RVing to Alaska & Yukon Ep. 6 - Visiting Seward (Glacier Dog Sledding, Dinner Cruise, Hiking & more)
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- In Episode 6 of our RVing to Alaska and Yukon series we visit….SEWARD!
Whether its eagles landing right behind your campsite, dog sledding, whales, fishing or glaciers….Seward has something for everyone.
The drive from Valdez to Seward takes you north on the Richardson Hwy and then west on the Glenn Hwy towards Anchorage. We spent the first night on this part of the trip at the Grand View Cafe and RV Park. The views were actually quite grand.
The next morning we awoke to heavy rain and flood warnings for the drive to Anchorage….and in Alaska, heavy rains can trigger rock slides.
Though we hit some smaller rocks there was no damage done and we made it to Anchorage and the Golden Nugget Camper Park. We spent 2 days reprovisioning and then headed south, still driving in the rain, towards Seward.
Sewad has a bustling harbour with shops and restaurants. There’s plenty of fishing charters and glacier and wildlife cruises to choose from. Seward also has a small downtown business section away from the harbour with even more shops and restaurants.
From the organized excursions to the local wildlife seemingly putting on a show for us, Seward provided many of the highlights of our entire trip.
So let’s start with some of those outings.
Cindy had really wanted to try dog sledding on our trip…... So she booked an adventure with Turning Heads Kennel and Seward Helicopter Tours who fly you to its Iditarod Teams’ summer camp, that in 2022, was high atop the Godwin Glacier.
The flight was unforgettable, soaring above Resurrection Bay and zooming across the Godwin Glacier.
Once at camp you get to ride with, or even mush, an Iditarod Team in training. And then you get to play with the dogs for a few minutes….it was an unforgettable experience.
We’d had such an amazing glacier/wildlife cruise aboard the Lulu Belle in Valdez we opted for something with a slight twist in Seward - a dinner cruise with Kenai Fjords Tours. We saw humpbacks and sealions….and of course glaciers. And a highlight of the cruise was a group of Dawl’s Porpoises that decide to play and race in our boats bow wave. The captain told us he had never had the porpoises stay and frolic that long on any cruise he’d ever done….oh yeah, the crab cake dinner was pretty good too.
Also in Seward is the Alaska SeaLife Center - a public aquarium and marine research centre that also does animal rescue and rehabilitation. It was a great spot to spend a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon but do be aware it is also a popular spot with many of tourists who visit Seward aboard cruise ships and can be a bit busy.
And just a short drive from Seward is Exit Glacier. Located in Kenai Fjords National Park there is a well-marked trail you can hike that has markers indicating where the toe of the glacier used to be. These markers provide a fascinating insight into how quickly the Exit Glacier is retreating. When we were leaving we asked the Rangers how much longer they thought the glacier would be viewable - they said the research indicated it could disappear in 15-20 years. Do keep in mind the hike is a bit rugged in places so we recommend some good hiking footwear.
There are many great camping choices in Seward, with quite a few of them operated by the City right on the waterfront. We stayed in Resurrection Campground where some of the sites have water and electric hookups with a fire ring right on the beach. And there is a great waterfront walking or biking trail that will take you to the harbour in one direction, or to the downtown area and SeaLife Centre the other way. Because we wanted a waterfront site with electricity for our 5-day stay in Seward, this was one of the spots we did make a reservation way in advance.
We loved camping here. While it is basically a parking lot the sites were well marked and a decent size and the views were amazing…..some nights it felt like the wildlife was being paid to put on a performance right in front of our site including two brave river otters trying to steal two bald eagle’s salmon dinner. And when the eagles and otters took a break, - you could just sit and watch the comings and goings of the fishing fleet or the cruise ships. And just one last note about camping in Seward, know that every day at noon they test the tsunami warning system.
Seward provided some of the most memorable highlights of our trip. We can’t imagine any trip to Alaska being complete without visiting this great community.
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#alaska
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#driving
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#KluaneNationalPark
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#JadeFever
#ExploreYukon
#Jasper
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#kenaifjords
Planning going 2024 enjoying or videos
Thank you! We hope you have a fantastic trip!
Hello it’s Carlos from Tx I’m really enjoying your Alaska videos. I would like to make that trip in about a year and a half. What’s the average price for camping with hook ups.
Hi Carlos, thanks very much. The most expensive full service campground we stayed at was in Homer ($75/night+tax). Most others with full hook ups were in the $50-60 range. But there are lots of campgrounds with partial services or with dry camping that are more affordable. We really enjoyed the Yukon Govt CGs - $20 Canadian with free fire wood. And of course there’s lots of opportunities for free boondocking in Yukon and Alaska. In Episode 12 of our series we break down our expenses - our avg camping cost per night was $32. Have a great trip and adventure!
You did a fantastic job with the zoom lens.
Thanks Diann.
have enjoyed nearly all of your videos!!! We are planning our trip to alaska for august 2023. we will be driving an suv from northern lower michigan, and staying at motels (we hope). would love to hear your feedback. Wish you could have included mileage from one destination to the next, but my buddy google will help me figure it out. GREAT videos. tried to watch some others, but they just couldn't keep my attention. THANKS!!!
Thanks so much Al. Im not sure I have many ideas re motel stays but I do recommend a couple of facebook groups for people making this trip and I have seen people there talk about motels. Theres RVing to Alaska - Original, and Alaska RV Travellers. Hopefully they will also be good resources for you. Have a fantastic trip!
What size truck do you use to pull your trailer?
Hi Cindy, our Truck is a 2021 Ram 1500 (5.7 hemi) with a 3.92 ratio and limited slip differential. The trailer is a Rockwood Minilite 2109s, 21 feet, 4100 lbs and a 550 lb tongue weight. If the trailer were any bigger/heavier I’d probably upgrade the truck to a 2500….That’s just my opinion. Hope you enjoyed the video.
We are planning our Alaska trip in June of 2024. I really enjoy your videos, well done and easy to follow. Love the RV Parky app!!
Thank you Julie. We really really appreciate the feedback and are glad to hear that you are finding them helpful!
Another great video! Really well done and informative. Making reservations for the busy areas is a great idea. Looking forward to the next one. Cheers!
Thanks Scott, really glad you enjoyed it!