2 Days in Seward

7/21/17

This morning I caught Tom with the binoculars looking out the windshield at the bay – Penny was interested too.  Tom thought he saw a whale, but no luck, it was just a log. 



Tom and Penny looking for a whale

We left the Homer campground around 9:15.  The skies were clear and the sun came out – Hooray!  We stopped at a turnout where 2 volcanos were visible – Mt. Redoubt was on the left and Mt. Iliamna was on the right.  Quite a sight, as we couldn’t see anything when we came in to Homer due to rain and clouds. 



Mt. Redoubt on the left

 

Mt. Iliamna on the right



We stopped again in Soldotna for gas and enjoyed the ice-covered mountains, rivers, and lakes along the route.  All of a sudden we came to a mountain pass with a lake in front of it on the right side of the road.  The mountain and the clouds reflected into the lake, and it looked like a marketing postcard for Alaska.  I yelled for Tom to pull into the left turnout so I could get a picture.  The highway was the only road to Seward so it was busy both ways, but I saw a couple on the right shoulder taking a picture, so I decided to go there too.  I waited for a break in the traffic and crossed the highway.  I soon realized that the right shoulder was very narrow (about 12”) and then there was a guardrail and a steep drop-off to the lake.  I leaned my legs against the guardrail and got my picture – I think it is my best picture yet.  However, as I turned to go back, the traffic on the right lane filled up, and Tom Young’s Prevost was leading the pack.  I waited.  When Tom recognized me standing in the road, he honked his horn and I waved.  About 5 or 6 vehicles followed him and then another RV from our group passed, and he also honked at me.  Finally, the traffic cleared and I got back across the road to our RV.  The picture is great, but I don’t know if risking life and limb was worth it???  Tom Young told me later that I scared him to death.   Here is my picture.

 

On the way to Seward - my best picture

We arrived at Stoney Creek RV Park around 2:00.  We had lunch and got settled.  Then Tom and I set out in the Jeep to see the town of Seward.  We stopped at the Visitor Center and got a map, then stopped at Safeway for a few groceries, then on to downtown Seward.  There was a cruise ship docked in the harbor.  The city is only about 5 blocks by 5 blocks in size, so it didn’t take very long for us to drive completely through.  Didn’t see anything to pique our attention, but noted the located of the Alaskan Sealife Center which would be our stop for tomorrow.  We drove back to the campground (about 6 miles from downtown) and Tom barbequed fresh halibut from Homer.  It was yummy!

 

 

7/22/17

 

At 10:00 our group gathered at the Alaska Sealife Center.  This Center was founded following the 1989 oil spill from the SS Valdez.  The Center had a three-pronged purpose: 1) to rescue and rehabilitate birds and animals that are injured; 2) to research the local animals, birds, and environment (including glaciers); 3) to educate the public on their findings. The building housed a section on seals and walruses, one on fish and sea plant life, and one on birds. Our tour company had arranged for us to have a talk from one of the bird habitat staff on the puffins they house.  They called it the “Puffin Experience”.  What a bunch of fun.  The young lady that gave the talk infused it with a lot of the personalities of the birds, and brought 3 puffins into the room for us to see first hand. 

 

Our first puffin was a Horned Puffin.  They get the name from the black mark above their eye which looks like a horn.  His name was Rain, but he was a bit lazy.  He preferred to be fed the fish, rather than dive for it.  He loved to sit in her hand and be photographed.  

Horned Puffin

Then we got to meet Dory, who was a Tufted Puffin.  She had long feathers on her head that looked like long horns.  Dory was a bit of a grandstander.  She loved attention and would perform for an audience.  She was adorable. 

Dory the Tufted Puffin

Dory showing off

Klinger the Rhinoceros Puffin

 

The last puffin was Klinger, the Rhinoceros Puffin.  He was a rascal and loved shoes.  He would not hold still long enough for a picture and continued to jump out of her hand and run along the floor between the rows of people.  He learned how to jettison his poop out of his burrow in the cliffs so he didn’t have to clean up after himself – smart bird!  My picture of Klinger is a little fuzzy, and the Rhino horn on his beak is a little hard to see, but this was the best I could do with him constantly moving.

 

After the “Puffin Experience”, we wandered through the rest of the building.  We saw a baby walrus.  He was only 6 weeks old, and weighed 139 lbs.  He was orphaned in Nome, Alaska and was rescued due to malnutrition.  He had 24 hr. care at the Center, and when we saw him, a staffer was holding and petting him.  He looked completely at home.  The fish exhibit focused mainly on local fish – lots of salmon.  We also watched the sea lions and harbor seals playing in the water.  Lastly, we spent quite a bit of time watching the bird habitat and the deep seawater below (3 stories).  We could see the diving birds fly from the top of the aviary and dive all the way to the bottom to catch fish.  Actually, we had already learned that the puffins could dive 200 ft. down while fishing.  All in all, a lovely visit to a wonderful building.

 

Tom went back to the RV campground, and I joined two of my shopping friends, Trish and Bev.  We walked the main street of Seward in hopes of finding a new treasure.  I found a cute t-shirt for Lucky which says, “Sled Dog in training”, and a book on the Susan Butcher story of Granite, her lead dog in the Iditarod. 

Our two pups in one bed

Tom and I both read the book, and I am saving it for the grandkids as it is a really good story.  Trish picked up a nice vest, and Bev bought a new jacket.  Trish drove the three of us home.  We traded reading books, and the tour people taught us how to make hot iron pies over a campfire.  Another wonderful day.

 

7/23/17

 

We woke up to low hanging mist and overcast skies.  The Wagonmasters and Tailgunners prepared a big breakfast for all.  The grilled wonderful pancakes, and cooked sausages.  We also had orange juice and coffee.  I don’t know how these 2 couples do it.  They have to carry all the food and the grills and tools to make fresh breakfast for 45 people.  Not only that, they have to set up tables for all and have it ready at 8:30 in the morning.  Boy, am I glad I’m not a Wagonmaster or Tailgunner – I could not do this.

 

We spent the morning reading and around 10:00 am, we had hot cocoa, as it was still cold outside.  But the sun started to burn off the overcast, and Tom and I headed back to town to find a jacket for Tom.  We looked all over and didn’t find what he was looking for.  We ended up at the Sealife Center where we found a nice coat for him.  I liked it so much, that we bought one for me too (but a different color).  Mission Successful.  We headed back to the RV for some down time.

 

At 4:00, a bus arrived at the campground to pick us all up for a dinner cruise down to Fox Island and back.  I actually got to dress up a little – at least not jeans and a t-shirt.  The bus took all of us down to the harbor where we boarded the ‘Nanatuk’.  Here is a picture I took at the Sealife Center of Resurrection Bay.  It shows Seward and the harbor on the left, and Fox Island in the lower right.  Beyond Fox Island is open sea.  

Resurrection Bay
 

The boat ride to Fox Island was a little choppy.  We docked at Fox Island, and all of us walked up the gangway to a restaurant that served us a buffet dinner of salmon and prime rib—not what we expected.   It was advertised as a ‘Dinner Cruise’ and we expected that we would be served dinner on the boat.  Besides that, the food was ‘ordinary’ and mostly cold, so most of us were completely disappointed with the dinner at the restaurant.  Also, we were only allotted 50 minutes for dinner, and that included waiting in line to get your food.  You barely ate, and the boat whistle was going off.  A big disappointment! 

 

We got back on the boat for the trip back to the Seward harbor, but we met up with a humpback whale in the bay around Fox Island, and a bunch of puffins in the water.  Here are my pictures.

 

Humpback Whale

Tufted Puffins in the Fox Island Bay

When we got off the boat in Seward, we were entertained by an otter who was very busy eating his fish dinner.

Sea Otter and his fish dinner

 

Back home again, and I am posting this blog.  Tomorrow is a travel day to Palmer.  See you there.