Onto Seward

Of course the rain gods decided enough sunshine and our last few days at Williwaw Campground saw rain and more rain. Saturday was just about 24 hours worth. Sunday, even though still a little drizzly, we decided to take a drive to Hope. It is a very small old gold mining town. We didn't really stop to check it out but just enjoyed the drive along Sixmile Creek to Turnagain Arm. There was a lot of traffic on Seward Highway going the other way as weekenders left Seward and the rest of the Kenai Peninsula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday we left our lovely spot at Williwaw and again drove on the Seward Highway passing the Hope turnoff and continuing on to the Port town of Seward. We got a waterfront site in one of the city campgrounds on Resurrection Bay. Sites are close together but who cares when you have such a awesome view out the front window. We couldn't get a electric hook up site but was only $15 instead of 30 and so that was fine. We had stopped at the free dump in town to clean out the tanks and get fresh water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not bad views, wouldn't you say. We are in walking distance from the town and the harbor. Their population is about 3,600 but it is a very popular tourist area as it is right on the Kenai Fjords National Park. The usual access to the Park is on excursion boats and we are going to take a tour this week. We had to go into town to a Safeway to stock up and couldn't resist taking a picture of this little Smart Car with a Big load on top. We weren't the only ones taking a picture.

I think we are going to like it here. Savannah approves the views as she sits on the dash looking out the window.

 

 

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Quest for Glaciers

We had made reservations for a 4 hour cruise to see some of the glaciers in Prince William Sound on Friday. Glacier Quest Cruise was in our tour book and so we paid $89 plus tax for one ticket and the other was free. A great deal for what turned out to be a great tour. First we had to go through the tunnel to Whittier. The tour started at 1:00 but it was recommended to go through the tunnel by 11:30. It is a one lane 2 1/2 mile long tunnel and goes into Whittier on the hour. You can then return from Whittier on the half hours. You may be delayed if a train which also shares the tunnel is coming through. The tunnel was originally built as a way for trains to get to Whittier as the only way there was by boat or plane. Then later cars were allow to go through as well.

 

We made it through by noon, picked up our tickets and then went to a nearby cafe to get a salmon burger and fries to share.

 

 

 

 

We then made our way to the boat. The catamaran, the M/V Glacier Quest is a very comfortable boat with heated cabins and not being the weekend it was not crowded and so was easy to move around and get plenty of pictures from inside and outside. Our last few days of sunshine are gone and it is cloudy but no rain yet though it is on the horizon. The cruise is on the Blackstone Bay, part of Prince William Sound and is home to the largest concentration of tidewater glaciers. The views are just spectacular.

 

 

There was a forest ranger on board to point out the sites. We passed an old shipwreck in Shotgun Cove. It was grounded and the owner didn't it worth salvaging and it has sat there ever since.

 

 

We passed several glaciers but Blackstone and Beloit were the highlights.

 

 

 

The boat came very close to the glaciers and while out on the deck, we heard the boom as one of the glaciers calved, which is when some of the ice breaks free, We also saw a little calving.

 

Besides the glaciers there were also a lot of waterfalls and beautiful scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't see a lot of wildlife, but saw a seal sitting on the ice, a large group of birds and a few eagles that I wasn't able to get pictures of as they flew into the bushes quickly.

 

 

What a wonderful trip. The time went by so fast and we were soon back to port. I'll let a few more pictures tell the story of this amazing area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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