Alaska Day 12: Knik River to Seward

This article is part of a series about our recent vacation in Alaska.  To see the introductory article in the series, click here.

The weather forecast for the rest of our trip all seems to be the same: mostly cloudy with occasional showers. We have done pretty well with weather so far, and hope our luck holds out. This morning, as has frequently been the case, the weather seems somewhat brighter and nicer than the forecast would imply.

Main Street, Hope, Alaska

Breakfast was delivered to our cabin, and consisted of juice, pastries, and yogurt; all excellent. Then we took off for Seward, stopping off to replenish our picnic supplies. After passing through Anchorage, we enjoyed the very scenic drive on the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm. The weather varied from partial sun to rain along the way.

We decided to make a side trip to Hope, Alaska, in part because Hope is Celeste’s middle name. Hope is a charming old gold mining town that was devastated (considerably reduced in size) by the great earthquake of 1964. We found a great place for a picnic lunch, and then walked around the town, visiting the museum and a couple of gift shops. The museum tour was particularly informative, as we were led around the buildings by “Billy”, who we would estimate to be at least in his 80s, who kept referring to the “old timers” he learned so much from.

Hope Museum exhibits

Our hotel, the Seward Windsong Lodge, is just north of town on the road to the Exit Glacier area of Kenai Fjords National Park. Our rooms were enormous, a welcome change from many places where we have had to step over our suitcases to get around.  After checking in, we made a trip out to the park to scout out hiking opportunities for tomorrow.  We decided on a 10 am hike to the edge of the glacier. We then headed downtown for dinner and a little souvenir shopping.