked to downtown, checked email at the library and checked prices at the laundromat.

Seward Alaska - 30 June 2025

Caines Head State Recreation Area - Seward Alaska - 30 June 2025

We invited Sue and Scott to go to Whittier for the day on Tuesday the 1st  and they accepted.  They actually agreed to drive.  It was more comfortable going through the one lane tunnel in their SUV than in our big truck.  There really wasn’t all that much to Whittier.  The weather was light rain, wind and dank.  We went through the Prince William Sound Museum and it was interesting plus got us out of the weather for a few minutes. We had our lunch at a picnic area in Lu Young Park.  We headed back through the tunnel and got on the 3pm Portage Glacier boat tour that goes out for one hour four times each day.  Portage Glacier wasn’t a big deal after seeing big glaciers on the Lulu Belle out of Valdez.  It was still a nice outing especially since the sun was shining on that side of the tunnel. Sue and Scott were traveling the next day to Palmer so we really appreciated them driving to Whittier. Steve especially enjoyed the break from driving.

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel AKA Whittier Tunnel - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Internet says it's 2.5 miles long and that it is the longest combined highway and railway tunnel in North America. The tunnel connects the city of Whittier, Alaska, to the mainland. 

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel AKA Whittier Tunnel - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Half the residents of Whittier (pop. 220) live here

Whittier Creek Trail - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Prince William Sound Museum - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Prince William Sound Museum - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Prince William Sound Museum - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Prince William Sound Museum - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Prince William Sound Museum - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Emerald Cove - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier Boat Tour - Whittier Alaska - 1 July 2025

Portage Glacier

It turns out that Seward is the place to be on the 4th of July. Steve had read about it and planned to be there for the Independence Day holiday. At mass on 28 June, the priest said Seward expected 30,000 visitors for the 4th of July weekend. The Catholic Church was selling BBQ chicken dinners for $20. We heard the following week that it was a huge success.

On July 3rd, they had a boat parade at 11pm and then the 4th of July fireworks at midnight. We stayed up till 12:30am that night and were up to walk into town by 10:30am on the 4th. Seward has the Marathon Race every year, which is a race up Mount Marathon. This year was the 97th running of this most difficult 5K race and we got to see it! The actual steepness of Mount Marathon — from the base of the mountain to the lip of the mountain just before the summit rock — averages 34 degrees. Excluding the road approach, the vertical gain is about 2,675 feet in 0.9 miles.

We met a couple of volunteers after the race who told us the race fills up quickly with competitors, so they have a lottery for entering the race and then an auction for entering. People have paid as much as $2,500 to win an entry in the race and people come from all over the world to race. They guy who won this year had also won last year. He was a little slower this year, but still crazy fast to us. The 2025 men's winner was David Norris, Steamboat Springs, CO 42:30 min.. The 2025 women's winner was Klaire Rhodes, Anchorage, 50:31 min.. We were watching from near the start line and we were amazed at the strength and speed both genders had at the end of the race. The human body is fascinating.

Seward Alaska - 3 July 2024

Bear Creek Weir - Seward Alaska - 3 July 2025

When we got home from site seeing on July 3rd we met our new neighbors across the street. Debbie and Jerry are from Ohio and RV travel about 80% of the time since they retired a couple of years ago. We got to talking and realized they have just about the same plans that we do for Alaska. They head to Soldotna and are staying at Diamond M Ranch RV Resort on the 7th and we head to the same place on the 8th! They won't be staying as long at places as we do, but they'll be staying in the same towns.

We had invited Debbie and Jerry over to sit with us to watch the boat parade since we were one row closer to the water. We all made it staying up, but it took us a couple of days to get back to our normal sleep. We planned to meet up downtown on the 4th, but hadn't exchanged phone numbers so we didn't see each other downtown.

Boat Parade - Seward Alaska - 3 July 2025 (11pm)

Boat Parade - Seward Alaska - 3 July 2025 (11pm)

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Start of Women's Race (11:05am)

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Mount Marathon trail...

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Women's winner Klaire Rhodes

4th of July downtown after lunch

4th of July downtown after lunch

Sitka Spruce tree

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

This guy was going to run barefoot...

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Mount Marathon

4th of July Parade (1pm) - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

4th of July Parade (1pm) - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

4th of July Parade (1pm) - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

4th of July Parade (1pm) - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Start of Men's race (2:05pm)

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

Men's winner - David Norris

Mount Marathon Race - Seward Alaska - 4 July 2025

4th of July 2025 - Seward Alaska

On our walk home...

4th of July 2025 - Two Lakes Park - Seward Alaska

We were invited to a cookout between 3 & 4pm there...

Needless to say, after our late night and full day the next day, we were pretty tired. We saw Debbie and Jerry when we got home from our 4th of July day. We had heard that there is a jeep trail up Mount Marathon and they have a jeep, so we made plans to drive up Mount Marathon as far as we could. Unfortunately the jeep trail was gated off when we attempted it. We ended up driving around to see Seward and the surrounding area from a jeep, which could veer off onto gravel roads with ease. We got out and did short hikes along the way and we even got to see the salmon jumping when we stopped at the Bear Creek Weir that day. We stopped at a fish hatchery, but it wasn't open the day we were there. A door was open so we walked in to see a video they have running about the process of hatching salmon.

Sockeye Salmon jumping at Bear Creek Weir - 5 July 2025

Sockeye Salmon at Bear Creek Weir - 5 July 2025

Us with Debbie and Jerry - Seward Alaska - 5 July 2025

Ptarmigan Lake

Near Moose Pass Alaska - 5 July 2025

On our last day in Seward, Anita wanted to get this blog post done so Steve went fishing after dropping Anita off at the library where there was in Internet connection. Steve caught the first three salmon of our trip that day! He was fishing on Nash Road at Spring Creek.

First salmon caught for our Summer 2025 Alaska trip - Seward Alaska - 7 July 2025

First salmon caught for our Summer 2025 Alaska trip - Seward Alaska - 7 July 2025

We arrived safely at Diamon M Ranch and RV Resort on 8 July 2025. We'll be in Soldotna for a week and then on to Homer.