A special thank to the sponsors of our stay in Seward; Pursuit, Alaska Tour & Travel and the Alaska Railroad.
Seward Alaska is a small town on the edge of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. The beautiful water, wildlife, mountains and glaciers make it a destination more than worthy of your time while in Alaska.
Getting to Seward
You may find yourself in Seward because your cruise ship stops there. Otherwise you are likely coming from Anchorage or Denali. To get to Seward you can come by motorcoach, train or car. We were in Anchorage the night before and took the motorcoach provided by Alaska Tour & Travel to Seward and took the train ride back after spending two days in Seward. When you are making your decision, timing is important so do what works best for you. I highly recommend taking the train with the Gold Star service for at least one stretch of your trip.
The Alaska Railroad provided us with Gold Star train tickets which included a seat in a glass dome railcar, access to an outdoor viewing area and a meal. The train ride takes you through tunnels and into the mountains with amazing views of the mountains and glaciers. I feel the pictures we took did not do the scenery justice!
Things to Do in Seward
The top thing to do in Seward is to take a cruise to explore Kenai Fjords National Park.
Kenai Fjords Tours provided a ticket to the 6 hour cruise, but there are several other options available. If we had gone earlier in the season we would have loved to have gone sea kayaking. You travel to the nearby Fox Island where you will dine at the exclusive Fox Island Day Lodge and explore the area close up kayaking in ways you can not from a ship. A perfect activity for couples!
Our cruise took us out to see the Aialik Glacier, but our first stop was to observe the group of orcas in the area. We watched the orcas swim around the bay for around 30 minutes before moving on. Next was a fin whale, the second largest mammal on earth. Whales would be nearly impossible to spot without the large spouts that come up when they breath.
Our next stop was Aialik Glacier. It was amazing how much colder it was once we got close to the glacier. Make sure you bring a good jacket to keep you warm and enjoy some hot chocolate during your cruise.
We continued on to a few areas perfect for photos and saw more wildlife on our way back. We went by Steller sea lions, but missed the puffins since they had already migrated away for the winter.
The day after the cruise we planned to go to Exit Glacier, but unfortunately for us the weather didn’t cooperate. Instead we took photos from afar. If weather does permit you to, take the hike to see the glacier up close.
Don’t leave Seward without taking a stroll around the old downtown area. The area is full of shops with art and souvenirs, good food and the Alaska Sealife Center. The aquarium serves as a marine mammal rehabilitation center so you will see a few animals that are being cared for.
Where to stay in Seward
During our trip to Alaska, we spent two nights at the Windsong Lodge. The lodge includes large comfortable rooms surrounded by forest, providing a quiet setting to enjoy the small town and surrounding wilderness.
The onsite restaurant, Resurrection Roadhouse is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In my opinion, they shine most in with the breakfast menu with the sourdough hotcakes served with our homemade blueberry maple syrup and just a hint of lemon.
I was impressed at how well our travel plans integrated with each other. The hotel had a shuttle to get us on the cruise we took and when we checked out in the morning they took our bags and got them to the train so we did not have to worry about them while we explored the city until the train left at 6pm.