Kenai Peninsula

I am writing this post from Anchorage, but wanted to share a bit more about Seward and the gorgeous Kenai Peninsula before moving on. After a beautiful day cruising around the fjords, the next day was cold and rainy so it greatly limited our ability to explore the town. Nevertheless we did visit the Exit Glacier just outside of Seward. Exit Glacier is the most accessible part of the Harding Icefield. This mass of ice caps the Kenai Mountains, covering more than 1,100 square miles, and it oozes more than 40 glaciers from its edges and down the mountainsides. Unfortunately because of the rain I wasn't able to take any photos.

After visiting the Exit Glacier, we moved on to the Alaska SeaLife Center, which houses massive cold-water tanks and outdoor viewing decks as well as interactive displays of cold-water fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, including harbor seals and a 2,000-pound sea lion. A research center as well as visitor center, it also rehabilitates injured marine wildlife and provides educational experiences for the general public. We first found out about this place the evening before, when our server at Resurrection Roadhouse mentioned that she is also a marine biologist and works with the sea lions there. I loved watching these massive creatures and also enjoyed the interactive exhibits where you could touch all kinds of sea life including starfish, sea cucumbers, and hermit crabs. But my favorite was the stingray, who looked like a little man dancing inside his tank.

Mr. Stingray, a typical Seward local with a smile on his face



View of Mt. Marathon across the road from the Seward Windsong Lodge
 

Sunset over Resurrection Bay

 

After leaving Seward, we journeyed about 120 miles back up the Seward Highway to Anchorage. Along the way we enjoyed beautiful views of various landscapes. It was another rainy day so we didn't have many photo opps, although I did capture the below shot along the highway.

Along the Seward Highway