Seward's Folly

This is a view of the tiny town of Seward on the Kenai Penninsula. It's pronounced Sue-ward, not see-ward. The purchase of Alaska from Russia was called Seward's Folly when Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State paid about 2 million dollars for the frozen wasteland.

A fishing boat has gone to ground close to home just yards from a repair dock.

Seward is located at the end of Resurrection Bay on Cook Inlet. It is one of my favorite places in the state.

The bay is ringed by Tidewater Glaciers like this one, Holgate Glacier. Much of it is protected by Kenai Fjords National Park.

Another glacier in Kenai Fjords N P is the smaller Exit Glacier that is an easy drive from Seward, and a good place to spot Black Bears.

The drive to Exit Glacier passes through some mysterious temperate rain forest. Bigfoot stories abound in the region.

A Black Oystercatcher on the bay.

Not a Walrus, this is a bull Steller's Sea Lion. They are truly massive.

Lovable Sea Otters can easily be seen right from the beach in town. They are much bigger than River Otters, which also occur in the area.

Seward is an ideal departure point for whale watching excursions. Humpback Whales are the most easily spotted whale during the Summer months. There are also birding cruises that leave from Seward and go to  the Chiswell Islands that are part of Kenai Fjords N P. You can see tens of thousands of puffins, and many other seabirds along the rocky cliffs of the islands.

Bald Eagles are so common that they soon become ho hum to visitors in town. I just love Seward and I wish I would take the time to go more often. Enduring hordes of Summer tourists is what keeps me away most years.