Seward

We left Anchorage on May 24, taking the train to Seward. The train station was not far from our hotel, within walking distance – but not if you are dragging suitcases. The train ride to Seward was great. It slowed down or even stopped completely when there was wildlife or glaciers to view http://alaskarailroad.com/

When we got to Seward, we took the free school-bus-type shuttle to our hotel. Seward <http://www.cityofseward.us/>, named for William Seward (Seward’s Folly), is a lovely town of around 3,000 people. It was 50ish and rainy the 3 days we were there. It is on Resurrection Bay, with a city park (with camping) along much of the waterfront. There were at least 20 motor homes from Great Alaskan Holidays in the campground http://www.greatalaskanholidays.com.

One of the things we had planned while in Seward was to go on a boat trip out into Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. We saw seals, sea lions, otters, goats, and a whale spout, but we didn’t see the whale. We enjoyed the all-you-can-eat prime rib and baked salmon buffet http://www.majormarine.com.

The tsunami from the Anchorage earthquake destroyed the Seward harbor, but not the town, which is on higher ground. Major Marine has a web cam of the harbor http://www.majormarine.com/webcam/.

We stayed at a place that had good reviews, but I must admit that it looked iffy when we got there. Once inside, I knew I had made a good decision when I made my reservations at A Swan Nest Inn. http://www.sewardvacationproperties.com/.

One of the gathering rooms.

Our room had an actual skeleton key.

Handmade bed and gorgeous multimedia art work.

Looking down from my loft.

Susan looks up toward the loft.

My spacious loft.

One of the things I wanted to do in Seward was visit Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park http://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/exit-glacier.htm, but we didn’t get to do that. Because they had had so much snow during the winter, the path to Exit Glacier was a snow-shoes-only walk.

On May 27, we boarded Holland America’s Statendam for our 7-day cruise to Vancouver, BC http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Statendam.

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte

When Did it Begin and End? Plus Anchorage

 Recently my brother asked about the beginning and the end of the trip. We left Bristol on May 10, and we got back to Bristol on June 7. We left Forest City, IA, in the motorhome on May 12 and arrived in Anchorage on May 23. The Holland America Cruise from Seward, AK, to Vancouver, BC, was from May 27 to June 3. The Amtrak trip from Seattle to Minneapolis was June 5-7, and we flew home that evening.

After we left Denali National Park, we drove down to Anchorage to spend our last night in our cozy motorhome. It was a fabulous trip, and I’m so happy I had the opportunity to do so many things I had always wanted to do. Several people have asked me if I would make the trip again, and my answer is “Maybe.” After I have done most of the other things I want to do, then I would consider it.

When we left Forest City, the odometer had 9 miles on it. When we got to Anchorage, it had 3,850 miles. There were many individual places I would like to revisit and stay for a time, get to know the area better, and do some hiking. I’ve always loved walking, but after working at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, I found that I really like hiking. A few years back, I read Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods,” which I highly recommend. It is his story of hiking the Appalachian Trail – and here I am living right next to the AT. Hmmmm – maybe something for my bucket list?

We stayed in The Historic Anchorage Hotel, and I highly recommend it. It was built in the early 1900s, and it survived the 1964 earthquake. It is worth your time to read more about the earthquake and look at photos (easy to find on the Internet), which was the largest quake ever in North America, something like 9.3. We went to the Earthquake Museum and saw a movie, complete with moving chairs to simulate the shaking of the quake. We also went on a tour of the city. There were lots of things to do in Anchorage, but our time was limited. 

We left early the next morning by train for Seward.

The Historic Anchorage Hotel.

Dinner in Anchorage. We never missed a chance to eat.

The grizzly at our hotel.

Bears are really big.

A grizzly stands guard at the corner.

Mikayla made our stay so pleasant.

I had expected an ordinary room -- we had a lovely suite.

Luxurious beds, linens, and pillows after the motorhome -- ahhhh.

Susan relaxes in our sunny suite.

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte