After having our fill of the little cute town that is Talkneeta, we drove down to Seward for our final stop on our Alaska tour. With four full days to explore the area, we got our fill of this dreamy sea paradise. Similar to Talkeetna, this small town captured my heart with its beautiful murals, artsy coffee shops, and friendly local interactions.

Hiking Exit Glacier to Harding Icefield

Our first day was planned to go visit Kenai Fjords National Park and hike up to the Harding Icefield via Exit Glacier (8.6 miles, 3,200’ gain). This hike has to go down as one of my favorites of all time. The hike was beautiful the entire way up, with a viewpoint at the “top of the cliffs” that left me speechless. There, you have a perfect view of Exit Glacier and a bit of the ice field above it. Exit Glacier is a quickly retreating glacier, and you can see how nature has been shaped by its presence all around in the plants that have since flourished to create a unique environment. When you reach the top of the hike, the landscape shifts to a remote almost lifeless mountaineous region. The ice field is massive and reaches beyond what our eyes could see — however, we could see little peaks popping up above the ice field. Worth the hike, 100%.

Boating through Kenai Fjords National Park

Through our Airbnb, we were able to get a small discount on a half-day boat tour through Major Marine to explore even more of the Kenai Fjords National Park from the sea. As with most boat tours, we were hoping to see an abundance of wildlife — and we were not let down! Despite the rainy, foggy weather, we were able to see bald eagles, sea otters, a black bear, dall’s porpoise, humpback whales, puffins, stellar sea lions, and a trio of transient orcas. We were lucky to see these three orcas, as they are transient, meaning they are mammal-eating as opposed to resident or fish-eating. Another highlight of the trip was seeing the impressive Aialik Glacier. It was particularly busy when we arrived, calving every other minute. Reminiscent of our Patagonia cruise, this was an incredible adventure and one I’d recommend — with maybe some Dramamine for those who, like me, don’t have the strongest sea legs.

Kayaking through Resurrection Bay

Our last day in Seward was a morning kayak tour through Resurrection Bay, leaving from Lowell Point. We were lucky to have a private guide for just the four of us. Because we had some level of fitness, we were able to go to the beach which required only a short hike to see Bridal Veil Falls, a beautiful remote waterfall a bit off the shore. A peaceful morning, this was the perfect end to our trip, as we finally had the sunny weather we had wished for to see the famous Seward range from the waters. It was a really special moment to sit there in those waters and take it all in as our final day in Alaska.

Alaska surprised me a bit with just how deep its beauty, peacefulness, and friendliness goes. We really did have a top-tier vacation and so many varied experiences that I’ll carry with me, and I’m so glad I had the chance to experience just a fraction of “The Last Frontier.” Maybe I’ll be back in the winter to experience even more of what this state has to offer.