Our last leg of our journey with the 2014 Alaska Caravan brought us from Kenai to Seward, a small coastal town on the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
The group departed Kenai at their own leisure and we took our time exploring the highways and sites between Kenai and Seward. We spent the morning filming scenery along the way, and stopped along some of the rivers to watch the locals fly fish for Salmon.
We arrived in Seward early afternoon, and the group was getting settled in at Seward Waterfront Park. A beautiful campsite located along the water of Resurrection Bay, Seward Waterfront Park looks across to the stunning Resurrection Peninsula. The afternoon was a little wet and dreary, so most of the group opted for time inside playing cards and games with one another, or relaxed with a book. We took the opportunity to interview a few of the couples on the Caravan to learn more about their stories and their journey so far through Alaska. We learned some couples had traveled the world, some had RVed for many years, and for some the 2014 Alaska Caravan was their first RV trip. I was inspired when Yong and Younghee showed us their Readers Digest Most Scenic Drives in American book, showing us the places they had visited, and the highways they had journeyed. Yong said it is their dream to drive and experience every scenic highway in the book – We think they’re well on their way!
We rose early the next morning and grabbed a quick bite to eat before meeting up with the group for the day’s adventure. Duane and Lynda had organized a boat tour for the group, to explore Kenai Fjords National Park. We packed into a bus and headed down the the Marina for the first sailing of the day with Kenai Fjords Tours.
The morning brought a mix of cloud and rain, and huge 12ft swells in the Pacific. Given the rough sea conditions, we were given the option to cancel our tickets and get re-embursed for the tour. Most of our group decided to go regardless. Not fairing well with motion sickness I purchased some motion sickness pills for the journey and hoped for the best. We departed Seward at 10 a.m. and headed South down Resurrection Bay. The first portion of the journey was relaxing and enjoyable and we got settled in with hot drinks and snacks.
The captain and his crew were fantastic and provided a wealth of knowledge along the journey. The captain and crew would point out wildlife as we passed, and even slow the boat down to ensure everyone was able to get a great view and take plenty of photos. We saw Eagles, Harbor Seals, Sea Otters, Sea Lions, and shortly into the journey, a pod of Dall’s Porpoise swam, jumped and dove alongside our boat providing a memorable show! We also got to see Humpback Whales, which was an incredible site.
Once we got out of Resurrection bay and into the Gulf of Alaska the swells got up to 10-12 ft. A rocky ride to say the least, some of us were fearful, and were heavily feeling the effects of motion sickness, while others including Bill and John continued playing Cribbage, completely unfazed by the conditions. The Kenai Fjords Tour crew was excellent, attending to everyone’s needs, providing assistance, water, and even the dreaded doggie bags.
After quite the eventful ride we headed into Aialik Bay towards the Aialik Glacier for a much needed break from the rough seas. One of my favourite memories from the day was seeing the glacier calving. The Captain brought us as close to the glacier as possible and even shut off the engine so we could hear and experience the glacier calving in its full effect. We all spent a number of minutes in complete silence taking in the spectacular site, listening to the ice break away and plummeting into the waters below.
On the way back to Seward we stopped at Fox Island for a much welcomed break on land to warm-up in-front of the fire, and enjoy a delicious Wild Alaska Salmon and Prime Rib buffet. If you are planning on visiting Alaska, Seward is certainly worth the visit, as is taking the tour out to view Kenai Fjords National Park – although we hope you have much calmer seas than we did! We hope you enjoy the full video of our time with the Alaska Caravan.
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