You may think Seward sounds like a pretty ho-hum destination to spend your final days of freedom before the year really gets going, but the town actually has fun things to do.
Be sure to bring plenty of CDs to listen to on the drive (about three for each direction). If you leave midmorning, you'll arrive there with enough time to head to the Alaska SeaLife Center for a few hours before closing time. Even if you've been to the SeaLife Center 20 times, the big underwater window into the Steller sea lion tank makes a cool photo-op. While you're upstairs in the SeaLife Center be sure to check out the octopus tank and the 2-inch-long halibut.
After the SeaLife Center, be sure to try the gelato at Sweet Darlings a few blocks away -- it's probably the best gelato in the state and comes in cute, flower-shaped cups that you can keep. For extremely affordable and friendly lodgings, check into the Moby Dick Hostel. The large white house's purple and green paint is unique and charming, and so are its owners.
If you can get up early enough, the Kenai Fjords Northwestern day cruise is excellent. The mountains and glaciers look pretty similar to those anywhere in Alaska, but Seward definitely has more than its fair share of wildlife. Even in pouring rain, the pods of killer whales are impressive enough to bring the most timid tourist out from the shelter of below deck.
On your way back to Anchorage you can stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which is basically a big zoo with big Alaska animals. You pay admission at the gate and then walk or drive between the fenced animal habitats. The park definitely caters to tourists, but the elk are a rare sight for Anchorage-ites and worth the ticket price on their own.
Before you head out, make sure you have a full tank of gas and a few sets of clothes for changing weather. There is a gas station in Girdwood to fill up at if you're running low, but its prices are higher than those in Anchorage.
Call up a few friends, pack some snacks for the drive and you're set for your final adventure of the summer!
Elaine Parmelee is a junior at West High.
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