Seward Part Two: Adventures!

As I posted yesterday, the Sea Life Center and Exit Glacier are the sights many folks come to Seward to see. But the adventures on can have here! Well, they're just as alluring.

Take kayaking in Resurrection Bay. Now that's a pip of a good time, and we didn't even do it in the way, we'd originally planned.  Because the cheaper tours at Miller's Landing were sold out, we ended up hitting the waters with Sunny Cove Kayaking (lucky thing we did as Miller's Landing cancelled its trips that afternoon due to wind conditions, whereas we went out and were just fine!). It was a delightful three-hours of paddling through the waves and up to seals, who played peek-a-boo with us in the surf, seemingly unalaramed by our presence. During the course of the tour, we also landed briefly to hike through a "pickled forest"-- trees that were killed when the 1964 tsunami brought sea water over their roots. Oddly, the salt had the effect of preserving the trees and they're expected to stand for 200-years or so.

Next up: mushing! We headed to the winner of the 2012 Iditarod, place Mike Seavey's Ididaride, to immerse ourselves in everything dog racing.

During the presentation, we learned all about the grueling course of the race, how both mushers and dogs train for it, and the equipment used. Here, my 9-year-old daughter holds an actual trainer's boot that's nearly as big as she is.

Lectures were followed by a 20-minute dog sled ride (on a sled with wheels) through the boreal forest. The dogs were so excited, they would constantly leap up in place when the sled stopped, signalling the trainer they were ready to be on their way. They seemed like a happy, well cared for crew.

But the highlight, of course, was getting to cuddle the new puppies. This one, a female, is nicknamed Badger for the markings on her face. What her eventual name will be is anybody's guess. Visitors get to suggest names on cards as they exit. (I'm hoping they pick Brando, Beelzebub or Trixie!).

I'll continue with the final Seward adventure tomorrow, as this post is getting a wee bit long.