We woke up very early on our first day in Seward. We had reservations for a six-hour tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park with Kenai Fjords Tours starting at 7am. Before getting on the boat, we stopped for a great breakfast at the Smoke Shack. This restaurant is inside a converted railroad car and has some great biscuits and gravy. Highly recommended!

Our cruise started promptly and though the inside was pretty full when we arrived, there was plenty of room outside on the back deck. We had brought along plenty of cold weather gear and decided to stay outside with a few other brave souls for the entirety of the cruise. Among the wildlife we saw were Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, a Humpback Whale, two species of Puffins, and Steller Sea Lions. These were all just bonus items, as the real destination of the cruise is the glaciers inside the park boundaries. We passed numerous glaciers, including Bear, Holgate, and Pederson.

The highlight of the trip was when we arrived at our destination of Aialik Glacier. At this tidewater glacier, the captain turned off the engines and we floated for a half hour or so about a mile from the very large glacier. Pieces of the glacier fell off pretty regularly, plunging into the ocean with a large splash and a loud rumble. This was such a cool thing to see in person, and I wish I had a video camera to record some of the action. After a quick lunch, we turned around and we on our way back to the harbor. The cruise was pricey, but highly recommended.

From there we stopped by the Alaska SeaLife Center. Here we were able to see many of the same animals we saw on the cruise in an up-close environment. Unfortunately, one of the exhibits was closed, so we didn’t get to see the Harbor Seals. I was expecting a little more from the SeaLife Center, but it was an okay quick stop for the day.

From there we walked up the street from the SeaLife Center through the main street of Seward, 4th Ave, stopping at a few of the local watering holes. There are a half dozen or so all within a block or two, which provided some much needed nighttime entertainment for a few hours. Later we wandered up to Chinook’s Waterfront Restaurant for an excellent meal before heading back to the RV for the night.

Seward on Dwellable