One month in Alaska 2015: August 2, 2015-Turning Heads Kennels/Seward Helicopter Tours-dog sledding on Godwin Glacier, hiking Exit Glacier, Sea Life Center, dinner at Woody's Thai Kitchen

SEWARD

We make coffee in our room and have our pastries from MIL bakery. We're out the door and over to our hotel's lobby where we wait to be picked up. I notice someone taking pictures outside looking towards the road (Seward Hwy.) I go out and look. There's some bald eagles so I snap a few pictures. Soon Elissa arrives in the Turning Heads Kennels van at 9:30 am to drive us to where we will catch a helicopter for our dog sledding!! I am beyond excited for this experience. Cost $989.69 I pre booked this via internet putting 1/2 cost on my credit card with the remainder to be paid the day of the trip. I know that's a bit of a cost but I don't regret paying a single penny for this trip which I will remember for the rest of my life. Thanks to the TA poster who told me dog sledding out of Seward was a better bet than out of Juneau due to Juneau's unpredictable weather. Seward Helicopter Tours is where we will board our Robinson R44 helicopter which seats 3 people. Everyone has a window seat. The other passenger is a local girl celebrating her birthday. We have a safety briefing-mainly how to enter and exit the helicopter safely.

Hotel lobby area

Bald eagle across the street

Our driver Elyssa

Dressed in layers

Helicopter office

Our helicopter

Brandon is our pilot who takes us over some stunning scenery. Just a short flight and I can see the dog sled camp. A few tents for the mushers and the dogs-so many dogs. I also see a sledding group arriving back to the camp. It is a beautiful day-warm, sunny. A very smooth landing.

Richard has the best seat!

Our musher is Wyatt and he turns out to be a wonderful guide/musher. Very friendly and young! His goal is to some day enter the Iditarod. He introduces us to our dogs. There are 2 sleds-one behind the other. The first sled is large. It has a sling type of seat, then a bench seat behind, and then a person can stand behind that on the runners. So 2 people ride and the musher stands on the runners of that first sled. The second sled has a seat and runners where a person can stand and pretend they're mushing. We will all get a turn to do that. The dogs are all harnessed up and raring to go-barking and trying to pull forward. We get settled in and we're off like blazes!! The scenery is mind blowing. Majestic. Serene. This is the Alaska everyone should see. We make stops. I make a snow angel. The other girl says that's neat so she makes one too. It is a magical experience. Wyatt asks Richard if he wants to bring the dogs in-meaning do the actual mushing. How cool is that. He tells him a few commands and I sit in the very front with Richard mushing behind on the runners and birthday girl in the second sled. Wyatt is running alongside the sled with us. We arrive back to the camp where we get to help unharness the dogs. I unharness Bruce. We also get to hold the puppies who aren't named yet. Mine keeps chewing on anything he can reach so I tell Wyatt his name should be Chewy. The puppies are adorable. All too soon we see the helicopter landing with another couple and we get in to head back. Before I leave I give Wyatt a generous tip for making this so special. I wish I could spend all day here instead of a few hours.

Me and my shadow

Wyatt

Making a snow angel

My turn

Just beautiful

Happy times 3

Unharnessing the dogs

My name for this puppy is Chewy

Richard found a buddy of his own

I want to take him home

Brandon tells us he's heading back a different way for us to see different scenery. How sweet. I give him a tip also. Back at the helicopter office we're given a postcard/picture that has our dogs' pictures with their names on it. Lovely. Elissa drives us back to the Breeze Inn and I give her a smaller tip for driving us.

Our pilot Brandon

I am feeling invigorated so it's off to Exit Glacier for some hiking. It's not a far drive from town. A huge parking lot with lots of cars. This is a popular thing to do if you're in Seward. By the visitor cabin you can get a free Ranger led hike. One is ready to go so we decide to join several others led by Ranger John. He tells us we will hike to the edge of the glacier. As we walk he gives us information about the history of the glacier-specifically pointing out the signs that are posted to designate where the glacier was in years past. It's receded quite a bit over the years as have lots of the glaciers in Alaska. I decide I want to do the easy, shorter hike just to the glacier viewpoint so we leave the group. I misread the signs! We have been hiking for longer than a mile and it's not on flat ground. We're going up and down, on paths that are barely paths and around/over boulders. It really is strenuous. Finally I see lots of people and there's the glacier. There's Ranger John with his group too. His way was easier than the way we took. Should have stayed with him! I take some pictures and will head back following Ranger John. Oh no, I forgot to have Richard take a picture of me right by the glacier edge. He says he's not going back and I agree as I'm exhausted. Good thing I was smart enough to bring water even if I wasn't smart enough to read the signs correctly! We have hiked around 7-8 miles-several hours. By the time we reach the visitor center I'm ready to collapse. I find the energy to buy some postcards and make my way to the car.

Visitor Center

Ranger John

How could I misread the sign??

Following the group

Sign shows where the glacier edge was in 1926

Easy flat trail so far

Glacier coming into view

Pretty scenery

Information sign

I actually walked all the way down the steps closer to the glacier but forgot to take pictures of me standing there!

This is how close I got to the glacier

Pretty close

Did get a picture of me here

You can tell just by looking at this picture how exhausted I am!

I regain my energy and decide to visit the Sea Life Center. It's all in one building so should not be too difficult. Admission $38 for the 2 of us. This really is a nice place with a gift shop and lots of exhibits. There are several tanks holding different kinds of fish. A touch area. An area up on the 2nd floor where there is viewing of tufted and horned puffins, all sorts of sea birds, seals, sea lions. We spend several hours here.

Prices

Tufted puffin

Horned puffin

View of Resurrection Bay from rear of the Sea Life Center

Touch area

From the glass window you can see the sea birds swimming/paddling their feet

Kid friendly place to visit

Looking down at the gift shop

Close by is WOODY'S THAI KITCHEN where we stop for dinner. There are also lots of shops at this far end of the town. To be checked out on another day! Woody's is packed so we wait for a table at the bar where we have some drinks-beer for Richard and soda for me. Our table is ready. Richard orders Pad Thai and I order Bah Mee. Bill with meal and drinks plus tip is $52. This is a very busy place with good Thai food. I ask the older man running back and forth in the restaurant if his name is Woody (the restaurant's name) and he tells me the place is named after Woody, the sea lion from the Sea Life Center who is now retired!! Time to call it a night.