We woke up this morning in Seward. Seward is a small town on the
Kenai Peninsula. It was named after the Secretary of State under Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was instrumental in negotiating the purchase of Alaska from Russia (Seward's folly). Seward began as a Russian fur trade post in 1793.
We bid so long to the ship and head on to the land portion of our trip.
Early we headed out to the Alaska Sea Life Center. It is Alaska's only aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center. The center began as a wildlife clean up and rehab facility during the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It is now connected to the Univ. of Alaska as a research center for local Alaskan Marine life. The center keeps track of the sea life populations as well as rescues and rehabs sick or injured animals.
Erica took this picture of a whale vertebrae, I wish one of the kids was standing next to it for perspective on size.
There is a deck at the Sea Life Center that looks out on this incredible view.
Petting zoos at Marine Centers just crack me up. The kids have touched some of the strangest and most colorful sea life.
After lunch we officially left the ship, boarded a bus, and headed to Portage Glacier on the
Kenai Peninsula.
The drive was more incredible Alaskan scenery...lakes,
forest,
mountains,
marshes,
glaciers,
snow,
and ice.
Portage Glacier was named so because this portage trail was an old Native Alaskan route connecting Prince William Sound to the east and
Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet to the west across the neck of the
Kenai Peninsula. There were no native villages found along this route, just a few fur trapper out posts.
After visiting Portage Glacier we continued on to Anchorage.
The mountains surrounding Anchorage are truly incredible. The spectacular Chigmit Range.
Chugach Mountains to the east. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska. It is one of the few cities that didn't begin as a mining or fishing camp. It is more northern than Oslo, Helsinki, St.
Petersburg, and Stockholm. The coast is mostly mudflats. As in many other coastal Alaskan areas, it's extremely dangerous to walk in the flats. It is easy to get stuck in the fine glacial silt and the extreme tides rush in very quickly. There is volcanic activity,
seismic activity,
subarctic climate, about 250 black bears, 60 grizzly bears, 1000 moose, and 30 wolves living within city limits, beavers live in the local creeks, mountain goats along the highway, fox along wooded parking lots...but the city has been rated All-American City 4 times. The people are so so nice in Alaska, extremely friendly everywhere we went.
We woke up this morning in Seward. Seward is a small town on the Kenai Peninsula. It was named after the Secretary of State under Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was instrumental in negotiating the purchase of Alaska from Russia (Seward's folly). Seward began as a Russian fur trade post in 1793.
We bid so long to the ship and head on to the land portion of our trip.
Early we headed out to the Alaska Sea Life Center. It is Alaska's only aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center. The center began as a wildlife clean up and rehab facility during the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It is now connected to the Univ. of Alaska as a research center for local Alaskan Marine life. The center keeps track of the sea life populations as well as rescues and rehabs sick or injured animals.
Erica took this picture of a whale vertebrae, I wish one of the kids was standing next to it for perspective on size.
There is a deck at the Sea Life Center that looks out on this incredible view.
Petting zoos at Marine Centers just crack me up. The kids have touched some of the strangest and most colorful sea life.
After lunch we officially left the ship, boarded a bus, and headed to Portage Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula.
The drive was more incredible Alaskan scenery...lakes,
forest,
mountains,
marshes,
glaciers,
snow,
and ice.
Portage Glacier was named so because this portage trail was an old Native Alaskan route connecting Prince William Sound to the east and Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet to the west across the neck of the Kenai Peninsula. There were no native villages found along this route, just a few fur trapper out posts.
After visiting Portage Glacier we continued on to Anchorage.
The mountains surrounding Anchorage are truly incredible. The spectacular Chigmit Range.
Chugach Mountains to the east. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska. It is one of the few cities that didn't begin as a mining or fishing camp. It is more northern than Oslo, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Stockholm. The coast is mostly mudflats. As in many other coastal Alaskan areas, it's extremely dangerous to walk in the flats. It is easy to get stuck in the fine glacial silt and the extreme tides rush in very quickly. There is volcanic activity, seismic activity, subarctic climate, about 250 black bears, 60 grizzly bears, 1000 moose, and 30 wolves living within city limits, beavers live in the local creeks, mountain goats along the highway, fox along wooded parking lots...but the city has been rated All-American City 4 times. The people are so so nice in Alaska, extremely friendly everywhere we went.
2 comments:
So amazingly beautiful! I just don't think I would want to live in Anchorage, just for the fact that there is volcanic activity!
Your pictures are gorgeous...looks like a string of post cards.
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