Seward

The drive from Palmer to Seward was very interesting as we experienced beautiful scenery along the Turnagain Arm with mountains on both sides of the water and road. Many pull-outs enabled us to have a good view of the area. A highlight of the trip was when we encountered several Dall Sheep high on the side of a mountain. That was our first opportunity to see Dall Sheep in the wild and photograph them. They were very cooperative in posing for the pictures.

We were only in Seward a couple of nights but our view from the campground made it inviting to stay longer.  We overlooked Resurrection Bay, a branch of Prince William Sound, which afforded an abundance of water traffic ranging from small personal boats to large commercial fishing vessels and even a huge cruise ship.  While dining along the waterfront, we had a excellent view of the marina.  After lunch we walked the docks to get a better view of the vessels in mooring.  We always wonder about the people who own the expensive yachts, one reportedly valued at over four million dollars. 

One of the attractions, of which Seward is most proud, is the Alaska SeaLife Center, an institution of learning and entertainment, Alaska's only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center featuring 177 different species of marine life.  The Alaska SeaLife Center is a direct result of the settlement with Exxon following the oil spill at Valdez in 1989.  

We enjoyed watching, from our campground, the departure of a large Princess Cruise Ship as it backed away from pier and turned around in the bay before heading out to sea.  It's amazing how easy it looked.

We are now headed to the Kenai Peninsula.