Seward, Alaska 8/4

We heard that there would be a solid run of sockeye salmon going right by our cabin early in the morning because the commercial fishermen had to take their nets down at midnight. We woke up at 3:30 am to the sound of pouring rain and went back to sleep until 6:30. Scott went down to the river to fish then. By the time I joined him, he had already caught a beautiful 8 pound sockeye.

We left for Seward at 9:00am in hopes that the fog would lift and we could go on a glacier cruise to the Kenai Fjords. Unfortunately, it stayed cloudy and foggy so we decided not to do the tour, but still had a great day in Seward. First, we drove down a coastal dirt "road" along Resurrection Bay that felt like we were going to fall into the bay with every twist and turn. We saw dolphins surfacing and salmon jumping everywhere! We even stopped at a waterfall and watched people fish in the bay. We made our way to the Alaska Sea Life Center, not knowing exactly what to expect. Once inside, it was amazing! There was an entire wing devoted to Pacific Salmon and their importance to Alaska. We learned so much about these magnificent fish. We got to pet starfish and see sealions and seals. I took a ton of pictures of the salmon exhibits to use in my classroom.

Next, we took a walk into downtown. It is a very cute coastal town with huge mountains in the background and a busy harbor with lots of boats. We found "Chinooks", a restaurant on the harbor and had to have lunch there. Scott had the fresh halibut and a I had a delicious bowl of clam chowder (yum!). We left there and stopped into Scott's new favorite store called "The Fish House". Need I say more? We went back to the Sea Life Center to buy a beautiful jade necklace that caught my eye.

On the way back to Soldotna, we stopped off at the Russian River in the Chugach National Forest and watched fishermen catch sockeyes. I learned at the Sea Life Center that archeologists have discovered evidence proving that man has fished at the confluence of the Russian River and the Kenai River dating back over 10,000 years ago! We decided to take a hike back to the Russian River falls. This hike was SCARY right in the middle of bear country, but the trail was easy to follow and we heard from others that salmon were jumping up the falls, so we decided to hike the 4.6 miles. We did not see any bears (we saw many signs), but there were lots of salmon jumping up the falls and even more resting in the small pools. After about 30 minutes of trying, we finally got a picture of a jumping salmon in mid-air! The hike itself was breathtaking and the views and smells were just indescribable.

So, we headed back to the cabin exhausted after our hike. Scott (who is never too tired to fish), fished down at the dock for a while and then went to bed.

*Next Up: Fishing on the Kenai Peninsula

*Travel Tips: If you have the time, definitely take the hike back to the Russian River Falls. It takes a few hours, but is worth your while. Visit the Alaskan Sea Life Center in Soldotna. Your admission is good all day, so take your time and read the exhibits. We learned some very interesting facts!