• Visitors to Seward should take a lesson from Kathryn Chandler. Or maybe it's a warning.
When you visit Seward, you may never leave.
Chandler came to Alaska in 2004 and took an eight-day kayaking trip out of Seward into Kenai Fjords National Park. Two years later she left Florida and moved to Seward. Now she works for Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking Co., the same place where she took the tour.
"I loved the warmth; I'd been in a warm place almost all my life, but there was just something about this place," Chandler said. "It does grab you. When you visit, you realize it could take years and years to explore all that Alaska offers. I decided to move here an immerse myself in it.
"On my trip here, I'd only been in Anchorage and Seward. Seward was like this place you read about in storybooks -- one grocery store, no fast food restaurants, no Wal-Mart. This is what I wanted. I'm from Florida, so I love the water. Now I'm one block from the water; I don't swim in it, but I do see it every day."
For many people, the focus of a trip to Seward is Kenai Fjords National Park, which has popular water-based and land-based interests. There are several day-cruise boats operating from Seward to take passengers into the glacier-studded fjords.
There also is the potential to see a variety of wildlife on cruises that vary from three to 9 1/2 hours, depending on the destination and the company. The three-hour cruises stick to Resurrection Bay and don't explore the national park.
"The Kenai Fjords area is known for all of its wildlife," said Linda Brandon, spokesperson for Renown Tours (www.renowntours.com) and Major Marine Tours (www.majormarine. com). "People have the chance to see different whales -- orcas and humpbacks. People also like to see the puffins. And they'll be able to see sea lions, sea otters, mountain goats, eagles.
"And then there is all the beautiful scenery and the glaciers. There is always something to see out there."
Many of the cruises into the park include a park ranger, which helps visitors understand the park better, Brandon said.
"For out-of-state travelers, they're really excited to have all the information from the ranger," she said. "The ranger is so excited about Kenai Fjords and so knowledgeable. They enjoy sharing that knowledge.
"If we get lucky and are able to stop by a bunch of whales, people get pretty excited. I've seen people jumping up and down. I've seen the ranger on the boat get really excited too, seeing so many whales so close to the boat."
Kenai Fjords Tours (www.kenai fjords.com) also offers a number of trips, including trips to Aialik Glacier and Northwestern Fjord. The trip to Northwestern Fjord visits three tidewater glaciers and includes two meals ($159).
When shopping for trips, consider what the itinerary includes, the type of meal that is served and whether the meal is included or offered at an additional price.
Many visitors enjoy the park thanks to the tour boats, but those who want to walk around a bit can do so at Exit Glacier, just a few miles outside Seward. It is one of the state's more easily accessible glaciers.
If conditions are safe, visitors can walk up to the face of the glacier. Rangers lead walks three times daily, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The hike is less than a mile on a level trail and lasts about an hour.
"A network of short walking trails gets you out to the face of the glacier, depending on conditions," said Jim Ireland, chief ranger at Kenai Fjords National Park (www.nps.gov/kefj). "If there is no imminent danger, you can walk right up and touch the ice and check it out.
"We have rangers on duty to answer questions. Really, they are there to help people understand the glacier better. It's like, 'Hi. I have a chunk of ice here. Let me show you an iceworm.' "
Exit Glacier is one of more than 30 glaciers that flow out of the Harding Icefield. The Harding covers abou t 300 square miles and is the largest ice field completely contained within the United States.
The Harding Icefield Trail is a seven-mile round-trip excursion for hardy hikers. Rangers will lead a hike on Saturdays, but hikers can make the trip unguided whenever they like. The trail gains about 3,000 feet in elevation and can have snow on its upper portions well into summer.
Dogs are not allowed on the hiking trails in the park. Ireland said Kenai Fjords National Park is more than 600,000 acres.
Back in Seward, one of the highlights is the Alaska SeaLife Center (www.alaskasealife.org).
The research and rehabilitation facility is open daily for visitors. Once inside, visitors can see puffins, Steller sea lions, harbor seals and a variety of other sea life. At the Discovery Pool, guests can touch sea stars and other animals.
Regular admission is $20 for adults, $15 for students ages 12 to 17 and $10 for children ages 4 to 11. The center also offers several special tours. They include a behind-the-scenes tour into the research and rehabilitation labs ($12); the Octopus Experience, in which visitors can learn about the unique anatomy and behavior of a giant Pacific octopus ($49); and the Puffin Encounter, where visitors can help feed the seabirds inside their avian habitat ($49).
Back outside, there are many hiking trails in the area, including a trip up Mount Marathon. Most visitors will take it a little slower than the 1,000 or so competitors who will sprint up and down the 3,022-foot mountain on the Fourth of July. More than 40,000 people pack Seward for the big holiday weekend, which revolves around the race.
Other hiking trails include one starting at Lowell Point and the Lost Lake Trail north of town.
Whether your adventure is on a boat, watching sea lions or lacing up your hiking boots, Seward is the place to be.
Special sections editor Steve Edwards can be reached at sedwards@adn.com or 257-4316. Visit his Alaska travel blog at www.alaska.com/alaskology.
What locals say
"I had a bear biologist say one time, 'Katmai is brown bear national park, but Kenai Fjords is black bear national park.' We have a lot of bears here. We have daily encounters in the summer. We see them all the time."
-- Jim Ireland, chief ranger at Kenai Fjords National Park
Editor's picks
• Feel the fjords: A sightseeing cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park will give visitors a unique perspective. If it's sunny, there is no better way to spend a day. If it's cloudy, the glaciers will be even more colorful and the wildlife doesn't care.
• Hit the trails: Seward has lots of great hiking trails. One of the best is the Lost Lake Trail, which begins about five miles outside Seward. It's a 15-mile hike to the Primrose Landing Campground. There also are trails at Exit Glacier.
• Touch the sea life: You'll never get a better look at a Steller sea lion than you will of Woody at the Alaska SeaLife Center right on the waterfront. You also can touch sea stars and the like.
