Exploring Seward

Seward is a pretty little town with lots to do and see even after October first.  Yesterday the sun was out so we took the bikes for a tour of the town, parts that we hadn't been to yet.  It is true many shops in Seward close for the month of October, if not for the entire winter.  But there were still plenty of shops open to go around and look at and as we have found elsewhere in Alaska, the shop owners are rarely too busy to just stop and have a chat with you.  Pauline learned some neat knitting tips from a yarn shop!  There is a very large sea life center which we didn't get to before it closed for the day but Seward has a nice bike path along the waterfront that starts just outside of it.  We think this is also where the famous Iditarod Trail starts.  This is a famous dog sled race to Nome about a thousand miles away to commemorate the original trail that brought many of the original gold hunters and settlers to the northern and interior parts of Alaska.

As we were riding and enjoying the sites we found many other spectators out and about.  Within feet of shore, we had at one time a sea otter, a whale and several seals (although to be truthful we are not sure if they were seals or sea lions, we are waiting to go to the sea life center to confirm how to tell from just their head).   The whale just gently cruised the coast in front of us as we watched.  We lost sight of him just after he passed close to the marina entrance.  We are pretty sure he didn't go into the marina as it shallows up right before the entrance.  That was quite a distance from our vantage point but would have been a great shot with a long lens if we had it.  We could see Sari Timur right behind his tail flukes as he sounded that last time.

We have booked our tickets to Orlando and will be heading down to Ft Lauderdale where Pauline has a couple of yacht courses booked and Mark hopes to find work.  We are not sure if that will pan out or not but we hope it will as this would fill a void in the cruising kitty and give us the references and experience to work during the winter months while we are exploring N. America.  For you Florida followers we will make it a two night stop in Merritt Island to see and stay with relatives.  We also hope to stop in Jensen Beach for lunch or non alcoholic drinks as we have to be in Ft Lauderdale before dark on Sunday.  We will have to see the rest of you north of Orlando on our way back.  Not sure when that will be.  Probably March if we are successful at finding work, November if we are not.