July 6

SOLTESWEB.NET ALASKA TRIP 2005 - JULY Page 6

Monday, July 25 - Seward

We woke up to rain so slept in (you can do that when you are gypsies and retired like us), then took our time getting ready and saying good-bye to Bill and Carol before heading to Seward - where it also was raining. We settled in a spot right by the bay (called Resurrection Bay, because that was the day the Russians discovered it), then walked into town for sightseeing and shopping. Seward is a town of about 3500 people, but swells to 10 times that amount for the July 4th run up Marathon Mountain (about 3000 ft), and the silver salmon derby next month.

Happy Campers!

Tuesday, July 26 - Seward

Alaska Sea Life Museum

It was obviously cooler today (low 52, high 58) but no rain until late evening, about 9 pm. We took in the Alaska Sea Life Museum...very nice with lots to see! There were tanks of all kinds of sea life, from sea birds to a Stellar sea lion to seals.

We also enjoyed the touch tanks where you could finger anemones, starfish, and sea cucumbers (Ed didn't do that one, but Patty says the sea cucumber felt like a soft or rotten cucumber!).

Resurrection Bay Cruise

We really enjoyed the museum, but the highlight of the day was the 5:30-9:30 pm Resurrection Bay dinner cruise. It was misty but very little rain. We saw orcas (killer whale), muirre (sea bird, like small penguins), puffins (both tufted like above and horned), Stellar sea lions, kittiwakes (like small sea gulls), bald eagles, etc. Glaciers and waterfalls as well. Isn't the water blue?

What more could you want to see in 3 hours of cruise? Then, as part of the cruise, have a salmon bake, all you'd care to eat!

We're spoiled, aren't we?

Wednesday, July 27

Today, the cruise ship Norwegian Dream came into port. Note that it passed in front of our camping spot (compare the picture to that of Monday's).

We enjoyed our trip so much last night that we booked another tomorrow (this time to get close to a glacier). Sometime last month, we heard of a 2-for-1 booklet, the Great Alaskan Tour Saver, offered by Safeway that featured a number of cruises. That's what we have been using for the cruises here, and the one earlier this month from Homer to Seldovia.

Thursday, July 28 - Second Cruise - Northwestern Fjord

Here are some of the pictures from the second cruise. The first, two days ago, was a 4-hr cruise around Resurrection Bay. The second , a 9 1/2 hour cruise, went out into the ocean through several islands and around Harris Peninsula into Northwestern Fjord and up to Northwestern Glacier (extreme left of the second map).

We saw sea lions, orcas, a humpback whale, sea otters, a salmon shark, both kinds of puffins (that's a horned puffin in the picture), kittiwakes, muirres, a shearwater, auklets, pigeon guillemot and eagles.

That's a picture of the glacier below, with another picture of us on the boat. I hope we look like we're having a good time! In case you are wondering, Ed didn't swim out with the camera for the picture of the boat; it was another tour boat.

There was a lot of ice in the water near the glacier, but it didn't calve (sp?) as we sat and watched.

Brrrr!

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