Whenever we first started speaking of going to Alaska, everyone talked about how beautiful it is. We heard things like, “it’s simply gorgeous everywhere you turn.” Or, “there’s no place like it on the world.”  I definitely expected Alaska to be beautiful. I also knew that I wouldn’t fully understand how beautiful until I saw it myself. The first time that I was taken away by its beauty on our trip was our drive down the infamous Turnagin Arm.

We left Wasilla early that morning in route to Seward, Alaska. Seward is a quaint little fishing town that boasts all of the features you’d imagine…a beautiful, rocky bay with water crashing up onto its edges, boats galore, and an adorable little seaside shopping area. Fresh fish was pretty abundant for purchase and I imagine the locals eating fresh halibut in the way that we grab some catfish here in North Louisiana. For this little excursion, we pulled the camper with us, which I’ll remind you is quite a setup…fireplace included. We stayed right on the waters edge and “dry camped.” In case you’re unfamiliar, dry camping means you don’t have water or electricity hookups. I’m as surprised as you are. In all seriousness, we had enough water in the tank for the basics and had the generator to use for a bit. At first I was a bit nervous about the concept and adjusted quickly. After all, it was much too beautiful and temperate there to really need much more than a place to lay my head.

That evening I enjoyed grilled halibut for the first time, and even though I thoroughly expected to not like it, it turned out to be rather delicious. If there’s one area of personal growth that I’ve developed in lately, it would be in my appetite. I’ve made a point to try new things (and old things that I didn’t previously enjoy) and I’ve really branched out quite a bit.

The next morning, Matthew and I made the trek down to the Alaska SeaLife Center. It was smaller than I’d imagined and still entertaining. I honestly could have sat and watched the sea lions for hours on end. I have probably 30 videos of them on my phone. I also really enjoyed all of the vibrant art they had for sale there. If I had a larger suitcase and plenty of money, I would have probably came home with quite a few pieces. I did snag an adorable piece done by painting the bottom of a puffins feet and letting them run around. I think it’s adorable and I’m happy to have it hanging in my entry way.

After the sea life center, we spent just a bit wandering through the shops downtown. It’s little downtown area was simply adorable and I could have definitely spent hours there. We stumbled upon an awesome souvenir shop here and grabbed a quick lunch and coffee. If you’re looking for a great place to get souvenirs in Alaksa, I’d highly recommend Seward. There were so many great shops!

While in Seward, we also visited Exit Glacier. This was my first glacier to see of the trip and it was quite fascinating! The hike up to the glacier was lovely and we got good views of the surrounding mountains. The bugs were a bit fierce at one point, and I didn’t give up!  The trek to Seward was one of the most beautiful experiences of our trip. We saw eagles galore (you can see one in its nest if you look closely in that tree photo), seven swans, and our first moose (and the only one with antlers that we saw). The waters were the most beautiful teal color and not a bit murky. The mountains were beautifully snow-capped. The drive in and the visit around Seward, was a textbook picture of what you’d expect in Alaska. The views were breathtaking and I’ll never forgot its majesty.  As I look back and dream about Alaska, this part of the trip will be one that I remember most fondly.