Posts Tagged ‘Seward’

Make plans now for your scenic cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park. Renown Tours in Seward has a special 20 percent discount for their six-hour National Park cruise: now just $119.20 per adult ($59.20 for kids).

This is the cruise we take our friends and family on when they visit us in Alaska. Sure, you’ll see the big glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park. But you’ll also see wildlife! Watch for sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles, moose, mountain goats–even bears! Of course, your captain always is on the lookout for whales, porpoise and the occasional sea otter. There are critters everywhere!

The national park cruises start on May 16. Until then, Renown Tours offers a special Gray Whale Watching cruise for as little as $55.20 ($28.00 for kids). (more…)

From the mountains to the sea, the Great Alaskan TourSaver, with more than 135 2-for-1 offers, lets you see the best of Alaska for less.

Think about it: you get your Honey to buy the book for $99.95 (He loves you, right??). Then, he pays for his cruise, his flightseeing trip, his hotel, his train ride and his admission to the cool attractions all around the state. Here’s a shot of the 2-for-1 train ride up to Denali Park from Anchorage:

Here comes the great part: you go for free, when you have the Great Alaskan TourSaver. 

Love it? We do. We thought you would, too. Here are some of the top picks on the 2-for-1 list around Alaska:

Let’s be clear: EVERY one of these offers is TWO-FOR-ONE!

a. Flightseeing to Denali, with Glacier Landing from Talkeetna Air Taxi! Check it out:

b. Whale-watching in Juneau!

c. A cruise on “Deadliest Catch’s” Aleutian Ballad in Ketchikan!

d. An expedition to an adventure lodge at Ailik Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park from Alaska Wildland Adventures.

e. A week-long wilderness adventure into Lake Clark National Park. Folks–this is an INCREDIBLE trip from Alaska Alpine Adventures. Check the site: www.alaskaalpineadventures.com

f. Helicopter flightseeing in Denali National Park from Era Helicopters.

g. Bear viewing/flightseeing in Kodiak with Island Air. Here’s a preview:

h. Glacier cruise from Renown Tours in Seward into Kenai Fjords National Park. Check it out:

i. Fishing in Juneau, Kodiak and along the Kenai River.

j. Sail on the Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks.

k. Hike on a glacier with St. Elias Guides in Wrangell National Park.

l. Accommodations near Denali, in Kennicott, in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Valdez, Juneau, Kenai, Seward, or on the Kenai River.

m. See the Valley of the 10,000 Smokes in Katmai National Park!

n. Stay and sail to see the glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park! Oh–air fare from Juneau is 2-for-1 as well!

o. 2-for-1 air fare between Anchorage and Fairbanks on Era Aviation! Here’s a shot of one of their Dash-8s:

Don’t miss out on Alaska’s best travel deal. Order between now and Nov. 15 for FREE shipping to U.S. Addresses. Just $99.95 for more than $20,000 in 2-for-1 travel deals.

Am I excited about the new edition of the Great Alaskan TourSaver? OMG! Truly, Madly, Deeply! HAHA!

Order now: www.toursaver.com

It was a glorious day on Resurrection Bay for our cruise over to Orca Island. I hooked up with Dennis and Susan Swiderski, who have a few yurts set up on their island in Humpy Cove. It’s an incredible place.

Even though the island is just nine miles from the Seward Harbor, it’s a world away. The three yurts are perched above the water–perfect for watching the harbor seals, the otters or even the WHALES come right up for a look. Or, just look straight down and watch the seaweed sway back and forth. Check out the tidal pools around the island for all kinds of critters.

Take the kayaks out for a spin. That’s Pete and Lisa Armstrong in the yellow two-person kayak (below). “This is where we come for a family getaway,” said Pete. 

To get to the cabins, hop aboard the Swiderskis’ water taxi. It takes about a half an hour. The yurts are “self-catered” which means you bring your own grub. Each unit has its own barbecue grill, cooler–and a private bath. 

Susan was telling me about some great adventures around the island, in addition to sitting out on the deck (my favorite). There are waterfalls and secret inlets to paddle around. Watch for bears, mountain goats, river otters, whales, seals–all kinds of critters. 

Learn more online. 

Check out this cool video by Alaska HDTV. Scott and Kevin sailed with Renown Tours out of Seward on a  beautiful day. Renown Tours offers a special package that includes the wildlife cruise, admission to the Alaska Sealife Center and overnight accommodations at Holiday Inn Express right at the harbor in Seward. It’s just $99 per person (great deal). Learn more online: Renown Tours.  

It was 10 years ago when the Alaska SeaLife Center opened its doors to much fanfare.

My wife and I were there with our two kids–and we bought one of Barbara Lavallee’s prints “Windows to the Sea”. It’s still hanging on the wall in our home–and I still love going to the SeaLife Center when I visit Seward.

In fact, it’s at the top of the list for places to go when our relatives come to visit early next month. That, along with a cruise on Renown Tours to see Kenai Fjords National Park.

Grown-ups love the SeaLife Center, but it’s the kids that really are amazed. They get to watch the seals and sea lions swim around in the big tanks. Then, they can go up to the aviary and watch the puffins, murres and all the other birds flying around.

“This is as close as most people will ever get to a puffin,” said Seward resident and SeaLife board member Tom Tougas. 

Prowl around the top floor of the center and there’s a hands-on tank with naturalists, where kids can touch sea cucumbers, anemones and other critters that live in the tidal zone. It’s always a big hit.

Depending on the time of year, there may be salmon swimming through the tanks, since the SeaLife Center has its own salmon run! 

Down below, you’ll see king crabs, halibut and other creatures of the deep that are swimming around in Resurrection Bay. 

Of course, watching critters in the aquarium is just  a small part of the mission of the Alaska SeaLife Center. The staff also does research and rehabilitation. From above, you can look down on the outside tanks, where researchers are working with the animals. Again, kids are very curious about this process–and they can learn a bunch just by asking questions of the naturalists.

Join the staff and the community of Seward for the 10th anniversary on Sat., May 3 (this Saturday!!). There’s free admission from 3:00-8:00pm. There are plenty of kids’ activities, snacks and a behind-the-scenes open house.

Don’t miss it!