A Little Father's Day Help...

from my IT Department! Hey, it's why we have kids!

On the other hand - I'm on the road again. I decided to head south from Anchorage (Eagle River) for a couple of days to take in the towns of Seward and Homer, then back to Eagle River for a quick goodbye, then "North to Alaska"! Hey, that'd make a nifty song title.

My travel agent (Eagle River branch) helped me make a reservation for Sunday night in Seward, then proceeded to tell me a number of things that I would enjoy along the way. (That's what I love about this agent, she's always two steps ahead of me, especially when we're hiking!)

I found an early church service in Anchorage (alright, my AGENT found it) that allowed me to roll south out of town at a respectable time. It ended up being slightly later than I had planned because a half dozen or so people stopped me in the parking lot to ask about my travels (very friendly group)!

The highway took me southeast along Turnagain Arm and past Beluga Point where a brief stop netted me a sighting of a Beluga whale as it's white back broke the surface of the shallow waters in the bay. During low tide the glaciated delta exposes itself to great distances from shore.

I also saw numerous people parked along the highway looking up cliff side, in the area where I was told that frequent sightings of both Dahl sheep and mountain goats are made. Not seeing a safe place to pull off in heavy traffic I continued down to Turnagain Gallery where I drooled over some incredible wood carvings (and paintings), as well as chuckling at some marketing.

Continuing southeast I went past the access point to the Alieska Ski area where my brother (Tim) had skied back in the '70s, remarking about the astounding depth of their snow base (120 inches, I believe). As I wrapped around the east end of Turnagain Arm I entered the Kenai Peninsula and started climbing through the mountainous terrain I had been ogling from across the bay.

Eventually I reached the turn-off onto Highway 9. While Highway 1 reached out to Homer, I turned left and headed toward Moose Pass.

 It sounded like a cute little mountain community; the type I like to patronize when the opportunity affords itself. It was well after lunch time and I decided to find a quiet little diner. But when I rolled into town I found myself in the middle of some sort of festival, with people scattered everywhere. I continued on my way.

When I arrived in Seward I was hungry. I went to the south end of town, turned left, then left again and found a "family restaurant" with a bar in it! Must be an Alaskan thing. After eating I rode a few blocks to the Swan Nest Inn, a small place stuffed in the back of a building. I walked up a small flight of stairs, through the door where I met their manager, Sarah, a bubbly personality with a smile that surely is used to warm the lobby year round. She was so intensely dedicated to making everything right that, by the time I checked in and before we even saw the room, she knew what I wanted to do while I was in town, booked me on a sight-seeing tour and got a confirmation number, told me when to be there and how I had just enough time in the morning to take advantage of the complimentary breakfast before going down to the docks. I even got the WiFi password, and their service is really good! Now THAT is a pleasant surprise!

The rooms here are very reasonably priced, plus they offer laundry service (for a small additional fee they'll do laundry for you) and a kitchen. Breakfast is complimentary (continental or more in depth if you like), as I said, but they offer the kitchen for your personal use if you'd like to do your own cooking in the afternoon or evening!

Sarah was so helpful I can easily recommend anyone coming to Seward book a room at the Swan Nest Inn. The room itself is nice with a queen bed, writing desk, refrigerator and, if you're traveling with kids or a Grandkids, there is a loft with two twin sized mattresses that would make an exciting camping experience for any young ones! 

I don't know what they're paying Sarah but she's worth every penny.

After settling in I went to locate where my cruise departs in the morning and, again at Sarah's recommendation, stopped to eat (again).

Tour boats as well as Cruise Ships populate the bay, mixing easily with the fishing and private vessels.

 The view along Resurrection Bay is breath taking! Unfortunately, it is so expansive that it exceeds the capability of both my camera and my skill level.

At the very back left corner you may be able to see a Holland Cruise Lines ship that uses Seward as a Port of Call.

Access to the sea is down there somewhere!

Next door to the city park where these pictures were taken is a campground, and next to it is a massive RV park. Further beyond the docks is a building with an unusual sign that invites public participation.

Some entries were better thought out than others, but a unique idea.

So tomorrow will be quite a day. I may not reach Homer until very late which may or may not allow me time to post pictures.