Category Archives: Seward Hotels

Clean, modern and centrally located hotels and lodging with all the amenities you’ve come to expect including an espresso bar, spa room, hot tub and sauna.

Anchorage to Seward Trip by Car

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Turn again and again!

There are many ways of traveling from Anchorage to Seward. One can travel by motor coach or by Alaska railroad. I for one however, prefer to travel by rental car, that way I have the luxury of traveling on my own time. Besides, there are many things that can be seen, feel and witnesses when one travels by car rather than just passing by motor coach or aboard train.

Anchorage to Seward is one of the most beautiful drives on the planet. You pass through some of the most spectacular sights Alaska has to offer. This ride will leave you with memories to be cherished for a lifetime.

On your way from Anchorage you will pass Potter Marsh, a sight famed for its waterfowl and view of the Cook Inlet. I often stop my car and walk along the wooden board walk looking out for water fowls and other migratory birds. Driving further south, the road snake in and out of Turnagain Arm. There are many scenic pull out paces along the highway. I always stop by few and peer up the vertical cliffs to see mountain goats and their babies. And out on the other side in the Cook Inlet, you may see a pod of Orcas or Beluga whales if you are lucky!

On the way out of the Turnagain Arm, you will come across the small town of Girdwood, and its iconic Gas Station. Past Girdwood, you can see the Whittier Tunnel, and you will pass the AWCC and Portage Glacier. All three are wonderful stops along the way. Once you make it past Portage, you will begin your trek onto the Kenai Peninsula. This is the land of forests and fauna, and is full of rich plants and animals. You will climb into the hills gradually in some areas, and more steeply in others. You will go through Moose Pass, and view the spectacular Kenai Lake.

Upon passing Tern Lake you will begin your trip down into Seward. The Chugach forest will accompany you on the remainder of your trip back down to sea level. You will pass another small community near Exit Glacier, and then you will be in the port town of Seward! After such a beautiful journey, you are sure to want to relax. There are plenty of places for you to sit and eat, or explore more of Alaska’s more unexpected wildlife at the Alaska Sealife Center.

Prince William Sound Day Cruise in Alaska

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Whale Watching us!

Whale Watching us!

This morning we were up bright and early, mostly in anticipation of our boat tour of the Prince William Sound scheduled for later in the day. A lot of people leave the train at Whittier and like us, most are taking one tour or another on Prince William Sound. We chose ours based on the knowledge of our Tour Consultant at Alaska Denali Tours.

We climbed aboard the “Emerald Sea” and began. The scenery is breathtaking, and not like any place we’ve ever been before. The cliffs have green foliage this time of year,

One of Many glaciers to see on the tour

One of Many glaciers to see on the tour

and are interspersed with channels of snowmelt water that cascade like waterfalls into the Sound. We had the presence of mind to bring some pictures of this back, and they are among the favorites in our album. The crew and National Park Ranger on board, told us about glacier ice and how it is different from the ice in our freezer. It takes thirty feet of snowfall to compact into just one inch of glacier ice. Due to this extreme compression, it is crystal clear and we are told you could carry a chunk of glacier ice in your pocket all day long without it thawing. We left that for someone else to verify, though.

Crewmembers wanted to show us some glacier ice up close, so two of them got a net and went to the stern of the ship to snag a chunk. Unfortunately, the chunk of ice the crewmember snagged was much larger than expected. It almost pulled her in!

A great day trip! A very entertaining tour, knowledgeable staff, and enough scenic photo opportunities throughout the day to fill an album. We highly recommend a visit to Alaska’s Prince William Sound with Major Marine Tours.

Fannie and Richard Keisler

Look Closer at Alaska’s Eco System

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The Alaska SeaLife Center is one of the stops in several of Alaska Denali Tours vacation packages. Located in Seward, Alaska, a town known as “little Switzerland”.

Dont miss out

Don't miss out

Seward is also the coastal gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, and is one of Alaska’s most popular destinations for Alaska vacation-goers. For this journey, you can be a witness to the first marine science facility designed to combine public education, wildlife rehabilitation and research.

The SeaLife Center offers self-guided tours to watch the marine life at your own pace. Special and ongoing educational presentations featured daily. Behind the scene tours and encounters are available everyday and weekends during the summer. Reservations recommended. Group tours are available if you have 10 or more in your party. Group tours include a unique presentation. The SeaLife Center has meeting and breakout rooms available for rent for receptions and dinners for up to 200 guests.
The tour consultants at Alaska Denali Tours can reserve this tour to your travel package before or after another adventure. Seward, Alaska is an arrival and departure point for many cruise ships. The SeaLife Center should be visited as a pre or post cruise tour, you’ll know more, you’ll understand, you’ll look a little closer.

Cruise, a day trip in Seward Alaska

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In the pale golden dawn of a soft September morning, three travelers, worn and weary from a long, storied trip of the greened forty-ninth state, followed the winding silvery ribbon of pavement leading from the growing metropolis of Anchorage to the sleepy seaside town of Seward where a pale vessel awaited us for a mesmerizing voyage into the watery bays of the Kenai Fjords National Park. A Dall Sheep watched us pass.

We boarded the ship at midmorning and were greeted by a friendly crew, a pale azure sky, and an emerald sea. A lone Bald Eagle watched us leave the breakwater for our adventures which began with a small, furry Sea Otter crunching open a small crab and continued to the amazing bulk of Steller Sea Lions and the plump Puffins with the rainbowed beaks.

Hello, welcome to Alaska!

Hello, welcome to Alaska!

A Humpback Whale turned her black back not fifty feet from us and we could almost feel the mighty spouts that cast small glimmering rainbows over the solemn sea. But it was the Orcas, the noble Killer Whales, that truly wowed us with their glistening gliding through the churning waves as they, like us on the vessel, dined on the delicacy of Alaskan Salmon, a dull pink, rich in nutrients and flavors that left imprinted memories of our wonderful Alaskan trip. We ate before the towering monolith of a blue glacier. The Orcas swam on.
Gene Merewether

Alaska Railroad Tour to Seward

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Panoramic Views

Panoramic Views

Upon boarding the Alaska Railroad Goldstar train I knew right away I was in for a grand experience. I travelled from Anchorage to Seward which is known as the Coastal Classic Train ride-and what a spectacular experience it was.

When you travel first class with Alaska Railroad be prepared to be treated as a King! We were seated in our reserved seats in the 2nd level of the train car, which has a full domed top for a 360 degree view of Alaska-not only does this service offer the full domed top but also open viewing decks for you to go outside for great photo opportunities-some of my best pictures were taken from this area.

This certain segment of the train offered views of the wilderness and a string of massive glaciers visible right from the track-this truly was a treat all in its self. There were parts of this journey that didn’t even look real, they seemed to be right out of a picture book that I had once looked at while planning my trip to Alaska. It is hard to say what exactly to do while in Alaska-there is so much but taking this train ride was no doubt one of the greatest things I have ever done.

Once we reached the very cute, quaint town of Seward we disembarked the train and began a whole new Alaskan experience, really just cant get enough of this place.

Killian Ashland