Seward, Alaska Part #1

Day 36 thru 38

June 1-3, 2019

            These couple of days was spent traveling to and visiting sights in Seward. On the way there, we go through a small community called Moose Pass. We have made friends with a couple who own a wrecker service there.  The man’s wife, Kathy, works at the Princess Lodge not far from Moose Pass.  There is a knife sharpening wheel run by water located along the roadside.  We always stop so Richard can sharpen his knives.  Today, Jim sharpened his.

                                                                              

Tracker Jim sharpening knife in Moose Pass
Film at 11

            Onward to the beautiful town of Seward.  Richard and I always make a trip there, and we hope it is around the 4^th of July. Of course, we were a few weeks early for that.  Jim, Becky, Richard and I thought about getting t-shirts with the words "We know we are two weeks early for everything."  The town has a grand celebration there with a race up Marathon Mountain.  This has been a tradition in Seward since 1915.  We've had the privilege of watching the race from a street in downtown Seward several times.  Men, women and children run up the mountain, but at different times.

           It is 3.1 miles, straight up Marathon Mountain.  The leading racers go up the mountain at about 2 mph.  However, they come down at about 12 mph.  As they cross the finish line, they are usually in need of medical attention.  They are bloody and muddy. When asked if I’d like to sign up for the race, I gave the lady a quick “Nay. Nay.”   

          Every racer wears a number silk screened onto a piece of heavy cloth.  This one dude had his shirt off and his number safety pinned to his nipples.  Yes, I said nipples.I couldn’t say “Nay. Nay.” fast enough.  All I could think of through the whole race was this chap could fall and get his number caught on a rock.
                                                                            

A picture of Mt. Marathon from
            the streets of Seward, Alaska.

We spent a couple of days in Seward which is named for the former U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, who took care of the details for the United States’ purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867. Seward was serving as Secretary of State as part of President Andrew Johnson’s administration.

We visited the Alaskan Sealife Center which was really fascinating.  Becky and I had the honor of being weighed on a scale used to weigh large fish.  I refused to call it a whale scale.  The beautiful aquarium is located (as is the town of Seward) on Resurrection Bay, a fjord of the Gulf of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula.
                                                                

Our Catch For the Day.

Beautiful fish posing for a picture

Becky and Jim
They caught more fake fish than
Richard and I did.

I have a large collection of pictures taken either by me, Richard, Becky, or Jim.  Some I'm not sure exactly where they were taken, but I feel they are worth posting.  At the end of each of the upcoming blog posts, I'll add a couple of them. 

     Pictures don't do Alaska justice, but hopefully you will enjoy them.

Until later,

Dolores

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One morning, I came out of the camper to find my
traveling buddies (aka Lewis and Clark and
Sacagawea) had joined the Pioneer Hat Brigade, and I had left my hat at home. Ain't they cute?

My favorite Jim and Becky picture

Taken in a park dedicated to Native Alaskans
OORAH!!

Mountain above the clouds