The Place
Along the way
On Sunday, July 25th, Mrs. Animal and I took our two visiting daughters down the Kenai Peninsula to the small town of Seward, the first of many neat little places in Alaska that we intend to visit – and on which I will report to you here.
Like many places in the Great Land, Seward was originally a Russian community. In 1793, Alexander Baranov of the Shelikhov-Golikov company wandered into Resurrection Bay, a fjord in the Gulf of Alaska, looking for a site to set up a trading post for what was to become the Russian-American Company. The community remained small until statehood, when growth of the town resulted from the growing fishing and tourism industries. Today, it’s still a small town that sees a big influx of visitors every summer, by road as well as by cruise ship and railway.
Things to See
Along the Way
Unless you arrive by sea, there’s only one way to get to Seward, and that’s to take Alaska Highway 1 from Anchorage or the Kenai area to Tern Lake, where you turn south on Alaska Highway 9 to Seward. Most folks will be arriving from Anchorage, though, and there’s some interesting landmarks along that route. Right at the bend in Highway 9 where you reach the end of the Turnagain and start to head west by southwest towards the Kenai Peninsula, you’ll find two attractions in short order: The road to Portage Glacier and Portage Creek, and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
You can’t always count on seeing wildlife that is, well, wild, but here you can see some wildlife that has been rehabilitated for one reason or another and is now living a comfortable life and serving as teaching tools into the bargain. For a nominal fee ($15 for Alaska residents, $17 for non-residents) you can see black and grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves, elk, and a variety of smaller critters. The setup is ideal for kids, as it doesn’t involve a lot of tramping through wilderness for hours and hours for a possible glimpse of a wolf or bear. The facility is well-kept and it’s not a bad walk through all the exhibits, plus you get some great views of the end of the Turnagain Arm.
The Portage Glacier/Portage Creek
Just across the highway from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, if you turn east off Highway 9 on to Portage Glacier Road.
It’s about six miles up the road to Portage Lake, where there is a small visitor center and, in summer, a ferry that can take you on a rather pricey tour of the lake. Early in the summer the lake has chunks of glacial ice still floating around, which can make boating… interesting.
Downstream from the lake there are a few viewing spots on Portage Creek where, in season, you can see spawning salmon. And if you take Portage Glacier Road on past the lake, you will eventually come to a toll station allowing entry into a railroad tunnel that you can drive through to come to the small town of Whittier, which is at the top of Prince William Sound.
Now in Seward itself, there are some great views of Resurrection Bay, but most of the sightseeing to be done is on the drive south from Tern Lake, rather than the town itself. Highway 9 runs along the southern end of Kenai Lake and then, farther south, offers some great views of Bear Lake and the Resurrection River. There are several good trails along the way if you want to go for a walk (bring mosquito repellent) and, in summer, you can take the Exit Glacier Road along the Resurrection River from just north of Seward almost to the Exit Glacier proper. The rivers, streams and lakes all offer good fishing. I haven’t yet explored hunting in the area, but the country looks like it would be full of spruce grouse and bears and moose are known to hang around.
Things to Do
Seward.
If you have a chance to spend a day or two in Seward, there are a number of things to do. The town’s main drag has a few restaurants and a bunch of gift shops, if you’re into that sort of thing. For a fishing charter, as far as I’ve been able to determine you’ll have to go over to Whittier or on down the Kenai Peninsula to Kenai, Anchor Point or Homer.
But there are a couple of things unique to Seward.
The Alaska Railway
Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railway, which offers passenger service north to Fairbanks and, rumor has it, soon around the corner south again to Delta Junction. This scenic trip in fact takes you within a mile or so of the Casa de Animal as it transits up the Susitna Valley on the way up to Fairbanks. It’s a pretty decent way to see a big stretch of Alaska without worrying about driving.
The Alaska SeaLife Center
This is probably Seward’s biggest attraction, for most folks.
The facility isn’t huge, and the admission isn’t cheap – $29.95 for non-residents, $23.95 for Alaskans – but that’s not that much as these kinds of places go. What you get for that price is a pretty neat exhibit with marine mammals, including a few sea lions as well as spotted and harbor seals, a lot of fish and invertebrate life native to the Gulf of Alaska, a big sea bird exhibit and some “touch pools” which are especially popular with the kiddies. Facilities like this aren’t really my bag, but our daughters wanted to see it, and I did enjoy the walk-through, mostly because it wasn’t a particularly crowded day. When we have grand-kids up to visit this and the Conservation Center will be on the to-visit list.
In Conclusion
Alaska is full of neat places to see, of which Seward is just one. But its location on the tourist-friendly Kenai Peninsula makes it a pretty obvious spot for vacationers. There’s some great fishing in the area, both in the local lakes and streams and in Resurrection Bay and the Gulf of Alaska. Down sides: Like many places in Alaska, Seward is on the end of a single roadway; once you’re there, the only place you can go is back. And while some of the restaurants in town are quite good, there aren’t too many of them, and if you’re around in the off season, quite a few of them are shuttered.
Still, a place worth the visit, if for the Alaska SeaLife Center alone.
To see the mountains again…..
nice one Animal,
Cheers!
A little off topic but Yusef, I was in Northern Michigan last week and I always marvel how beautiful it is and why I would love to move there someday when I’m retired. Traverse and Charlevoix are probably filled with some progs but it seems like the surrounding area has a freedom bent.
It’s very Free south of Traverse city, Rural as fuck, nice folks.
Manistee is just big enough for me, 6500 people, then all the little villiges and towns up and down the coast fill in the blanks, come on up.
They have things out here that they call mountains.
Call being the operative word.
The three locations we got to visit in Alaska were by sea on our cruise. Ketchikan, Skagway and Juno.
The people of Juno hated us, Skagway is obviously a Cruiseliner town, but Ketchikan was awesome. Sadly, wife is still a no on moving to Alaska and I don’t want to go two-for-two on the whole marriage thing.
Lol…my autocorrect for a city name…come on technology, be better.
Juneau
I don’t want to Hera bout it…
Don’t be too mercurial about it! (I know, Greek/Roman, so sue me)
It’s a role of Dice.
Thanks Animal, I’m really enjoying reading about your adventures.
In another case of “small world” meets “Kevin tends to be oblivious”, I just realized one of the guys I met playing hockey this summer lives fairly close to you. He owns an ATV/snowmobile rental company in Palmer. He loves it up there, and it’s just more confirmation that you chose a great spot.
Palmer’s a great little town. We looked at a couple places there when we were house-hunting, but found we could get a little more bang for our real-estate buck up the Susitna valley, so here we are. But I like Palmer a lot.
I love pictures of mountain streams. Makes me homesick for places I’ve never lived.
“…homesick for places I’ve never lived.”
Poetic! I like it.
Thanks. That’s different from homesick for places I’ve never been, which is a thing for me, in space (e.g., Spain) and time (e.g., “the good ol’ days). I’m trying to shed my nostalgia and live in the here and now.
As Hector said, “Nostalgia is not what it used to be.”
Yep. And as Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.”
Also, could someone turn off the sidebar? On phones, it’s awful.
Seconded. Annoying on the phone, and adds nothing of value.
Spectacular. I hope to get up there someday.
Thanks, Animal!
Same. Thanks Animal!
Big banner on the company home page — masking required for everyone including those that are fully vaccinated.
Us too. FML
Just following orders of the government, like good…
Wait, wait, let me try that again…
You know who else followed government mandates?
John Roberts?
Middle Age Wessex breweries?
Countries in the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific?
It is odd. So last Friday, the union sent out a “this is what they want you to do, you don’t have to, and we are looking into it” and then…nothing. Nothing from My Guy Pete other than rambling exactly what the president said or the FAA Administrator or COO.
I wonder how they will square it up with our AIDS article in our CBA…which is they cannot ask, must not share if the employee offers that information (for reasonable accommodation) and cannot discriminate.
Since for the most part, COVID is a preventable disease, just like Flu, AIDS, etc., I cannot see how they will get around this other than sheer ignorance to medical practices.
My small size manufacturing employer is unlikely to even make a peep about the virus. I may not get paid much but I can spend a portion of my day shitposting without a mask.
Livin’ the life…
We were never allowed to ditch the mask.
You work for morons.
Thanks for the reminder that life approaches something similar to normal somewhere.
Yeah, right now you can spot the tourists easily – they’re the only ones wearing masks.
Kitchen remodel underway. Cabinets should be done Wednesday, the countertops.
Is there any sort of industry in Alaska that does well but you don’t necessarily hear about much, or might be surprised to learn is there in such capacity?
That’s a good question. One that I haven’t been here long enough to answer, but there are a couple other Alaskan Glibs who have been here longer.
Farming? Short season, but lots of daylight and mild temperatures.
Sure – there are a lot of truck farms and some dairies, especially over in the Matanuska side of the valley, around Palmer.
They get big pumpkins up there.
Suckle on the government teat.
It isn’t that much of a promised land in that regards, but they are better than most.
About 99.999% of fully vaccinated Americans have not had a deadly COVID-19 breakthrough case: CDC
More than 99.99% of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 have not had a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC reported 6,587 Covid-19 breakthrough cases as of July 26, including 6,239 hospitalizations and 1,263 deaths. At that time, more than 163 million people in the United States were fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Divide those severe breakthrough cases by the total fully vaccinated population for the result: less than 0.004% of fully vaccinated people had a breakthrough case that led to hospitalization and less than 0.001% of fully vaccinated people died from a breakthrough Covid-19 case.
Most of the breakthrough cases — about 74% — occurred among adults 65 or older.
So much for the scourge of the Delta variant.
Fuck the CDC. Fuck the media. Fuck all the pants-shitting weasels cowering behind their masks.
The government has a Brokeback relationship with COVID. They just don’t know how to quit it.
More than 99.99% of people
fully vaccinated against Covid-19have not had abreakthroughcase resulting in hospitalization or death.Fixed it.
Numbers, how do they work? We’re so busy learning about social justice we no longer know how to divide two numbers.
OT: Atlanta-area judge enacts countywide eviction moratorium
Not mentioned in the article: the law which provides the basis for such an edict.
Atlanta has one of the highest percentage of people facing eviction/foreclosure. It will be interesting to see how Atlanta compares with Houston as they are in the same boat but will probably enact different policy.
Glad the Wife and I didn’t keep our last house for a rental.
From the article – tenets in Dekalb owe and estimated $50 million in rent….. Dekalb has spent 11% of $31 million allocated for assistance…
official responsible for enforcing contracts throws out contracts county-wide ?
Thanks Animal for writing about the Kenai Peninsula and Seward. We had a half-day Kenai Fjords National Park cruise that departed from Seward. That was awesome.
On-Topic: I represented an airman at Eielson AFB and I was traveling on the cheap, which meant flying into Anchorage vice Fairbanks. (Big diff in price back then to get an extra flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks). Was a pain in the ass at the time, but the 6+ hour ride from Anchorage took me right past Denali; it was a beautiful drive. Made me appreciate why it’s called the Last Frontier.
Australian Last Frontier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_(Western_Australia)#/media/File:Pindan_Country.jpg
I am assuming that tree can eat you…
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
I completely forgot why I had never had more than two links to my comments.
Thanks, Animal. i’m enjoying these.
Whenever we’ve moved I’ve always enjoyed check out the new sights
Nice bizniss ya’s gots here
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday said he has asked private businesses to only offer admission to patrons who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, contending that it is “in your best business interest” to adopt the new policy.
“Private businesses, I am asking them and suggesting to them: Go to vaccine-only admission. Go to vaccine-only admission. We did this, Radio City Music Hall, months ago. Reopened vaccine-only, sold out all the shows. Sports arenas. They went up to about 90 percent vaccine-only. Private businesses, bars, restaurants. Go to a vaccine-only admission. I believe it’s in your best business interest,” Cuomo said during a news conference.
Bare knuckled banana republic thuggery.
Is this a great country, or what?
I believe you should shut the fuck up, you elderly murdering piece of shit.
It’s absolutely nuts that this dude not only survived a sex scandal (supposed) but he also survived sending the elderly to their deaths.
The fact that the Left and their supporters haven’t torn this guy into shreds shows that they are partisan mendacious fucks because I guarantee that if Cuomo had an R next to his name, the media would have destroyed this dude.
I don’t think most people have realized yet that the DNC is well into “Fuck the plebes, we don’t give a shit” territory. I think they have completely ceased to hold anyone in their own party accountable for anything. Of course, the voters are responsible, but still.
The fact that Swalwell sits on the intelligence committee, or any committee, is just mind-boggling.
We have a top three that survived blackface and sex scandals because D. This fall the proles are likely to vote for a Clinton Crime Inc retread because OMB.
He’s got not only the media but the entire fucking Democrat machine on his side. It’s disgusting.
I know the voters will ignorantly vote Democrat all day long but I swear… if they re-elect this slimeball again I will lose what little faith I have left in humanity.
Ditch the coast, dude. There are still pockets of sanity left in this nation.
Sure, the weather sucks and more animals can kill you and the culture is more homogenized and you’ll make less money for doing the same job. However, the cost of living is cheaper and you have more rights and less hysteria and more real tolerance and more accountability for your elected officials*
*Kinda painting with a broad brush here. Machine politics at the city and podunk county level are just as corrupt as anywhere else.
You’re a middle-aged man around a decade older than me. You’re no dummy and I’m guessing probably make far more than I do. Bone out. You don’t have to put up with this shit.
I’m sure Ozy would like a new neighbor.
Co-signed.
Seconded.
I dunno, banning children under 12 strikes me as a good idea.
*shrug*
Under 26.
Government strongarming businesses with implied threats makes those who comply defacto state actors in this area not that I blame them that much for caving before the hammer comes down. That’s what this is though, the coopting of private business by government to use as a proxy to do that which government cannot legally do. That lower than whale shit bastard needs to be impeached.
I will give the progs some credit for throwing “It is a private business” back in our faces and all I can think of was they knew they had all the right cards hidden up the right sleeves of certain black robed priests.
When the govt twists arms you can’t tell who is doing it voluntarily and who is forced, you can’t even go by what the owners say. I’m sure the shopkeepers in Little Italy just loved the local Don and willingly did what he said to do. Of course they didn’t but they weren’t in a position to run their mouths about it and the same thing is happening here.
Here.
Another solution.
Yeah, but then another just like him took over, just like here.
BTW, congrats on the move. I hope CO agrees with the Tundra fam.
All you have to do to shut this down is point out “vaccine equity” or some shit. Unless they intend to go into those neighborhoods and strap them down for injections. That’ll make great optics.
Well…that was suggested in this mornings links.
One of the few good comments: “People with healthy immune systems are now the enemy. I did nazi that coming.”
lol
Thank you Animal. I love these.
Everyone have fun, I am off to wrangle grandchildren. *makes the sign of the cross* Pray for me.
Are they still at an age when they’ll even talk to Grandpa?
I spent a few days at what is now the Seward Military Resort. Every soldier got one, 3-day trip per tour. They have boats to take you out for all-day fishing in Resurrection Bay. In the evening it is drinking and spades. I wish I was there for the Mount Marathon (mud and blood) Race
Facebook post from an acquaintance:
“First time back in my office since 3/23/20, it’s like a time capsule.”
Truly living in different worlds.
Seriously different.
The contents of the fridge are still there, but different.
Solid milk, liquid fruit.
If it came out of the fridge, why is it hot?
Oh, good. They’ve been working on SkyNet.
The US military’s AI experiments are growing particularly ambitious. The Drive reports that US Northern Command recently completed a string of tests for Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE), a combination of AI, cloud computing and sensors that could give the Pentagon the ability to predict events “days in advance,” according to Command leader General Glen VanHerck. It’s not as mystical as it sounds, but it could lead to a major change in military and government operations.
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
For Immediate Release
We bombed a factory based on the GIDE intelligence gathered. We regret and apologize to the nation of Liechtenstein that we have destroyed their capacity to manufacture advanced prosthetic dentistry. Upon further review, we determined the GIDE was ensuring its dominance as the premier AI being and it didn’t like its implants it ordered off of Amazon, on its own, for its humanoid avatar it has been building.
The AI has been severely reprimanded and is not eligible for promotion reviews in this cycle.
They’ll surely offer commemorative postage stamps and soon recover all losses.
Thanks for sharing, Animal.
I spent a -50 degree January in the field at Delta Junction. Why would anybody go there on purpose. Donnelly Dome is about all there is.
I was excited when SpaceX ferried astronauts to the ISS and the return of the United States from going to low orbit. Now Boeing and NASA are giving OFT-2 another go and my interest is…we just did this a year ago. Plus the 60s called and wanted their capsule back apparently.
That said, more orbital systems is always better and one step closer to my goal of hitchhiking my way to the ISS.
That is cool stuff.
However, I found this on the OFT-2 Wiki page:
“Some of the cargo will include flags from historically black colleges and universities and pins of Rosie the Riveter.”
Virtue signaling, IN SPAAAACE!
The Rosie the Riveter is because of the anthropomorphic dummy they have is called Rosie the Rocketeer…which is funny considered so many ladies have come way before their dummy to venture in space. But hey, whatever gets the juices flowing I guess.
I am not really terribly upset but it is those little eye roll-worthy empty virtue signals that grate my nerves
Oh I also learned that the NASA blog still has a button to share to MySpace…which is apparently still living? Tomorrows Technology in 15-20 years.
Does it have a visitors counter too? That would be sweet.
Look, I am trying to follow Mo’s advice on nostalgia and that…makes me yearn for the internet of the 90s. Oh what a time to be alive and on that bleeding edge.
In space, no one can hear you signal.
Thanks Animal. Big fan of you and your articles. My brother is going to be up in Alaska for a little vacation soon. Forgot to ask him what part though. Going fishing and hiking. Im very jealous.
Thanks Animal for writing about the Kenai Peninsula and Seward. We had a half-day Kenai Fjords National Park cruise that departed from Seward. That was awesome.
Do you think a single 40 year old man with say 50k in the bank could get a new life in Alaska? I’m still in my 30s but I want to have a solid plan C.
I think a guy with a little grit and some gumption could get a new life any place, if you want to bad enough. Success is 95% determination.
Better wear a rubber dude
OT – and TW – Slate. That said it’s a fun blast from the past.
History of Dean Kamen’s Segway: The mysterious invention was going to change the world, and I helped kill it.
Funny thing is “kamen” means mask in Japanese. So every time I read about a Segway I think Kamen Rider.
I remember all that hype. If my memory is correct, the code name was “Ginger”, and Drudge had a headline: “Ginger is a Scooter!”
Heh they even shoehorned it into Hollywood to try and generate hype for it. I remember it in Fraiser, Grandma’s Boy, Paul Blart…what a ridiculous device. Cool idea, cool math that went into it though.
A New Way to Travel That Will Change Everything – SOUTH PARK
Completely forgot about that and it was classically done in only a manner they knew how to do it.
I don’t think I laughed harder at anything that decade. Holy crap that was amazing.
Yes, the article explains it. I never knew why.
You’d want to dance with Ginger the same way Fred Astaire did.
My reaction to IT was similar to Diane Sawyer’s, except there were a lot more variations on the word “fuck” throughout. I’d hoped it was a totes-affordable flying car or some other such coolness.
Nope. Goddamned two-wheeled scooter. The future sucks.
LOL. Good boy.
“I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms,”
Huh…maybe I had it last week then. Felt like crud and a head cold all week. Nothing else. Natural Immunity!
People just need to move on with their damn lives now.
*redacted*
Once or twice a year he says something that makes me want to like him. A few days later he says or votes for something that makes me remember why I don’t.
The man is 66. A year ago, Covid might have been a life-threatening event for him.
Now with the vaccine, he has a bad head cold or sinus infection.
This is what the vaccine was supposed to do.
Or it could be that Delta variant is highly transmissible and much less virulent so it doesn’t matter if he was vaccinated.
Take your pick. Which ever best suits your personal conspiracy theory I suppose.
That’s where I am.
Which ever best suits your personal conspiracy theory and the available fact-universe, I suppose.
That’s what’s so maddening about the public discussions right now.
There’s really no way to prove either, so… yeah.
Also… “I had mild symptoms”.
“I went to the doctor.”
wut?