We were on Day 3 of our Fairbanks to Seward Road Trip adventure and so far we had 9 activities under our belt. If you missed part 1 you can find it here but this installment starts us off in Girdwood, where we stayed at Alyeska Resort. If we go back to Girdwood, which I imagine we will, we will most likely find other accommodations BUT the resort property is an incredible place to explore! I also want to mention, that from this point on, during our trip, our group included ages ranging from 4 months - 80 years Activity #10 - Winner Creek TrailAfter grabbing breakfast at The Pond (the omelets and fruit plate were great!), our first activity in Girdwood was walking Winner's Creek Trail. This trail was beautiful! And easy for our whole group. We didn't do the whole trail but would definitely go back to spend more time! We just needed to make it back for our next scheduled activity, which was... Activity #11 - Alyeska Aerial TramwayFrom the Alyeska resort, the Alyeska Tram takes passengers to an elevation of 2300 feet at the top of Mt. Alyeska. Continuing with our amazing weather, we had an incredible view of glaciers and peaks above as well as the interesting shape of the glacially carved valley below. The tram runs year-round, allowing winter skiers access to Alaska’s largest ski area and summer visitors a more scenic experience. Activity #12 - Whittier TunnelAfter riding to the top of the Chugach Mountains and down, we continued our journey down the Kenai Peninsula making a tiny detour to drive through the longest highway tunnel in North America-the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel-aka the Whittier tunnel. This 2.5 mile tunnel holds the only road leading into Whittier, Alaska. It is one-lane and services both cars and trains, so keeping a schedule is incredibly important. Before the 1940s, the only way to access Whittier was by sea (or an ambitious hike) but once the army took up post here during WWII, they needed a better way to get supplies, especially supplies that could be protected from Japanese submarines keeping watch on the harbor, so this tunnel was born. We knew we had to jump at the opportunity to drive it, especially to check out what has been voted "weirdest place in America" on the other side. Activity #13 - Whittier HarborIf you’ve been with us for long, you know our love for the unique and quirky. Whittier is a beautiful, tiny town nestled on the edge of Prince William Sound. The harbor is surrounded by stunning waterfalls and gorgeous mountains. While there is only a one-way road to get in and out, this isn’t what makes Whittier the ‘weirdest place in America’. Are you ready for this? This tiny town is home to about 200 year round residents - the majority of which live under the same roof! The 14-story high Begich Towers - originally built as army barracks - now houses most of Whittier’s residents as well as the police station, post office, church, and other community amenities. We can’t wait to get back to Whittier and spend some more time exploring this beautiful, historic, quirky little town. Activity #14 - Downtown SewardAt the end of Day 5 of our Adventure road trip we checked into our Airbnb in Seward and headed downtown for some dinner. We settled on The Lone Chicharron for some tacos. We came here last time we were in Seward and, while I’m a fan, I will admit, not everyone in our group agreed. Everyone thought the food was good! But maybe not good enough for the price. That being said, I think the price is pretty average for what you’ll find in the area. So if you find yourself trying out this place, please let us know what you think! Downtown Seward is such a fun little place to do some shopping and grab a meal. It's a short walk from the oceanfront where you may be able to spot some wildlife. There was a humpback whale feeding out in the harbor the entire time we stayed in Seward so it was fun to watch whenever we could get a view! Activity #15 - Wildlife CruiseWith food prices being what they are, and with our family-style of traveling, we made a stop at the local Safeway grocery store for a few breakfast essentials which made mornings super easy. Especially with our full kitchen in our Airbnb. After breakfast, we made our way to check-in for our wildlife cruise with Kenai Fjords Tours. This tour was really what our entire trip was planned around. The migrating orca pods are in the area as the salmon run starts to arrive in May and we wanted to see orcas! We had unusually calm waters this day so our captain was able to take us deeper into open water than normal. As soon as we got a bit further out, we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by multiple pods of orcas. It was breathtaking! The entire boat seemed to just sit in silence for about a half hour as we all just watched these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. To be honest, we didn’t see much other wildlife on our ‘wildlife cruise’ but we didn’t mind since we felt it was the show of a lifetime. Our cruise included a lunch at beautiful, private Fox Island and scenic views around Kenai Fjords National Park. There are multiple cruise companies out of Seward but we highly recommend Kenai Fjords! Activity #16 - Seward HarborAfter our cruise, we roamed the harbor to check out the catch of the day. Halibut, rock fish, and salmon fishing charters are also very common out of Seward and it always fun to watch them come in and put their catch on display. Walking around the harbor, we also saw salmon jumping out of the water and other sea creatures like jelly fish, near the shore. And of course, our friend, it was always exciting watching the humpback whale from the shore. Activity #17 - Tide PoolsThe next morning was when our amazing weather took a turn. In typical Alaska fashion, we were hit with lots and lots of rain. This is why we always recommend waterproof layers! But a little (or a lot) of rain wasn’t going to stop us from our next activity. We headed to Lowell Point to check out the tide pools. We looked up the low tide times and it was a perfect late morning activity in an incredibly beautiful setting looking out at the bay. We saw hermit crabs, eels, and tons and tons of different types of sea stars. We all had a blast turning over rocks and hunting for these fun creatures, even if we did get a little soaked. Something to keep in mind if you’d like to visit this area, it costs $5 to park in the little lot at the head of the short trail to the point so be prepared. Activity #18 - Alaska SeaLife CenterAfter exploring Lowell Point, we headed back to town and grabbed lunch at Zudy’s Cafe. This is a wonderful brunch place right downtown with delicious sandwiches (and desserts!) Afterwards, we headed next door to the Alaska SeaLife Center. We also visited this place last time we were in Seward. It’s a really great place with an incredible mission and it was fun to take visitors there to learn more about Alaska - and maybe see some wildlife we missed on the cruise ;) Activity #19 - Two Lakes TrailIt stopped raining later in the day and our last activity in Seward was a short, easy hike on Two Lakes Trail. This trail head was a short drive from our Airbnb and an easy trail for everyone in our group. It includes a pretty waterfall and, obviously, loops around two small lakes. It was the perfect ending to our short stay in Seward. A short note on our Airbnb, it was such a great place to stay! From the fully stocked kitchen and the washer and dryer, to the location of being so close to downtown, we made ourselves quite at home and felt so comfortable. We also enjoyed the incredibly easy check-in and check-out and parking off the street as well. We would highly recommend John and Heather's place! Believe it or not, our adventure road trip was far from over. Our visitors had to travel back up to the Anchorage area to fly home and we still had a 9 hour drive back to Fairbanks! So we took the opportunity to squeeze some more activities in on the way up and over the next few days. You can find this bonus installment here! Let us know if you find this helpful or if we can answer any questions! If you're interested in a one-on-one chat to help to plan a trip to Alaska you can view our options here! Make sure to pin this post so you can come back to it later and we'd love to have you join us on Instagram to come with us on our day-to-day adventures! Until next time, make sure to get out and enjoy where YOU live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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